INDIAN RELICS FROM SCHOHARIE, N. Y. 391 



INDIAN RELICS FROM SCOHARIE, N. T. 



By Frank D. Andrews, of Vineland, N. J. 



While collecting fossils from the limestone rocks of Schoharie, N. Y., 

 my attention was attracted by the numerous chips of horn stone which 

 I noticed on crossing a cultivated field, and I determined upon giving 

 some time to their investigation. 



About 50 rods west of the bridge crossing the Schoharie Creek, and 

 at an elevation of about 75 feet, there issues from the rocks of the Lower 

 Helderberg formation a fine cold spring. In the immediate neighbor- 

 hood the soil, when under cultivation, appears dark and rich compared 

 with the rest of the field. Here the Indians must have lived for some 

 time, judging from the chips and fragments of their arrow-points and 

 larger implements so plentifully scattered about. 



Having visited the place only during the summer season, when the 

 ground was partially covered by growing crops, I have never been able 

 to give the locality as thorough a search as I would wish. Notwith- 

 standing the unfavorable circumstances, I have found nearly one hundred 

 arrow-heads in perfect or nearly perfect condition; a large number of 

 broken spear and arrow heads, knives, and scrapers in various stages of 

 completion; also whetstones, sinkers, and hammer-stones in abundance. 



The arrow heads do not show very much skill in their execution, 

 though most of the types are found. The material used is hornstone 

 and comes from the corniferous rocks of this locality. I have seen 

 another workshop close to the creek, not far distant from the Cold 

 Spring, where are abundance of chippings, and where I have found bits 

 of pottery, arrow-heads, scrapers, and an ax of rude manufacture. 



Down the creek a half mile or more, and on the eastern side, are 

 fields— showing evidence of having been the sites of Indian encamp- 

 ments — from which I have gathered many of the articles mentioned 

 above. Some of them are of material not found here, indicating that 

 they must have been brought from a distance, by exchange or otherwise. 



From the banks of a small stream emptying into the creek I have dug 

 a number of fragments of pottery evidently belonging to one dish ; with 

 these occur ashes and burned pieces of bones. I have not been able to 

 find any burial places. In building the railroad, and in making the 

 road near the Cold Spring, bones were found. 



