62 



oil the slojics tlier(» was found to he :i layci' of shells, tfieii a layer of sev- 

 eral inches of soil, followed hy another layer of shells, this indicating an 

 irrejiularity of dinn[>in.ic. l)rou.dit ahoiit perhaps by the villaj^e site bein.2 

 vacated at intervals. n the thickest ]»ortion of the heap the shells were 

 occasionally mixed with much humus, but for the most part they were 

 nearly clean, appearing; as if but recently dumped, though rapidly disin- 

 tegrating when exposed. They represented the more common species of 

 nuissels now occurring in the river, but were mostly of small size. Among 

 those noted were T'm'o triani/ulnrisi, hiteohis. lif/amrntiniifi. teres, rcctux. 

 (irciiliis, (lonacifoniii.'i, tiihcn-iilatiis. irrordfiifs. (/ilthoxiis. plifiitiis. iiudii- 

 hitiis, ci/Undrciis, metanevnix, lacliriimosUK, pn.stulosiis, nihiginous, etc. 

 Numerous specimens of fresh water univalve shells of the genera Pleuro- 

 crni and Campeloma were mixed among the bivalves, as were also frag- 

 ments of elks' and. deers' horns and bones of various mammals. Almost 

 all the bones, even the smaller ones, had been split for the marrow. 



Mixed with the shells were also many fragments of sandstone rock 

 about 3x2x3 inches which appeared as if they had been exposed to fire ; 

 also small pieces of charcoal and in two or three places thin beds of ashes 

 tightly cemented together. 



One very small fragment of coarse pottery of a reddish hue was found 

 and one or two imperfect flint arrow-heads. The most interesting arti- 

 ficial objects taken were a number of bone awls and thicker pieces of bone 

 sharpened down to serve as prys in opening the shells. The majority of 

 the awls were broken, but of some all the pieces were found and cemented 

 together. One had an eye or small opening at the end and had doubtless 

 served as a needle. Some fragments of red orpiment or elay fronj which 

 it is burned were also found. 



T. (Jhorinley. the owner of the land, has ploughed up two small axes 

 and a nuniher of Hints, stone hanuuers, etc., from the sup]>osed village site 

 just south of tile shell heap. Whether these belonged to the people who 

 dumped the shells or to a later race which afterward inhabited the same 

 site, tlii're is no means i>r telling. They would indicatt'. however, tliat the 

 former owners live<l in the stone age before the advent of the white man 

 with his weai>ons and imjilements of metal, l^y the best authorities such 

 mounds in (illicr l(K"ililies are rel'erred to tin- early jiart of the Neolithic 

 age when the art of ]>olisliing Hint iiislruuirnts w.-is i;no\vii but lu'fore It 

 had reached its greatest development. 



