120 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. 93 



ARTIFACTS FROM MARSHALL OSSUARY 



Shell beads were the predonihiating and almost the only type of 

 artifact found in this entire site. (Jver 8,000 beads were recovered 

 in our own excavation, and very many times this number have been 

 removed at various times by local collectors. The entire dug-over area 

 is impregnated with shell beads, their very abundance causing them 

 to be neglected by the collectors. In addition, as previously stated, 

 they occurred by the handful in the lower portions of the undisturbed 

 ossuary pits. The various types and sizes are shown (pi. 11, fig. 2, 

 b, c, g). About half of those recovered were ground fiat on the edges 

 and perforated (pi. 11, fig. 2, c) , whereas of the remainder all were 

 rough on the edges and about 10 percent were unbored (pi. 11, fig. 2, 

 b). As many as 25 evenly matched ground and bored beads were found 

 in alignment just as the string of beads was thrown into the pit. The 

 fact that all of the ground beads are perforated, whereas many of the 

 rough disks are not, indicates the probable method of working. Ap- 

 parently, the shells of a fresh-water bivalve were broken up, ground 

 approximately round on sandstone or broken to shape, bored, strung 

 on some stift' wood fiber and then rolled on a slab or between two slabs 

 until perfectly smooth and round. This is the method employed by the 

 Pomo and other California tribes, and the same sequence is suggested 

 by the complete series from the present site. Since all stages of this 

 process are represented in the Marshall ossuary, it is evident that 

 both finished and unfinished beads were regarded as especially suitable 

 for mortuary offerings. 



In addition to the finished and unfinished beads a considerable 

 number of un worked moUusk shells were found in the Marshall 

 ossuary. Of these Dr. Baker has identified three species : 



Lampsilis ventricosa occidcus (Lea), also found in historic Pawnee and other 



sites 

 Lampsilis anodontoidcs (Lea), also found at Lost Creek, house i 

 Plcnrobona coccincuni (Conrad), numerous at Marshall site only 



It is of interest that none of these shells occurred in the Graham 

 ossuary, nor were any of the marine forms noted there found at the 

 Marshall site. It is uncertain just what other species were used in 

 making the common shell beads, but in all cases fresh-water rather 

 than marine shells seem to have been employed. Besides the usual flat 

 disk beads, one other interesting small bead was noticed which had 

 two neat holes on the same plane, one bored lengthwise and the other 

 at right angles (pi. 11, fig. 2, g). Also a single bored fresh- water 

 pearl was found (pi. 11, fig. 2, g). The only other shell artifacts found 



