ANCIENT PUEBLOS OF UPPER GILA REGION. 



97 



The long roundel staffs found in Bear Creek Cave suggest the 

 object carried in the hand of the figure of a Mexican deity figured 

 in Doctor Eduard Seler.'s collected works. (Vol. 1, 1902, p. 839.) 

 It has a rounded tip, below which is a small shield with cross figure, 

 below this is a cord wrapping apparently securing a row of bells 

 and feathers and at intervals two globular wrappings of cord, bind- 

 ing feathers to the staff. 



BOW PAHOS. 



The custom of making miniature bows and arrows for ceremonial 

 purposes has been observed in several American tribes and perhaps 

 formerly was extensive, as there are many traces of a bow cult in 

 America outside of the Pueblo region, where it is still current. An 

 interesting set of this character from the Nishinam Indians (Maidu 

 Stock) of California collected by Stephen Powers is in the National 



Fig. 202. — Ceeemonial bow and arrows from the Nishinam Indians^ California. 



Museum. (Cat. No. 21455, U.S.N.M.) It consists of a bow 7^- inches 

 long, a partially stripped woodpecker feather and a mat of wood- 

 pecker quills 1| by 2J- inches in diameter. (Fig. 202.) This outfit 

 was stated by the collector to be a charm for the chase. Bows of 

 about half the standard size and beaded excellently are made by the 

 Klamath and Modoc and are of some ceremonial importance. Minia- 

 ture bows and arrows form frequently a i)art of the paraphernalia 

 with which masks are decorated among the southern Alaska tribes. 

 These examples suggest the possible ranges of the idea, but not enough 

 information is at hand to connect them with the bow cult. 



Among the Pueblo, however, the bow cult was prominent and pre- 

 vailed over a wide region and, where offerings were made of various 

 kinds in caves by the ancient people, the greater number of these 

 objects were bows and arrows of regular size or in the form of 

 models. 



14278°— Bull. 87—14 8 



