A CAVE BURIAL FROM KMMt COUNTY ((KER-185) Robert F. Heizer A CAVE BURIAL FROM) KEIJN COUXTY (SITE KER-185) 1 From the files of the C. Hart Merriam Collection In September, 1903, James 'J. Stockton Who seems to have been at the time a .choolteacher in Bakersfield, wrote C. F, Lummis in Los Angeles saying he had "two Indian baskets, a tule mat and most of a mummified bodyi.tfound by me some months ago in the remains of an old cave near Kern River Canyon." Stockton also mentioned Na net-of milkweed fiber about the larger basket in which the mummy was casketed, a breech cloth made of cords of wild hemp *rapt with skin." Lummis forwarded the letter to Dr1. Merriam who wrote Stockton and received an answer stating where the specimens might be seen. A typed extract of Dr. Mlerriamls observations under date of October 8, 1903 reads: "At a store in the town [Bakersfield) I 'saw an interesting recent find from a cave on Kern River about 10 miles east of Bakersfield. It ccnsists of a cornucopia shaped basket about 20 inches 4diameter art big end and apparently bluntly rounded at small end,' The smaUl end I could not see as it was packed in a box which it fits tightly. It contained and still contains the partly mummified remains of an Indin.; The skull appears to be perfect and the teeth are so worn that the person must have been past middle life. From its size it must have been a small person probably a womani It was found by James W. Stockton of Bakersfield, who states that the basket in which the skeleton is doubled up (with still a good deal of skin, etc. attached) was wrapped in a net of milkweed fiber . -With it were some other things, including a partly decomposed tule mat, a lot of fiber cord which he says was a breech clotha and a smaller basket. The latter is a bowl about 14 1/2 in. diameter by 5 inches in height, with nearly vertical sides. Both baskets are still fairly wrell preserved though of course pretty rotten. They are of coiled weave of the 3-rod type, though more than 3 splints were used in places. 'They appear to be of tule, over willow rod foundations but I am by no means sure of the materials The big one is about 13 inches high by 20 in. diameter at the big end. I saw no design oni either and believe them too be perfectly plain." In June, 1904, Stockton again wrote Dr. Merriam some particulars on the location' of the cave, and attached to- his letter a sketch mape In July, 1905, Dr. Merriam was in Bakersfield, and. in his Journal are the following additional observations on the cave: "On the north side of the river (Kern) extending from near the bridge to opposite the mouth of Cotbomwood C.eek (say l, mile) 'is a semi-circle of abrupt hills and vertical clayey cliffs rising from the river bottom to a height of perhpps 100 feet.- On the face of the highest cliff, just above the steep-sloping talus and perhaps 30 feet (estimated) above and some little distance from the 'river, is the remains of what once must have been a most interesting cave. All that is left of it is two holes, one about 4 feet above the other, going back horizontally with the clayey cliff and each sub-tdividi'g. into other holes which are lost - 29w- - 30- to sight as they wind into the clay.. Both are now occupied by dens of skunks of the genus Mephitis. They smell skunky and long tail-hairs and cylinders of exc r made up almost wholly of beetle (Coleoptera) remains, abound. The lower hole still has black walls from the smoke of the fires built in the cave by Indians a thousand or more years ago. The cave has practically disappeared from the gradual falling away of the face of the cliff, This is the cave in which a young man named Jamnes W. Stockton (of Bakersfield) found, a couple of years ago; a small human annum'l buried in a basket, This I saw in.the fall of 1903 and persuaded the Tational Mutseum at TTashington to purchase4 It is now in the N-ational Huseum and is the only case of basket-cave burial known to me on the Pacific coast* I photographed the cliffs from the hills on south side of river, looking across the river bottoma The4river flaws in two channels enclosing an island between the bridge and mnouth of Cottonwood creek. An old irrigating ditch runs along then face of the cliffs, attthe bottom or near it, and by following this ditch one comes to within say 20-30 feet of the remains of the-cave." Further information on the occurrence of the burial is contained in a letter to 7(, H. Holmes from J. W. Stockton of October 30, 1903. He says, 'The smaller basket was unearthed first, bottom up and resting on the larger ones which was on its side and facing north. The smaller one was fuLll of and the larger one surrounded by a great deal of weeds, brown and sere with age. I judged them to be principally pennyroyal, dogbane and cycamore leaves. Abou't the larger basket was a carrying net of milkweed fibre and entangled with it was some larger cordage of wild hemp. The mummy was casketed in the larger basket,, Arms were placed across abdomen and head was crushed between knees, About the abdomen was a breech cloth of cordage in loops which had been covered with skin wrapped with fur outward,.*. The position of articles justified my thinking that the larger baskot was placed upright, mumy i sitting posture, weeds packed about it, mat over its head, and second basket used as lid. After being placed thus a slide at mouth of cave forced debris inwdard overturning baskets' The body faced the setting sun." Description of burial and artifacts: Skeleton. The remains are those of a child of about 12 years old. This determination was made by Dr. T. Dale Stewart., U.S.N.M. The corpse appears to have been pladcid originally in a sitting position in the basket. As may be seen from the photograph, (P1. 2,b) there still adheres to some of the bones dried flesh and skin. The burial and baskets were thus protected from disintegration in the dry deposit of the interior of the cave. - 31 - Rabbitskin blanket. This is the item referred to by Stockton as a ltbreech cloth," wrapped about the abdomens Fragments of this ars shown in the photograph in Plate 2,k, but the bulk of the blanket has been removed" The blanket is made by Wrapping strips of rabbitskin 9 mmy wide in a clockwise spiral on foundation cords of 2-ply right twist grapevine bark 5 mno in diameter, or on cords of some other fiber (probably milkweed, Asclepias) also 2-.ply right twis or two 2-ply right-twist cords twisted t F1n a clockwise direction*; The wrapped warps are 1 cm; in diameter, and are bound side-by- side with twining elements of cordage (2vply, right twist string 1 to 3 m. in diameter), each course being spaced 8 cm- apart; The blanket now measures about 50 cel wide, and was originally at least this long, or perhaps longer. Although in a fairly good state of preservation (some of the strips still bear hair and the cordage is firm and strong), the blanket is fragmentary due tQ separation of warp element. and breaking of weft twiniing clmc-ents. In its present condition nothing can be detemined of the manner of finishing the edges of the blankets Caryaing net None of the caryin not described by Stockton as of milkweed fibre foud wrapped about thc burial basket was collected, or at any rate, did not reach the 1JSS.N.MI, as part of the collection, Small coiled basket This basket (P2. 2,d) is flat-bottomed with low, vertical sides. It mcasurcs 1)4 inches 05.7 can.) in cliameter, and stands 5 inches (12,$ cm.) high. The foundation of the basket consists of a bundle of small grass (Epicaes?), split willow splints and an occasional sm'all round willow r -ThTK -asket is rether coarseov withn 27 stitches per 10 cm. and 21 vertical coils per 10 cm. Occasional interior and exterior stitches are split, apparently by accident, and the basket cannot be s4id to bear intentionally split stitches- The coils are clockwise, and the stitches lean toward the lofts The convex work surface was used in making the baskets Stockton's account states that the smaller basket was inverted over the larger one, serving an a cover. Basket cintain- burial This basket (PFl. 2, atb) is somevwhat larger than the last, and measure 13,5 inches (34o5 co7 high, 19 inches (48 cm,) in diameter at the top, 13 inches (33 am.) in diameter at the banso The bottom is flat and the side walls are straights No decoration is apparent. The foundation of the coils is again a bundle of fibrous hollow grass stems (Ep C es.l; there are 21lcoils per 10 cmj., and 26 stitches per 10 cm. Exc6P size, the coils, stitches, direction of work and work surface of the larger basket is identical to thec smaller one, The larger basket contained the dessicated remains of the child with the rabbitskin robe (or breechclout) wrapped about it, 32 - Tule matting This piece of tule matting (P1.. 2,c) lay over the head of the skeleton. One long edge with tho tule (Scirpus) warp elements cut off square is the original border, It is bo th a simple twined technique .5 inch (1.5 cm.) from the edge, the weft consisting of a 2-ply right-twist cord, probably of Asclepias, 3 mm 'in diameter, Three other twined w,-reft courses are prosorved-, an are spaced from 5.5 inches (14 cm.) to 4.5 inches (11.5 cm,) apart. There are from 7 to 8 wcarps per 10 cm. The warp courses regularly consist of 4 tule stalks bound together by the cordage twined loops. The present measurements of the fragmentary mat are 15 inches (33 cm.) wirde by 49 inches (124.5 cm.) long. One of the short edges bears an original segment of selvage. The warp element on the edge is a right- twist 2-ply tube rope caught by the woft cords. The 4second and third :course weft cords are joined along the edge to form a loop. Discussion A comparison of the cave burial artifacts with the culture invontory of the Yokuts tribe who held the territory of site Ker-185 in ethnographic times shows numerous points of correspondence. Because the Ker-185 burial was not accompanied by any Caucasian materials, we may regard it as dating from the prehistoric period, that is, earlier than 1850. The safest assumption would be that the burial dates from the last few centuries of the prehistoric period- say 1600 to 1850, though this is frankly a guess. As Driver5 shows, the site lies in the territory of the Yauelmani tribe of the Yokuts group, not far west of the Kawaiisu tribal boundary. Looking to the Yauelmani Culture Element Distribution list , we note that this group possessld the following: hammock type carrying not (element 806); rabbitskin blanket or capo with cordage wefts (elements 650, 891, 896); twined tulb matting (el, 913); coiled basketry with grass bundle ( campes) foundation (el. 820); and cordage of milkweed (Asclapias) fiber (e 36JT Basket interment (element 1966) was not inquired foriamong all Southern Sierra native groups, though incomplete interrogation yielded affirmative replies by the Entimbich (Western Mono) and Kocheyali (Yokuts) who are lower foothill groups near Kings River cast of Fresno* Driver's monograph (notes to element 1962) mentions that most corpses were carried tQ the grave on thy back of a person in a carrying net, carrying basket, or pack strap.1 The heavy carrying not mcntioned by Stockton as enclosing the baskets, and the tightly flexed child's body stuffed into the large basket are features which suggest the packed remains were carried to the cave and there deposited. Although cave burial is apparently rare in this region, the Yokuts pustom of burying the dead in a cemetery plot removed from the village0 offers the possibility that the single basket burial from Kcr-185 is that of a child who died on the march or at a temporary camp in the vicinity and was left at this convenient spot. Because the cave was small, had not been used for other mortuary purposes, and the practice of cave burial was at best only rarely practiced locally,9 we. must conclude that the burial is atypical for Southern Sierra foothill 33 - Indians. Though such speculation can hardly be decisive, it is of interest to note that there arc recorded at least two additional instances of individual basket cave burial in California. One of those is from a cave in Monterey County (site kint-85) excavated some years ago by W. IV. Hill while a student at the Univcrsity.. The collection, now in UCA10 includes the dessicated remains of an infant lying on a dressed skin and placed in a twined basket. The second instance of child cave burial in baskets is that of the dessicated skeleton of an eight. yeowar old child wrapped in a cordage carrying net and sandwiched between two halves of an openwork twined burden baskets The location of this burial is Damert cave just east of Clements, Amador County (site Axna-3) 4 a These three examples, all of which probably date from the late prehistoric period and, to judge froi the artifacts accompanying each skeleton, may logically be ascribed to the recent prehistoric ancestors of the ethnographic Yokuts (Kcr-18), iJ.iwok (Ama-3) and Costanoan (Mnt-85) tribes, and thus constitute evidence of a 7rcidesprcad late Central Californian custom of occasionally interring dead children in dry caves.a2 In Central California children's graves arc often lavishly endowed with offerings* Theso arc to bce inte~rprete.d as evidence of affect-laden attitudes surrounding a much loved young son or daughters The factor of youth may help to explain the rarer though widespread, special interment of children in cavess Sugary The dessicated bocwy of a child buried in a coiled bAskct in a small Kern County cave (site Ker-185) is probably to be interpreted as deriving from the later prehistoric Yokuts tribe who in recent times occupied the area l..Uost of the cultural objects accompanying the skeleton are of tie recent Yokuts tyNrpe. Although cave burial is rare in California, most graves being localized in cemetery plots within or near villago sites, taco additional dry cave burials of an infant and child arc cited with the suggestion that occasional burial of sub-adults in driy caves is a Central Californian culture trait explainable in part to the care with wnhich corpses of children were sometimes disposed.. Addendum Published rcferreces to baskotry in Westcrn North America. In the far west the arts of basketry verce brouh.t to a very high development. This subject has boen fairJ.r adequately,_ covered in publica- tions describing ethnographic specimens. Among the more important contributions are those by .ason (1904) Darr.ctt (1903), Otl'cale (1932), Kroebcr (1909), Ja;mes (1904), Boas Qt al.* (1923'), 1Kissell (1916), Roberts (1929), Douglas (1937)37 - 34 - Of archaeological or pruhistoric basketry we have the excellent major stiudio-s of i.orris and Burgh (1941j), `eltfish (1930, 1932a, 1932b), Tschopik (1939), Crcssman (1942), Loud and Harrington (1929), and Cosgrove (1947) besides a large number of minor, though significant, contributions6 Robert F. Heciaer Director, UCAS NOTES 1 The C, Hart Merriam collection of data on California Indians was deposited at the Univcrsity of California by Dr. ierriam's hcirs. In the collection was found an cnvelopc containing so,,e lettcrs, photographs and Dr, .1.erriam's observations on thoe "mlarmyn and its wrappings. .Dr. MLerriam was instrumental in seoing that the U.S.National -,usoum secured the find. To the staff of the U.S, National 1.usaeuu, in particular Dr. Frank L*.. S0 tzler, Curator of the Department of Anthropology, Dr. J~mington Kcllogg, Director of the Museum, Dr. -T. Dale Stowart, Curator of Division of Physical Anthropology, Dr. H1erbert 'J. Xrieger, Curator of the Division of Ethnology, nrc are indebted for the loan and photographs of the material fromi Kcr-18?. Tho Kscr-135 specimncs, acccssioned in the U.Se..Li. under No. 41, 973, catalo ue numbers 222, 142/222, 146, The burial is on permanent exhibit at that institution. 2 Thcse photograltis, 4 in numbe-r, are in thc Grriam Collection. 3 Right-twist is thie same as clockwise or S-twist; loft-twist is counter- clocklwise, anticlockwisc or Z-twist. 4 The looping of two twined woft courses occurs elsewhere in WNestcrn North Amcrica, Cf. J L. .Nusbaua. A baskct-Mlakcr Cavc in Kane County, Utah.: )Aus. eAer. Indian, Heyc Fndn. Indian Notes and Monographs, 1922, Fig.15*': In UCMA are 4 Yokuts tule cradle mats made by twining 2-ply right-twist cordague. Nos. 1-120730, .1-10732 show occasional weft courses carried along the edge to the next woft course as in the case of the Kcr-185 mat. Other woft courses are tied at the mat edge. The selvage of these tule matting pads is, like the Ker-185 specimen, two tule stalks with a right twist. In brief, thesc ethnographic Yokuts specimens are practically identical with the cavc matting*... 5 1937, Miap 1. Sce also Stcwart, 1927, P1, CXXIII; Gqyton, 1948, Map 1. 6 Driver, 1937. 7 Sce also 3Gayton, 1943, ps. 46 (Palouyami) 8 W(del, 1941, po. 121 ff.1 Dver r,937, element 1963,.9. The Yokuts arc not unique in this practice which is also attested for the Yurok and Chumash. 9 Northeastcrn California caves, the Sicrran li-mcstonec czaverns, and somc caves south of Tuhachapi yield burialsz - 35 - 10 Accession no. 100 SF; catalogue nos-. 12-3930, 1-27084.. 11 Accession no. CAS-84; collection in UCMA. 12 Altcrnatively one may prefer a less specific explanation, and, pointing to the wide occurrence of cave burial in North America, incline to the possibility that the three Califomria instances cited here are specially selected examplos of a fairly general mortuary practices REF23PRENCES CITED* Barrett, S.A. 1908. Pomo Indian Basketry. UC-PAAE Vol. 7, No. 3. Boas, F. et al. 1928. Cdo1led Basketry in British Columbia and Surrounding Region. Bur. Amer. Ethnol., Anne RTpt. 41:119-484. Cosgrove, C.B. 1947. Caves of the Upper Gila and flucco Areas in New Mexico and Tcxas. Peabody Museum Papers, Vol. 24, no. 2. Cressman, L.S. 1942. Archaeological Researches in the Northern Great Basin. Carnegie Inst. of Washington, Publ. 538* Douglas, F.H . 1937* The Main Divisions of California Indian Basketry. Denver Art Museum, Leaflet 87. Driver, H.S. 1937. Culture Element Distributions: VI, Southern Sierra Nevada. Univ. of Calif., Anthrop. Rccords, Vol. 1, No. 2. Gayton, A.H. 1948. Yokuts and Westcrn Mono Ethnography, I. Univ. of Calif., Anthrop. Records, Vol. 10, No. 1. James, G.W. 1904. Indian Baskctry. New York. Kissell, M.L. 1916. Basketry of thc Pima and Papago, Amer.. His. Nat., Hint., Anthrop. Papers, Vol.; 17, no. 4* Kroeber, A.L. 1909. California Basketry and the Pomo.a Amer. Anthrop., Vol. 11, pp. 233-249- Loud, L.L. and M.2. HIarrington 1929. Lovelock Cave. Univ. of Calif. Publs. in Amer. Archaeol. and Ethnol., Vol. 25, no. 1. Mason, OQT. 1904. Aboriginal American Basketry, Rept. U.S. National Museum for 1902, pp. 171-548. Morris, EH. and R. F. Burgh 1941 Anasazi Basketry: Basket-iaker II through Pueblo III. Carnegie Inst4, PublI 533. 0'Neale, L. iN. 1932. Yurok-Karok Basket WVeavers. Univ. of Calif. Publs. in Amer. Archacol. and Ethnol., Vol. 32, no. I. - 36 - Roberts, IX. Ho 1929. Baskutry of the San Carlos Apacheo Amer4 Cvuss Nat, Hist., Anthrop. Papers, Vol. 31, Part 2. Stewart, G. W. 1927. The Yokut Indians of the Kaweah Region& Sierra Club Bulletin, Vol. 12, pp. 385-400. Tschopik, H. 1939. Artifacts of Perishable Materials [from Chaco Canyon site Be 50-51]. Univ. 6f New iqIcxico% Bull. No, 345, Anthrop. Ser. Vol.. 3, No. 2, Sec. F pp. 94-130* YVbdcl, W.R. 1941.. Archaeological Investigations at Buena Vista Lake, Kern County, California. Bur. of Amer. Ethnol., Bull. 130. Weltfish, Go 1930. Prehistoric North American Basketry Techniques and Modern Distributions. Amer. Anthrop., Vol,-32, pp. 454-495. 1932a, PreliMinary Classification of Prehistoric Southwestern JBasketryo Smithson, Int., yMisc. Colls., Vol. 87, no. .7 1932b. Problems in the Study of Ancient and Modern Basket-Makers. Amer. Arfthrop., Vol. 34, pp. 108-117. U) c E 0 *O - C) co -0 C)U-) .- I O L O c U) -"' U) cd E 0 -ZJL CIO Cld 0- Lc Ctj Lii -J 0<.