66 



BULLETIN 87, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



It is common to find in the cave debris the points retaining the 

 sinew lashing, and the intention probably was for the arrowhead to 

 stay in the woimd. The foreshaft of many of the arrows offered in 

 the caves were not nocked for the arrow point. In all other respects 

 they are effective arrows, and they may have 

 been used without the points for hunting (fig. 

 143 a). One specimen (fig. 143 h) has a barb 

 which suggests that other plain foreshafts may 

 have been thus equipped. There were found sev- 

 eral bunt-head arrows (fig. 143 c), formed by 

 tying bits of stick to the extremity. 



The arrows from this region are all decorated 

 on the foreshaft and under the feathering (fig. 

 144), and on the limited space to receive orna- 

 mentation the arrow maker applied designs show- 

 ing noteworthy inventive skill. The foreshaft is 

 usually covered with a flat tint 

 of red ocher, but frequently 

 the color is laid on in bands of 

 varying width. Sometimes the 

 sinew bands are colored red. 

 The feathering area is painted 

 with bright red and green and 

 patterned with spirals, zigzags, 

 lozenges, and other designs in 

 black. Micaceous hematite, 

 powdered and sprinkled on designs in the moist 

 medium, formed a striking and pleasing decora- 

 tion. Occasionally designs were burnt on the reed 

 shaft. The specimens illustrating arrow making 

 are from Bear Creek Cave and other sites on Blue 

 River. 



FIKE-MAKING IMPLEMENTS. 



Hearths and drills from various localities on fis. i44.— decoration 

 Blue River and from one site at Spur Ranch are g^uB rivee, 

 shown on plate 15. They are made of the flower- 

 ing stalk of the j^ucca, and are identical, except in material, with 

 those used at present by the Southwestern Indians. On the right of 

 the plate is a large mass of decayed wood from the lower cave at 

 Johnson's, Blue River, which was used as a slow-match. (Cat. No. 

 246200, U.S.N.M.) 



TEXTILES. 



In point of usefulness the yucca and allied plants yield to no other 

 vegetation of the region, and especially as primitive tying material 

 their value was very great. These plants satisfied the equation on 



lilliU 

 a 



Fig. 14.3. — Plain, bdnt, 

 and barbed arrows 

 FROM Blue River. 



