Excavations at Valshni Village, Arizona
|
|
|
|
|
|
Shellwork |
|
|
|
|
|
Shellwork was relatively abundant at Valshni Village. Eighty-four items are listed in the following summary. There were many more fragments of bracelets, pendants, and other bits of shell too fragmentary to classify.
|
Beads |
|
Disc Beads |
|
|
Total sample: |
|
|
|
3 |
|
|
Species: |
|
|
|
Pecten |
|
|
Size: |
|
|
|
5.5 - 10 mm. |
|
|
Remarks: |
|
|
|
These are similar to the disc beads found at Snaketown in the Santa Cruz and Sacaton Phases (Gladwin et al., 1937: Figure 54, a and b).
|
|
|
Tubular Beads |
|
|
Total sample: |
|
|
|
1 |
|
|
Species: |
|
|
|
vermetus |
|
|
Size: |
|
|
|
Length: |
|
|
|
|
1.4 cm. |
|
|
|
Diameter: |
|
|
|
|
0.6 cm. |
|
|
Remarks: |
|
|
|
This bead is similar to the cylindrical type which first appeared at Snaketown in the late Santa Cruz Phase (Gladwin et al., 1937: Figure 54, c). This bead differs in that the perforation is the same diameter throughout.
|
Figure 28. Shellwork (Courtesy Arizona State Museum)
|
|
a - e - whole shell pendants
f - modified umbo bracelet
g - unmodified umbo bracelet
h - she11 disc
i - ring
j - carved shell pendant
|
|
|
Higher resolution image (1160 x 822 pixels, 156 KB)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Pendants |
|
Whole Shell Pendants (Fig. 28, a - e) |
|
|
Type I |
|
|
|
Total sample: |
|
|
|
|
16 |
|
|
|
Species: |
|
|
|
|
Pecten |
|
|
|
Phase: |
|
|
|
|
Vamori, 10 Topawa, 2 unplaced, 2 |
|
|
|
Remarks: |
|
|
|
|
Perforated at umbo. |
|
|
Type II |
|
|
|
Total sample: |
|
|
|
|
1 |
|
|
|
Species: |
|
|
|
|
conus |
|
|
|
Phase: |
|
|
|
|
Vamori |
|
|
|
Remarks: |
|
|
|
|
Perforated through the side; the spire end was not ground off. |
|
|
Type III |
|
|
|
Total sample: |
|
|
|
|
1 |
|
|
|
Species: |
|
|
|
|
Cerithium |
|
|
|
Phase: |
|
|
|
|
Vamori |
|
|
Type IV |
|
|
|
Total sample: |
|
|
|
|
1 |
|
|
|
Species: |
|
|
|
|
Glycymeris (small) |
|
|
|
Phase: |
|
|
|
|
Vamori |
|
|
|
Remarks: |
|
|
|
|
Manufactured by grinding the shell around the umbo; there is a perforation through the umbo. |
Figure 29. Shellwork (Courtesy Arizona State Museum)
|
|
a, carved bird b - c, carved pendants.
|
Cut Shell Pendants |
|
Total sample: |
|
|
6 |
|
Species: |
|
|
Pecten, 3
Glycymeris, 3
|
|
Phase: |
|
|
Vamori, 4
Topawa, 2
|
|
Remarks: |
|
|
Two of these pendants were cut in the form of animals (Fig. 29, b, c); three were in geometric shapes (Fig. 28, j); one was too fragmentary to classify.
|
Bracelets |
|
Total sample: |
|
|
43 |
|
Type I |
|
|
Sample: |
|
|
|
20 |
|
|
Characteristic: |
|
|
|
Modified umbo (Fig. 28, f) |
|
|
Phase: |
|
|
|
Vamori |
|
Type II |
|
|
Sample: |
|
|
|
19 |
|
|
Characteristic: |
|
|
|
Unmodified umbo (Fig. 28,g) |
|
|
Phase: |
|
|
|
Vamori, 8
Topawa, 5
Unplaced, 6
|
|
Remarks: |
|
|
Every one of the shell bracelets with one exception was of the species Glycymeris; the one exception was unidentified. Almost every shell bracelet was perforated at the umbo; some may have been used as pendants. Every modified umbo bracelet occurred in the Vamori Phase. Only one bracelet fragment was found which had an incised pattern on the exterior.
|
Rings (Fig. 28, i) |
|
Total sample: |
|
|
7 |
|
Species: |
|
|
Glycymeris |
|
Phase: |
|
|
Vamori |
|
Remarks: |
|
|
Three specimens have modified umbos; one of these has a groove around the middle of the outside. |
Discs (Fig. 28, h) |
|
Total sample: |
|
|
2 |
|
Species: |
|
|
Pecten |
|
|
Size: |
|
|
1.4 cm. in diameter |
|
Phase: |
|
|
Vamori |
|
Remarks: |
|
|
One disc was not perforated, while the second exhibits the evidence for the beginning of a central perforation.
|
Miscellaneous |
|
Total sample: |
|
|
1 |
|
Form: |
|
|
Bird (Fig. 29, a) |
|
Species: |
|
|
Pecten |
|
Phase: |
|
|
Vamori |
|
Size: |
|
|
Originally, 7.0 cm. wide; 2.4 cm. high |
|
Remarks: |
|
|
This was not a pendant, as there is no perforation. The craftsmanship shown on this bird is excellent. The edges and sides were smoothed down.
|
Discussion
Shellwork was well represented at Valshni Village and rare at Jackrabbit Ruin (Scantling, 1940:58-60). The shellwork of the Vamori and Topawa Phases presaged the shellwork of the Sells Phase except for bead types and a shell trumpet at Jackrabbit Ruin. These beads and the trumpet have no known precursors in Papagueria.
The carved shell shows, in part, a high degree of craftsmanship; however, it is not known whether these were locally manufactured or traded in. The ornament types at Valshni Village are very similar to those of the Hohokam to the north. It appears quite possible that local craftsmen did not produce the more finely crafted shell items.
|
|
|
|
|