362-47<BR> Bundle of sixteen Pima arrows, placed as offering in a cave; wood, feathers, sinew, iron; average l. 79 cm.; ca. 1880.<BR> Sinew-stringed bows made from osage orange (Maclura pomifera) wood or willow, of simple manufacture, and undecorated, were the weapons for daily use in hunting. For warfare special bows were made of mulberry (Morinda) which grew in the Superstition and Pinal Mountains. Arrows were made from the appropriately named arrow weed bush (Plucea sericea), providing straight twigs. Hunting arrows generally have two long split feathers, while war arrows have three short feathers (cf. Mason 1894: plate xli). The Pimas and Papagos collected stone arrowheads made by the prehistoric Hohokam, to tip their war arrows with. However, a few men were specialist stoneworkers and manufactured projectile points from flint, obsidian and shale.<BR> Bows and arrows are often painted red, the color associated with blood. For this purpose the Pimas used jackrabbit blood or cochineal insects living on prickly pear cacti (Opuntia). Quivers were made from the skin of mountain lions. In 1864 the Pimas obtained firearms from the federal government and partially under the leadership of Owl Ear assisted the American army in controlling the Apaches (Russell 1908:51,95-95,111; Beals 1934:30-31). See also: 362-46.<BR> Ten Kate collected these from a sacrificial cave. On the basis of their material condition they must have been placed there recently.<BR> (Hovens 2009)<BR> <BR> Bundel oude pijlen met beschadigde punten en stuurveren ; in een grot als offerande geplaatst.