146 CASA GRANDE, ARIZONA [BTH. ANN. 28 
A tube made of a turkey bone perforated about midway in its length 
was doubtless used as a whistle. It is similar to objects used by the 
Hopi in some of their ceremonies, to imitate bird calls. Several arti- 
ficially pointed bones are charred at the end. 
Among the bones recognized are those of the antelope, turkey, 
rabbit, and bear. Bird bones are the most common, but the speci- 
mens have been worked to so great an extent as to make identifica- 
tion impossible. Most of them are simply pointed, rarely decorated, 
but some are perforated for use as beads or needles. 
WOODEN IMPLEMENTS 
Although there were few trees suitable for building purposes in the 
immediate neighborhood of Casa Grande, in the distant hills were 
trees of sufficient size to yield good boards. In rooms which have 
been excavated are found long beams of considerable size and flat 
boards the surfaces of some of which are as smooth as if they had 
been planed. Some of these beams may have been hauled to Casa 
Grande from localities at least 5 miles or even farther away; they 
are squared and their surfaces bear evidence of having been worked. 
They were extensively used to support roofs and floors and in some 
of the smaller buildings as studding for the walls. In the latter case 
they held in place withes or osiers upon which was laid the plaster. 
The trees most commonly used for this purpose were the pine and 
cedar. 
Tronwood, which is very hard and extremely difficult to cut, was 
shaped into planting sticks for cultivating the soil. These (pl. 76) 
are saber-shaped, being long and thin-bladed; most of them are pro- 
vided with a short handle at one end, while the curved rim is 
sharpened. In one of the rooms of Compound A! was a pile of five 
of these objects’ averaging 4 to 5 feet in length, that had evidently 
been deposited there when the place was deserted. Dibbles and 
planting sticks were found also in excavations, especially in the 
mound south of Compound B. 
Several very good specimens of paddles (pl. 77) of ironwood, of 
practically the same shape as modern Pima pottery paddles, were 
unearthed at Casa Grande; these vary in form, some being knife- 
shaped, others spatulate. They were evidently used in the manu- 
facture of pottery, for finishing the outer surface of the vessel. As 
1 See ground pian of room 1, near northeast plaza (pl. 6). 
2 There was some difference of opinion among Pima workmen and others regarding the use of these imple- 
ments, but the statement of the older men that in their youth they had seen similar objects used as shovels 
is accepted as the most probable explanation. Another theory, that they were implements used in war, 
after the manner of broadswords, is rejected on account of the exceptional character of such weapons 
among the Southwestern tribes. 
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