METALLIC niPLEMBNTS OF NEW YORK INDIAN'S 25 



copper boj^aii to come in froni our Ohio exi)loi-atioiis in a won- 

 dei'l'iil iiiauiier, iiiilil we now have copper in such abundance 

 that a paper on the subject would be a volume. We have it 

 hammered and rut into all numner of shaj)es — implements and 

 ornaments — and wilii il ha^■e come several lots of ornanniuis 

 made of meteoric iron — implements and ornaments— and also 

 considerable silver (ornaments) and a little of j^old. All these 

 metals are hammered and cut, and we have the copper in all 

 stages from the rou«^h nuj^gets, through those partly ham- 

 mered, to the sheets and the objects cut from theuL To con- 

 sider this the work of Europeans is an absurd perversion of 

 the facts befori' us; and vet just because the facts do not agree 

 with the theories of some who would have all facts drop into 

 their theories, or else thi-o\\ them out of consid(M'ation, these 

 objects are spoken of as un(|U(^stional)ly of Euroi)ean origin, 

 traded to our old mound building [>eople of the Ohio valley b}' 

 whites since the settlement of the country. — Moore, p. 220 



Prof. Putnam's conclusion is that native copper articles of 

 any kind are to be considered prehistoric if unaccompanied by 

 European relics. Or Cyrus Thomas has as fdainly shown that 

 Eui'opean metallic articles have been found deep in some large 

 mounds. His remarks have been quoted. 



A large proportion of natiye copper celts gradually expand 

 toward the cutting edge. Fig. 38 is a good example in the 

 Bigelow collection, which was found on lot 99, Lysander, in 

 1881, not far from l^5eneca river. The ridged side has more pro- 

 tuberances than usual, and on the tiat side a single medial line 

 extends the whole length, with a few small ones near the mar- 

 gin. The thin top is bent over by hammering, showing how it 

 was used. This figure is of actual size, as are all those where 

 no dimensions are given. 



Fig. 30 is in th<,' same collection, and has an expanded cutting 

 edge. It was found on the Ouderkirk farm, lot 70, Lysander, 

 near Seneca river, and is quite thick and not very sharj), the 

 edge having been dull<Ml by use. One side is ridged as usual. 



Fig. 12 is a very fine celt of this kind, the Hat side of which 

 is shown. A hollow above the cutting edge suggests a gouge. 

 This edge is more roundtHl than usual and the other end comes 

 to a point. The full length is a little over 5^ inches, and the 



