46. AN UNUSUAL BURIAL FROM CONTRA COSTA. COUNTY

By Eugene A. Hammel

In April, 1955, the University of California Archaeological Survey
received a report from the Police Department of Walnut Creek, California,
regarding the discovery of human skeletal material in their area. The

remains, which proved to be aboriginal., had been uncovered during founda-
tion excavations for a housing project some two miles northeast of Walnut

Creek at a previously unrecorded site. now numbered as CCo-15 in UCAS files.
The site exhibited no noticeable mound mass and had been under walnut cul-

tivation prior to the construction project. Fragments of four burials, all

disturbed by workmen, were recovered; one of these, presenting some peculiar
features and accompanied by a number of artifacts, is here described.

Burial No. 1 lacy about two feet under the surface in dark brown

midden. All the post-cranial material had been disturbed, but the skull

was fairly intact, having been broken in situ by a shovel blow across the
base of the occiput, breaking that as well as the left ramus and the syn-
physeal region of the jaw. The disturbed portion of the burial included
two innominate bones of a male, parts of three femora, and fragments of

other long bones, vertebrae, and ribs. The skull itself lay face down in
the midden, with the base toward the region from which the post-cranial

material had been removed. Immediately beneath the face lay a row of five
fairly complete birdbone whistles and sixteen fragments of others, together
with a number of beads, whistle plugs, a rock fragment, obsidian chip,
abalone shell pendant, and a large quartz crystal.

These materials only being recovered from the site, it was thought

desirable to subject them to close examination in order to relate the site
to others in the vicinity, the chronological and cultural positions of
which are more precisely known.

Dating the site is most conveniently accomplished by means of the 265
beads of Olivella shell recovered. Corresponding to Gifford's X3c (Gifford.,
1947) and Beardsley's 3b2 (Beardsley, 1954; Davis, n.d.), they are roughly
rounded rectangles, ranging from 6.7 x 7.2 mm. to 8.59 x 10.0 mm. with coni-
cal holes drilled from the concave to the convex side of the bead so that

the small end of the hole is on the convex side. The holes were more con-
stant in size than the outside dimensions of the beads, perhaps because of
the character of the drills used, averapging 1.2 mm. for the smnll end and
2.6 mm. for the large. Thickness of the beads at the edge ranged from o.6
to 1.0 mm. Any wear on the edges of the beads is usually on the concave
side, possibly from contact with the convex side of the next bead on the

string (if strung); such contact would tend to bevel the edge of the bead
and is here so faint as not to appear intentional.  Biconical holes were

not observed, although a few beads had holes with diameters at their cen-
ters slightly smaller than at their ends, this possibly from string wear;
even in those cases, however, one end of the hole was noticeably larger
than the other.

The 3b and 3b2 bead types are both helpful time markers., occurring

typically in sites or site segments of the Middle Horizon (Lillard, Heizer,

-47-

and Fenga, 1939, p. 25, passim; Beardsley, 1954, p. 45, Tables 12A, 1X).
Heizer (1947, p. 17) records the single occurrence of a "3b" type in the
Early Horizon of the Interior Province, although Types la and 2b were

usual. Davis (2op cit.,pp. 49, 107, 109-112), notes the occurrence of

Type la in an early component of the Middle Horizon at Alameda 328, fol-

lowed by a type 3b occurrence in a later component of the site.  Types 3b

and 3b2, then, are not often observed outside of Middle Horizon context and

seem, in fact, to have been used as one of the chief discriminating criteria
in assigning that horizon designation. They are succeeded, generally, by
Type 2a (Beardsley, pp. cit., p. 78) in Phase I of the Late Horizon. CCo-
15, showing only 3b2, may be regarded as falling within the Middle Horizon,
and possibly in a later phase of it, if Davis' comments on the la-3b suc-

cession within that horizon are valid for this area, and if type 3b may be
considered as the local equivalent of type 3b2 at CCo-15.

The correlation of bead types with bird bone whistle types to achieve
an even firmer time marker is invoked as justification for the typological

minutiae which follow (cf. Beardsley, o. cit., p. 103). Until an adequate
and reliable typology of whistles (or of any objects) appears, published
data should be sufficiently detailed to permit readers to draw their own
conclusions. Correlation of the whistles found in Burial No. 1 with bead
type 3b2 is certainly positive; it remains only to be seen if the whistles
can be "typed" in some useful fashion. Five fairly complete specimens and
sixteen fragments were recovered; the former seem to fall in Gifford's

type FF2 (Gifford, 1940), while some of the latter were too small to yield
much information. The data are given in Table I. Identification of the

bone is difficult because only the shaft is available, and because several
of the whistles have been finely polished. A partially successful attempt
at identification, however, by R. F. Johnston of the Museum of Vertebrate
Zoology at Berkeley shows that six of the specimens (1/141823-24. fIll.

Fig. lc, b] 1/141825, 1/141828-29, 1/141831) are ulnae of the golden eagle,
Aqila chrysaZtos, one (1/141827) an ulna of the bald eagle Haliaeetus

leucocephalus, and two (1/141841-42.  [Ill. Fig. id, a]) the ulnae of the
brown pelican, Pelecanus occidentalis. Mr. Johnston appends a note to his
identification: "-|tThe two fragments that I have placed as pelicans seem to
have different cross-sectional configurations, but I believe this is due

to the fragments being cut from slightly different parts of the shafts of
the original bones." The remaining fragments appear to be from a variety

of unidentified birds. Specimens at Ala-328 were of duck ulnae and humeri,
crane, heron, and condor, none of which are found at CCo-15 (Davis, op.
cit., p. 35).

The four largest specimens range from 174 to 253 mm. in length. Of

these, two (1/141841-42) are the only ones in the group to have the hole on
the flat, concave side of the bone, all others having the hole on the round,
concave side.  The difference seems to be one of bird species, i.e., the

two with holes on the flat side happen to be the specimens made from peli-
can ulnae. The whistle-maker's criterion evidently was the curve in the

long axis of the bone rather than that in cross-section; no whistle has the
hole on the convex side. Further, the position of the hole in the long

axis is approximately medial. This is evident not only from a comparison

of the total length of the whistle and the distance from hole center to the
large end ("top" in Table I), but also from the widths of the whistle at

-48-

the hole and at median point on whistle or whistle fragment. In the complete
specimens, the width at hole center point is very close to that at median

point, the two points being close together on the bone. In the fragmentary
ones, the width at hole center differs from that at median, the median of
most fragments being between the hole and one end of the original whistle.

It is therefore possible, by calculating from the hole center to "top" dis-
tance in a fragment, to arrive at an estimate of the length of the original
whistle, and from the varying widths, to arrive at some idea of the shape

of the bone, assuming, of course, that the data from the complete specimens
are not misleading. If the lengths of the original whistles be so calcul-
ated from the fragments, it will be found that they are longer, generally,
than most of the complete specimens of similar type (excluding the pelican
bone whistles, see Table I); such a result might be reasonable, since the
longest whistles would be most liable to break and survive as fragments

rather than as complete specimens.  In any case, the sample here is probably
too small to allow one to lean too heavily on such a procedure.

Further examination of the whistles shows that the holes are all of

the same general type, oval, with the long axis of the hole parallel to the
long axis of the whistle, and with long to short axis usually in the ratio
of 3:2. The holes are most frequently cut so that the edge of the cut is
perpendicular to the bone surface, with some outward slanting at the ends
of the oval; one hole seems to have been cut only by abrasion tangential

to the cross-section of the bone (1/141852). In no case are the holes made
with two parallel cuts oerpendicular to the long axis of the bone and sub-
sequent removal of the intervening portion. The asphaltum plugs, three of

which were found in position and four loose, are crescentic in short cross-

section and leave about 2 mm. of air passage between their upper surface and
the plane of the opening, being positioned directly beneath the hole.

Decoration of the whistles is in the form of asphaltum rings with or

without cordage impressions. Thirteen of the specimens show definite traces
of asphaltum; two additional cases are doubtful.  Of the thirteen, two show
cordage impressions, although the whistles do not appear to have been bound
together.  No definite pattern of rings was observed, although wherever
narrow bands appear in a series, the undecorated intervals are approxi-

mately as wide as the asphaltum rings. The region around the hole is sel-

dom decorated although on one specimen (1/141852) there are asphaltum rings
located quite close to the hole, on both sides of it. The cordage impres-
sions indicate a two-ply, S-twist cord; degree of twist is difficult to

determine from the specimens, but measurements from an enlarged photograph

(see also Fig. le) show it to be approximately 50 degrees from the vertical.
The cord is of two thicknesses, 0.5 mm. and 0*98-1*1 mm., measured on the
specimens (specimen 1/141841 has both thicknesses). The whistles arc not

perfectly polished, and remains of small protuberances for feather attach-
ment can be felt on most of them.

The chronological significance of the whistles is not wholly clear.
Lillard, Heizer, and Fenenga (1939, p. 26) state that tubular birdbone

whistles first appear in the "Transitional Culture," i.e., Middle Horizon
of Central California. On the basis of size and degree of finish, most of
the specimens appear to fall into Davist Type II (Davis, op. cit., pp. 34-
35). The hole, in the latter type, is on the concave side of the bone.

On the other hand, the position of the hole in the long axis in Davis'

Type II is usually one-third of the length from the end rather than in a
median position. The median position is more characteristic of his Type
I, in which the hole is cut in the convex surface, something not found

at CCo-15. While Davis states that the typological distinctions for Ala-

328 are apparently valid for Central Califomin., they do not seem to apply
to CCo-15, where the specimens fall into both of his types. It is note-

worthy that Davis' Type I, with centered hole, is later than Type II, with
off-center hole (Davis, op. cit. P. 36). Beardsley, however (op. cit.,
pp. 89, 97) notes that whistles with off-center holes were found in the

Late Horizon stratum at the Emeryville and Fernandez sites while whistles
with presumably centered holes were found in McClure "B"1 (Middle Horizon)
(p. cit., p. 60). Beardsley also notes (0. 77) that the whistle stops

progressed from off-center to central position from Middle to Late Hori-

zons in the Cosumnes Province. Lillard, Heizer, and Fenenga (1939 p. h,4)
record a bird bone whistle with an "lend" perforation from the Transitional

Culture at site Sac-66. If the position of the whistle hole is chronologi-
cally valid, as Davis states and Beardsley apparently assumes,, the persis-
tence of whistles with off-center stops at Emeryville "All and the upper

Fernandez levels is puzzling, and the position of the whistles from CCo-l5
cannot be accurately determined. Possibly a re-examination of available

specimens will adjust the difficulty. The important typological considera-
tions in any re-examination would seem to be bone identification, size md
finish, decoration, position of the hole with respect to surface curvature
in the long and short axes, and the. size, shape, and method of cutting the
hole.

A quartz crystal from Burial No. 1, hexagonal and somewhat battered,
measured 90 x h0 mm. overall and weighed 162.9 g. Around the smaller end
were encrustations of a greenish ore, probably a salt of copper; similar

inclusions were in the crystal itself. The crystal is of a type most com-
monly found in the Sierra Nevada.  Battering of quartz crystals was noted
at Ala-328 (Davis, ?2. cit., P. 30) with a suggestion of some unknown

utilitarian purpose. Such a purpose may have been ceremonial as well, but
it is not mentioned to the writer's knowledge in the ethnographic litera-
ture. None of the remaining material from the burial appears chronologi-
cally or areally distinctive.

The presence of an extra femur in Burial No. 1 throws some doubt on
the association of the skull with particular items of the post-cranial

material, although the skull is robust enough to have been that of a male,
the sex determined for the pelvic bones. The skull does not appear to

differ significantly from others found in the vicinity, except in the occur-
rcnce of supernumerary teeth. These are twc incisors., one of which was
still present and the second of which was lost prior to recovery of the

burial. The opinion of Professor T. D. McCown, Department of Anthropology,
University of Ca>lifornip, is that the tooth in place is more probably a
retained deciduous incisor and less probably a true supernumerary. Its

large size militates against the possibility that it is a deciduous incisor,
but its lingual position argues for it.  The present non-spatulate shape
of the tooth is perhaps a result of wear from the upper frontal incisor;
definite wear planes are visible.

-50-

Table 1

Bird Bone Whistles (General)

UCMN #1- 1 Length'          Width (m)             ! Faterial 'Decorated

(mm) ! Top   1 Hole Ijedian   Bottom   M          e

I_______   ? __ _ _ _     _  _

141823

1418214*
141825*
141826

141827*
14i828*
141829*
141830

1141831*
1418323-
41 48 3 3 8,
141834-*
141835$v*
141836**
141837T'-
148 38-3*
141839*4,*
141841
141842

141851**
1141852*

193
185
155
133
127
135
122
174
164
105

37
26
39
41
41
37
253
220
69
1o6

18.0
15.9
13.2
12.5
18.1
12.4
11.5
7.5
11.4

14.8
14.3

1:
IC

Ii

P

C1

1.4
).4
7.6
1.8
D*6
1 .0
7.0
P.6

-  I

-

1.8

1.4
5.6

11 *.2
11.14
10.8

7.6

7.0
9.8

9.5
11 * 3
16.5
11.6
9.8
9.9
11.8
12.5

11.0
10.3
(0.9)

1

6.5
9.6

11.2
12.14

IIC

A2C
7

HL
AIC
AIC
7

f.C
7
7
7
7
7

7

7

P0
PO

?

x
x
x
0
0
x
x
x
x
7

0
x
0

0
x
x

x
x
?C
7
xC

1:
1:

1

* Fragmentary

*4Wery fragmentary

Materials:  AC=Aguila chrysaetos, HL=Haliaeetus leucocephalus,

PO=Pelecanus occidentalis.

1-141825 is broken to a point, accounting for the 0.9 measurement.
1-141826 has an unworked process of bone at the bottom, making the

actual bottom width 9.0; it is 7.6 just before the process.

-51-

Table
Bird Bone Whistles

2

(Data on Holes)

.- .-m  .  : 1 --    - -                                       0 A

UCNJ #1-      Length   I Width       Positio       CutU       EGL 2

A    (mm)       (mm)   I      -          _     I

14123                              7

141823

141824*
141825*
141826

141827*

141828*1S2
141829*
141830

1141831102
1141832*                                            P
141833-t*
141834**
141835**
1418364t**
141837**
114183848-
141839**
14184a1

1)4842                                  7
141851**#-
141852*

1002
10.1
9.3
5.6
10?

12.0
11.0?
7.0
8.4
9?

8.7
9.8

1003

7.0
6.4
5.5
4.9
7.4
4.0?
5.8
7?

7.0
7*5
7.8

87
105

90
68
122
127
122

83
100

m

125

73
m

p

H?
p
p
P?
5
p

p
p
m
m
m
m

P?
p

H

210
18o
244
254
244
200

m
m

114852*                H- .-    --

* Fragmentary

**very fragmentary

1/ Hole position is measured (in mm.) from the larger end of the specimen.
1 Cut:   P=perpendicular to bone surface, S=slanting, H=horizontal

(tangential abrading)

1/ ENL: Estimated minimum length, double the distance from hole center to

larger end on the assumption that hole was medial. Given for
fragmentary specimens only.

-52-

The skull also shows a circular hole and fracture in the lower margin
of the right parietal bone. Professor McCown remarks that the regularity
of the hole, the presence of a definite depressed fracture, the fact that

a large chip has been removed from the inner table of the parietal, and the
general character of the perforation indicate that it was most probably

made by a sharp, conically-pointed, heavy instrument wielded with consider-
able force, and that it was present at the time of inhumation. Presumably
a wooden spear or bone-tipped arrow shot from close range could have been
the instrument. Although the hole is approximately of .25 caliber, the

possibility of its being a bullet hole is out of the question; the date of
the burial is too early, and its position in the ground would have made
post-inhumation penetration of a bullet quite unlikely.

SUMMARY

Aside from the minor curiosities of the extra teeth and possible

evidence of violence in the skull, the burial affords a means of dating
the site, CCo-15, in terms of bead type, as Middle Horizon. The possi-

bility of Early or Late Horizon strata in the site can no longer be inves-
tigated. The whistles, an excellent numerical sample for one burial, are
undoubtedly contemporaneous with the beads and therefore Middle Horizon;
their chronological position from a typological rather than associative
standpoint, however, is uncertain. The nature of the burial indicates

that it may have been that of a shaman, while the specific bones used for
the whistles show possible local exploitation of raptorial birds or trade

with the interior for certain types of bird bone if such were not available
in the vicinity. The pelican bones may have been traded in from or

obtained during an expedition to the coast. The quartz crystal suggests
the possibility of trade with or trips to the Sierra Nevada.

-53-

Bibliography

Beardsley, Richard K.

195h. Temporal and Axeal Relationships in Central California

Archaeology, Parts I and II. This series, Nos. 24-25.

Davis, James Thomas

n.d.   The Patterson Mound: A Comparative Analysis of the Archaeology

of Site Alameda 328. Ms, Master's thesis on file at the

Department of Anthropology, University of Califomia, Berkeley.
Gifford, E. W.

19h0. Californian Bone Artifacts. Anthropological Records 3:2.

University of California Press, Berkeley.
Heizer, Robert F.

1949. The Archaeology of Central California, I: The Early Horizon.

Anthropological Records 12:1.  University of California Press,
Berkeley.

Lillard, Jeremiah B., R. F. Heizer, and Franklin Fenenga

1939. An Introduction to the Archaeology of Central California.

Sacr mento Junior College, Department of Anthropology, Bulletin 2.

Explanation of Illustration
Figure 1.

Bird bone whistles from CCo-15 (a - d: actual size). Numbers are

uc& numbers. a. (1-141842). b. (1-141824). c. (1-141823).      d. (1-141841).
e. enlarged (3x) section of 1-141841, at xy.

-54-

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