I assume it would work much like what is called a "sweat house." I would think that the "sweat box" would only be large enough for one person, where the other would accomodate a number, depending on the size. No doubt a small fire would be built, rocks put in the fire and when hot water put on them to create the steam that would make the person "sweat." As there appears to be no opening on the top once can only assume that the door would be where any steam might escape. Naturally the netting over it is fish netting. That bottom portion looks like it might be bark or reeds woven and tied.

It appears that at the time some of the buildings at Celilo were actually quite large. With the wagon it shows that they were still using real horse power.

Charlott on 9th October 2018 @ 7:14am

Would like to see the other side of this structure. Pretty small for a person and fire inside of it. Wonder if it got hot enough inside just from the sun for a good sweat in the summer. Built a sweat house by my cabin in Alaska. After some days of fishing and getting wood for winter, a good steam left me feeling very clean. But, for me, running out of the steam bath in the winter naked and jumping into a snow bank was not as wonderful as I heard it might be.

Buzz on 9th October 2018 @ 8:08am

Lungs would not last long with a fire in the enclosed area, wonder how the hot rocks could be moved from the fire to inside ~

Kenn on 9th October 2018 @ 8:58am

You heat the stones in a fire outside of the sweat lodge and them move them into it. Nothing really different from a sauna, they can be either wet or dry depending on whether or not you sprinkle water on the stones. They are mentioned in the journals of Lewis and Clark.

Kind of tall and narrow for my image of a sweat lodge though and I see no path heading towards it. What else could it be? There does appear to be a section to the lower right that is not sealed off to allow air to enter?

Longshot on 9th October 2018 @ 9:57am

Not a story about Celilo, but a 1909 account of an Indian visiting a "Sweat Box" before a buffalo hunt:
"....Wing-Arrow, crushed herbs from his medicine bag, sang the hunter's song,....stripped himself of all his clothing and vanished into the sweat-box. This is a sort of low round house made of saplings and covered with the skins of animals, being about six feet in diameter and four feet high.....He had to creep in on his hands and knees, for he was six feet tall. The sweat-box had been heated by his faithful squaw by placing in it eleven red-hot stones. Into this sweat-box Wing-Arrow carried a small jar of water which he sprinkled on the heated stones and soon the place became filled with steam and the chief enjoyed a sort of Turkish bath. While in there he continued his prayers.......Then he rushed from the hut, with perspiration rolling down him and plunged into the near-by stream. He was then ready for the hunt, purified and clean......

What I question about the sweat box in the above photo is that it would be a long run through the stickers, to jump into the river.
Seems to me that climbing naked into that contraption, with red hot stones would be dangerous for dangly down parts of the body.

L.E. on 9th October 2018 @ 2:29pm