Medford mail tribune., February 26, 1956, Image 13

Mrs. Moore is shown here with one case containing arrowheads, ornaments, knives and scrapers. The 92
objects were all found in one "cache" on the Umpqua divide. Mrs. Moore, with her husband on the trip, found
the object of black obsidian in the center, possibly used as an ornament, and some of the arrowheads. Part of the
arrowheads are agate and are so small that Mr. Moore believes they were used as ornaments or. trinkets. The deli
cately chipped pieces which resemble crosses are very rare and found only in a few collections.
Mr. Moore is pictured above in his den which contains a large part of his collection of Indian artifacts. Every
thing in the room has been numbered and catalogued. Mr. Moore holds an Indian pipe of black stone which he
found on a knoll across the Rogue river from his home. Since western Indians had no tobacco' they smoked other,
aromatic leaves. The fireplace holds mortars and pestles which the Indians used for grinding seeds and acorns;
in the center foreground are a metate and manno, articles also used for grinding food. .
pp ' w, - 1 ' '"'mm " " 1
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MedfordJM'ribune
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 1956
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Since the Indians of this section did not know how to process metals,
their tools and weapons were made from stone, wood and animal tissue.
Pictured above are seven stone articles which illustrate the Indians' crafts
manship. The articles are(at top,Jejft.. to right) a boat plane or charcoal
gouge and splitting wedge; (center, left to right) red stone pipe, a carved
pipe and 'a tomahawk head, and below are a tomahawk with handle of
hardened buffalo tendon, and another tomahawk head.
Imaliaiii Artifacts
By Olive Starcher
One of the most extensive private collections of
Indian relics and artifacts in the west is owned by Earl F.
Moore, Gold Hill.' Mr. Moore, born in Central Point, lived
in central Oregon near Paisley as a boy and from the time
he found his first arrowhead, was a "collector."
He now has hundreds of arrowheads, necklaces, orna
ments, knives, tomahawk heads and other objects. The
collection includes skulls found in California, and his most
recent and most exciting find was seven arrows, perfect
with heads still attached, and quiver, found in Oregon.
Mr. Moore has carried on his archeological search in
Oregon, California, Montana, and Wyoming, but has
found the greater portion of his treasures in his home
state. He has been asked numerous times to put his col
lection in museums, but cherishes the hope of having a
"museum of his own in Gold Hill when he retires from his
work at the Ideal Cement company plant in Gold Hill.
- (Bra inerd photos)
Among Mr. Moore's Important finds are a number of beautiful black
obsidian articles worn as ornaments by eastern Oregon Indians. In the
center of the case at right are 19 obsidian pieces which made up an Indian
headband arranged in the case just as found: The thongs or grasses which
originally strung the ornament3 had disintegrated. The curved spike-like
pieces in the case at left were probably strung as a necklace.
Above Is an exhibit from ancient central Oregon caves. Case at left
contains a shell necklace, two reed mat shuttles, assorted bone needles,
blocks of obsidian or arrowpoint "stock" and a quantity of sagebrush fiber
in which the "find" lay packed. Case at right shows another "package
find" including neck and wrist pieces (two sets), some very finely made
hunting points and a number of extra "bear claws," all of black obsidian.
The two cases pictured above contain a mixed collection of articles
found mostly in Montana and Wyoming.. The case at right contains nose
ornaments, arrowheads with finely notched edges and two large lopsided
"arrowheads" at the top known as "tang knives." The case at left is centered
with a large spear head- and at the right among the arrowheads is an
obsidian knife. Of interest are the object in the shape of a bird, and
another in the shape of a small animal.
. -- 'J&s
Last summer while on an expedition into the central Oregon lake country Mr. Moore made one of his most
important archeological finds in a cave seven arrows complete with obsidian tips and feather f letching in the
original buckskin quiver. Since the arrows began to crumble as soon as they were exposed to the air, Mr. Moore
uncovered only a small portion at a time and sprayed them with colorless plastic. The process took three days.
As he worked, he made a frame of greasewood to work under the precious find. The arrows, and the bed of
sage bark in which they were found, may bs thousands of years old.
'"' The four Indian skulls above ore another valuable part cf Mr. Moore's collection. They were taken from an
excavation near Stockton, Calif., some having the medallions of abalone shell on them as pictured here. An arrow
head protrudes through the back of the skull at extreme right, Mr. Moore having found it inside the skull and
replaced it in the hole which it had made on entering the victim's head. The .bodies had been partially cremated;
and fragments of the cremation baskets are a part of the exhibit. At the same site Mr. Moore collected necklaces
of abalone shells and a number of the "Stocktcn" arrowheads with carefully notched edge.
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