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| Tools Back to Clothing and Tools Click any item to see an enlargement |
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 Spindlewhorls Left: Spanish Colonial, ca. 1600-1700 Provenience unknown 43304/11 Right: Navajo, ca. 1710-1750 Frances Canyon Pueblito, LA 2135 Morris excavations, 1915, #355 Courtesy of the University of Colorado Museum, Boulder |
These spindlewhorls from the Rio Grande Pueblos and the Gobernador were used in "plying" spun thread, or twisting two or more threads together to make a strong fiber cordage for weaving. The Spanish encomienda system forced the Pueblo communities to provide both labor and finished goods to the missions and estancias. As the Spanish, and later the Mexicans, increased their demands for valuables to ship south--particularly cotton and woolen cloth--more Navajo "black blankets" entered the trade market. By 1812, the Navajo woolen goods were described as "the most valuable in our province [New Mexico]." | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 Digging sticks Navajo, ca. 1650-1750 Gobernador, LA 4055 Museum excavations, 1958 44157/11, 44158/11 |
Early Spanish documents speak of the "Apaches del
Nabaxu," the Navajo, as excellent farmers, with wide planted fields and ample crops.
This distinguished them from the other Apache, hunters on the eastern plains. In August of
1705, when the Spanish military expedition led by Roque Madrid rode into the Gobernador,
they burned fields of corn, beans, squash, and watermelon every day of the six-day march
through Navajo lands.
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 Firemaking set, parching tray, and scoop Navajo, ca. 1650-1750 Gobernador, LA 3491 Museum excavations, 1957 44148/11a,b, 44146/11, 44147/11 |
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 Awls Navajo, ca. 1650-1750 Gobernador, LA 4055 Museum excavations, 1958 44159/11, 44160/11 |
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 Shed rods Navajo, ca. 1710-1750 Frances Canyon Pueblito, LA 2135 Morris excavations, 1915, #351 Courtesy of the University of Colorado Museum, Boulder |
Several caches of weaving tools have been found in the Gobernador. This set from Frances Canyon Pueblito includes eight shed rods and sticks used to separate the warp threads and give pattern to the weave. The detail photograph shows the marks of the warp threads on the rods. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Navajo History | Early Archaeology | Pueblito Architecture | Clothing & Tools New Spain (1600-1700) | Modern Archaeology | Timeline | Acknowledgements Exhibition Schedule |
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