Part II: Prehistoric Offerings of Turquoise

                           Turquoise pendant inlaid on shell by Angie Reano Owen

In the construction of ancient Hopi homes, a ceremonial opening was left on the outer surface of the front wall, just to the left of the entrance.  It stands approximately five feet from the ground.  On the day of dedication for the house, a feast was prepared.  But before anyone could sample the delicacies, a small helping had to be placed in the opening, along with shell and turquoise beads.  This insured a peaceful and happy life in the new house.  Then the opening was plastered over to match the rest of the existing wall. 

This tradition of sacrificial deposits in the masonry has existed since time immemorial in the Southwest.  On the upper surface of the roof supports at Pueblo Bonito in New Mexico (circa 1200 A.D.), archeologists discovered a thin layer of adobe that had cracked in places revealing a log embedded in the wall.  It served as a plug to cover ritual deposits of turquoise and shell beads, bits of crude shell and turquoise matrix.  Deposits of this sort were found at critical points in the structure of rooms throughout the great pueblo.  These beads lie where they literally supported the whole roof, exactly under the principle structural members.

                                         Kiva remains at Pueblo Bonito: kivas are underground
                                         ceremonial chambers serving native purposes as churches
                                         serve Christian purposes.

            In discussing turquoise beads as they relate to pre-historic ceremonial offerings, Neil Judd, who worked over twenty-five years on the excavation of Pueblo Bonito, offers this observation:

            “Most of the turquoise mined was discarded because of its unfavorable color.  Sky-blue tones have everywhere been preferred, but the ancient pueblos were not adverse to those of lesser merit.  The Bonitans, for example, often used pale blue or greenish stones for mosaics and beads: less frequently, for pendants.  And, with native canniness, when called upon to make personal offerings they sacrificed their off-color ornaments first.  We note relatively few prize stones in ceremonial offerings.” *

*Page 83, The Material Culture of Pueblo Bonito