514
BERNARD L. FONTANA
Homo sapiens to range throughout western Pimeria Alta in a continual
search for foods on which they depended. They wandered from place to
place in seasonal cycles, but always within the limits of the same huge
area, one bounded by the Lower Gila River, the Lower Colorado River,
the Ajo Mountains, and the Rio Conception.
1. Food and Drink
Probably the mainstays in the diet of Sand Papagos were sea foods, reptiles, insects, and small mammals, especially jackrabbits (Lepus spp.).
When the full moon changed to a new moon and the tides of the Gulf
of California were consequently at their highest, the Indians waited with
spears in hand for the tide to roar in. Onrushing waters brought with them
large fish chasing smaller ones, and when the tide broke and receded, these
fish were left stranded in shallow pools of water on the beach. Sometimes
they were stranded in low stone enclosures built as traps. Papagos speared
the big fish with the tail bone of a barbed stingaree (Dasyatis spp.) hafted
to a small willow branch. The prey were strung on a rope until the fisherman had all he could carry. These were taken to camp to be distributed
and eaten, the camp usually being situated immediately next to the line
of high tide.
Shellfish, especially the easy-to-catch clams, were eaten in abundance,
and occasionally, if the tides were low enough, the Indians could make
their way to coral reefs to catch oysters. Because they built no boats or
rafts, they had to wade to the oyster beds.
Sea foods, which included sea turtle in addition to fish, shrimps, clams,
and oysters, were eaten both fresh and dried. Dried fish and shrimp were
put up in little cakes, in which form the food lasted longer and could be
easily carried.
Land animals hunted in addition to rabbits were the mountain sheep,
deer, antelope, small rodents, and various lizards. Papagos also ate various
insects, including the larva of the white-lined sphinx moth (Celerio
lineata). Buzzards, hawks, and eagles were tabooed for food, but the latter
were prized for their feathers. Quail, and probably doves, were eaten, and
the former were trapped in a simple saguaro rib box propped up by a
stick, taken live when the waiting Indian pulled a string attached to the
prop.
Hunting was usually done with a bow and arrow and by stealth. A
hunter would sit quietly at some mountain spot until eventually a curious
mountain sheep would approach within easy shooting range. Once killed,
the sheep's horns were removed and added to a pile of horns taken in
a similar fashion. This resulted in several shrine-like piles of horns of desert
bighorn sheep scattered throughout western Pimeria Alta.
BERNARD L. FONTANA
Homo sapiens to range throughout western Pimeria Alta in a continual
search for foods on which they depended. They wandered from place to
place in seasonal cycles, but always within the limits of the same huge
area, one bounded by the Lower Gila River, the Lower Colorado River,
the Ajo Mountains, and the Rio Conception.
1. Food and Drink
Probably the mainstays in the diet of Sand Papagos were sea foods, reptiles, insects, and small mammals, especially jackrabbits (Lepus spp.).
When the full moon changed to a new moon and the tides of the Gulf
of California were consequently at their highest, the Indians waited with
spears in hand for the tide to roar in. Onrushing waters brought with them
large fish chasing smaller ones, and when the tide broke and receded, these
fish were left stranded in shallow pools of water on the beach. Sometimes
they were stranded in low stone enclosures built as traps. Papagos speared
the big fish with the tail bone of a barbed stingaree (Dasyatis spp.) hafted
to a small willow branch. The prey were strung on a rope until the fisherman had all he could carry. These were taken to camp to be distributed
and eaten, the camp usually being situated immediately next to the line
of high tide.
Shellfish, especially the easy-to-catch clams, were eaten in abundance,
and occasionally, if the tides were low enough, the Indians could make
their way to coral reefs to catch oysters. Because they built no boats or
rafts, they had to wade to the oyster beds.
Sea foods, which included sea turtle in addition to fish, shrimps, clams,
and oysters, were eaten both fresh and dried. Dried fish and shrimp were
put up in little cakes, in which form the food lasted longer and could be
easily carried.
Land animals hunted in addition to rabbits were the mountain sheep,
deer, antelope, small rodents, and various lizards. Papagos also ate various
insects, including the larva of the white-lined sphinx moth (Celerio
lineata). Buzzards, hawks, and eagles were tabooed for food, but the latter
were prized for their feathers. Quail, and probably doves, were eaten, and
the former were trapped in a simple saguaro rib box propped up by a
stick, taken live when the waiting Indian pulled a string attached to the
prop.
Hunting was usually done with a bow and arrow and by stealth. A
hunter would sit quietly at some mountain spot until eventually a curious
mountain sheep would approach within easy shooting range. Once killed,
the sheep's horns were removed and added to a pile of horns taken in
a similar fashion. This resulted in several shrine-like piles of horns of desert
bighorn sheep scattered throughout western Pimeria Alta.