Pueblo Turquoise and Hieshe Necklace [R]

The Anasazi are the ancient ones, the ones who preceded the contemporary pueblo peoples. At an Anasazi ruin in Utah in 1960, archaeologists unearthed a burial of a female who had passed away around circa 1100. Around the neck of the remains was a beautiful turquoise necklace. Necklaces such as this are still the most favored among the Pueblo people of today.

From the earliest of times, turquoise has been favored by the Pueblo Indians of the Southwest. They mined it at Cerrillos, about 30 miles south of Santa Fe, for centuries. Turquoise had religious, ceremonial, superstitious and economic values to the Pueblo Indians.

Bits of turquoise were put in bearing beams of buildings to strengthen them, offerings of turquoise were made at sacred shrines, Medicine Men used it in diagnostic and healing rituals, and it was often used in burials. It is a unique sign of wealth and is seen in abundance at ceremonial dances at the pueblos of New Mexico.

The turquoise and shell (hieshe) necklaces are constructed of relatively flat, somewhat oval turquoise pieces that are drilled slightly off center. The shell is cut into small, often square pieces, drilled and strung on string, then slowly and meticulously rolled over sandstone until each piece is round and all the pieces are of the same diameter. The drilled turquoise stones and shell beads are then strung on cotton twine. Cotton is used because it is softer and doesn’t wear against the shell too abrasively.

If one goes to any pueblo feast day plaza dance, it is this style necklace one sees on all the dancers—male and female, adult and child. It possesses powers not equaled by silver jewelry.