The Cruciforms

Long an enigma for the archaeologists and anthropologists, these small works of man have been appearing on prehistoric sites in the southwest United States and Mexico. This would include the northern states of Chihuahua and Sonora.

Even as they are rare to recover, they are no less wide spread. Distant as their several forms would seem to be, they possibly derived from a common need.

The Pecos is fortunate, above may be the largest single personal collection. To have over ten of these bits of stone to work with, the possession of even two can be considered unusual. This above average number to work with has possibly given the Pecos some insight as to their use.

In order to avoid confusion of terms and numbers, this display here will begin by referring to work accumulated by others over the years. Most notably a paper offered by the Journal of the Arizona Archaeological Society. Published in 1967.

In this report a total of 85 cruciforms were discussed. Of this number, 57 were available and 28 were offered in the texts of others. Most were the property of individual collectors while some museums contained two or three in their displays.

Four forms were offered as possible categories into which the specimens could be sorted. One of these is very problematical and will not be covered here.

It will soon be very evident why this small grope of artifacts, scattered over half a continent are considered related, even when there numbers are so small.

Made of stone, there are two basic materials. Cruciforms are made using, Basalt and Obsidian. Both are deep black in color and recovered from similar areas. The Basalt is readily chipped to form and quick to be ground to form. The Obsidian on the other hand is just the opposite.

Glass like in quality and texture, the Obsidian material is very fragile and requires considerable skill to batter with a tool and not find the craftsman with a hand full of dust. As for grinding or lapidary work with Obsidian it's hardness is the same as glass. The hours of work needed to form the cruciforms must have been many.

Type 1, #1 and #10 in the Pecos display, is offered by the University of Arizona as the common form, 48 of their total group studied.

Their description mentions it is similarity to the form of a Greek cross. The Pecos #10 best matches there samples. Number 1 is also a Type 1, it's workmanship is best considered as unfinished.

Type 2, #2, #3, #4, #6, and the two views of a worked clam shell, in the Pecos collection. A total of 27 in the University study.

To call these reel shaped is very close to saying it all. As with those in the larger group, the Pecos found it's were primarily Obsidian and well ground.

Type 4, would be #5, #7, #8, and #9 in the Pecos group. Here again the University description is very informative. They are generally thick or fat in cross section and unground. They are made using Basalt.

The University, as with we here at the Pecos, can only offer suggestions as to their use. In this area they are very divided.

The Pecos can also only suggest, but it will try to center it's theory on what it knows of man of prehistoric times.

As white man entered the lands of the western United States he would find man, not so unlike himself. Man that played games, created art, believed in God, and made music. Could the small worked stones have been used in one of the above interests of man of the prehistoric west?

While we are unable to talk to man of the past, maybe he can talk to us with his artifacts. That is what anthropological research is about. Trying to talk to man using the clues he left behind.

Are there clues to the cruciforms use, in what we know of mans needs? Are there clues in the cruciforms that may help us pair need and availability?

On the samples of Type 2, in the Pecos study, it was noted a common feature. Small notches had been worn into the stone. Not chipped, worn. These were the artifacts made of obsidian, a very hard and glass like stone. To wear a notch would require considerable use or work.

It was apparent the notches were not a step in the making of the cruciforms, but had been part of use. Use that would slowly remove the surface. That can only point to rubbing. Rubbing on what? It would need to be a surface that was smooth, so as not to chip or damage the slow wear.

It need not only be smooth but very narrow. While wood could be smooth, what form would it be that was very thin. There were lacking any artifacts suggesting this dimension.

There was one artifact recovered at the Zueberbueler shelter in west Texas that could have caused such wear, it was found by the thousands. Fiber cord.

The frequent rubbing of a fiber cord across the end of the Type 2 cruciforms would have made the same degree of wear and notch. Could it be that man had use the small stones to run back and forth across a cord?

Man of the west did have the bow and arrow, they were a common tool of his way of life. But would they need to rub there cords so often that it would wear a notch in the hard edge of the stone? Possibly, and possibly there was a second need to rub a small stone on a cord.

In the displays and texts of artifacts used by pre white man of the west, there are musical items called violins. Yes violins, well one string violins. At least we think there use was as violins, but there is the possibility they were more a guitar or an instrument that required plucking more that rubbing with a bow.

If we observe a guiter player today we will note that he not only plucks the string he also rubs a small tool along it, to change the notes. Could this tool of todays musician be the same as the cruciform of old?

But that only takes care of the type 2 forms. There is also type 1 and 4. Note the lack of a type 3 in the university study. These were avoided for the reason the university stated, they were only questionable in their being cruciforms.

Lets look again at type 1. It is a square pattern with four arms of flattened ends. They also could be used to rub the cord, but their form suggests a task of a different sort than that use for type 2.

Again we turn to the guitar player. The guitar is not played by rubbing with a bow, as with the violin, it is plucked. How many music makers playing the guitar pluck with their finger ends? Few. How do they pluck there strings? They use a "pick".

Could type 1 cruciforms be picks used along with the type 2 tools to play the one string music makers?

And what of type 4? The university study questions their being true cruciforms, at least to the extent that they are finished artifacts.

Please remember the possibilities of the use of the cruciforms is only theory. But it is theory based on the need, availability of related items and capabilities of man.