WHOLE VOL. SKELETAL REMAINS OF EARLY MAN HRDLICKA IO3 



was reached that a complete report on the case was being prepared by 

 Doctor Smith Woodward ; and active interest was gradually trans- 

 ferred to new discoveries. 



These were the data and such was the state of affairs when the 

 opportunity to visit the Broken Hill locality came to the writer during 

 the summer of 1925. 



THE writer's investigation IN I925 



With the utmost cooperation of the officials of the mine, and in 

 fact, of every one approached, the first task was to learn on the spot 

 as much as possible of the history of the 1921 discovery. This unex- 

 pectedly proved no easy matter, owing to the scarcity of old employees, 

 but especially to the uncertainties of memory of those who had been 

 present at that time. The following nevertheless appeared to be the 

 consensus of the recollections : 



Before mining began in this craggy " broken " kopje there was 

 nothing to indicate the presence of any human habitations about the 

 hill. If there was anything it was not conspicuous and escaped notice. 



Mining was carried on from a side, but due to the conditions of the 

 mineral deposits, work was later commenced also from the top, pro- 

 ceeding downwards. During the earlier operations from the side, a 

 good-sized cave or fissure was reached and found to contain dirt, 

 ores, and numerous bones. The bones were those of animals; if any 

 others were present they were not noticed. They were mostly so 

 mineralized that they were in the main smelted with the rest of the 

 ore, and after the first impressions received little further attention. 



When the excavations from the top reached in the center to ap- 

 proximately 90 feet below the surface of the ground surrounding the 

 kopje, a large inclined plane was opened to the central funnel from 

 near the side at which the original work began. At some distance this 

 plane once more encountered the large bone crevice that had been 

 discovered before. The crevice here passed obliquely across part of 

 the incline, and, as in the portion seen earlier, was filled with detritus, 

 bones of bats or rodents, ore, and more or less mineralized bones of 

 larger animals. The extent and contents of this cave or crevice were 

 only learned gradually in the course of the prolonged work of mining. 



After the inclined plane reached the bottom of the central excava- 

 tion, some of the workmen were directed to turn back and work on 

 the ore and stone exposed by the plane; and it was in these parts, 

 not long after, at a level of approximately 60 feet below the surface, 

 that a Swiss miner, Mr. T. Zwigelaar, working with his black " boy " 

 in some softer fillings, was confronted after a stroke of the boy's 

 pick with the Rhodesian skull. 



