A PREHISTORIC CEMETERY. 



453 



Quantities of shells, of species of the genus ZTriio, " fresh-water oys- 

 ters," are found. They go to show that shell-fish formed an article of 

 diet of the race. And not only did they eat the animal, but they 

 made good use of many of the shells. Many of them have been ground 

 off at the edge, and were used as spoons or ladles, while others have 

 holes punched in the valves, and were probably used for hoes in their 

 agricultural operations. An examination of many of these shells 

 shows no difference between them and individuals of the same species 

 now found in the river. Still, a change could hardly be expected in 

 the inhabitants of any locality, without a change in the conditions of 

 life, and there is no evidence of a change in conditions since the shells 

 were taken from the river. 



The flint pieces, of various shapes, are quite numerous, and many 

 of them beautifully worked. In Fig. 16 are shown some of the war 

 arrow-points, and they are so abundant 

 that one is almost inclined to believe the 

 people who made them were not so peace- 

 able as has been supposed. In Fig. 17 is 

 shown one of the " leaf - shaped " flints, 

 some of which are beautifully worked ; 

 while, in Fig. 18 are some of the drills 

 used in boring holes in bones or shells. 

 There is one thing to be noticed among 

 the flint pieces. It is said that, in war, 

 arrows like those in Fig. 16 were exclu- 

 sively used, while, in hunting, points which 

 were notched at the broad or lower end were used. Now, the pecul- 

 iarity noticed is the scarcity of points of the latter character. For, 

 out of 316 worked flints, selected from some thousands, there are but 

 four which are notched at the lower ends. One of two things is to be 

 inferred. Either that the race was more warlike than agricultural, 



Fig. 16. 



Fig. 18. 



