Cremated Animal Bone Piles in the Western Papaguería

Abstract

In 1985 Julian Hayden reported 95 heaps of cremated animal bones in the Sierra Pinacate. For a variety of reasons, he concluded that the practice was long-lived and unique to that area. He attributed it to the Pinacateño Areneños, an isolated band of Areneños (also known as Hia-Ced O’odham or “Sand Papagos”). Fieldwork in Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge, Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument and the Barry M. Goldwater Range East and West over the last 30 years has located an additional 34 piles of cremated animal bones exactly like those described by Hayden (Figure 1). It is suggested that this practice is indeed long-lived and unique throughout Areneño (Hia-Ced O’odham) territory.