FLINT IMPLEMENTS AND FOSSIL REMAINS FROM A SULPHUR 

 SPRING AT ALTON. INDIAN TERRITORY. 



By William Henry Holmes, 

 Head Curator, Department of Anthropology. 



INTRODUCTION. 



During the silmmer of L901 the attention of the Smithsonian Insti- 

 tution was called to a new site yielding fossil remains of the mastodon 

 and mammoth and numerous flint implements in close association with 

 them. The information was furnished by Dr. K. H. Harper, of 

 Afton, Indian Territory, who, on making* a superficial examination of 

 the site, became convinced that the phenomena were of much scientific 

 interest. Through his solicitation the National Museum took the 

 matter up, and Mr. F. A. Lucas, curator of comparative anatomy, 

 sent his assistant, Mr. A. Stewart, to make- investigations, the partic- 

 ular object being to procure a complete skeleton of mammoth or mas- 

 todon for the Buffalo Exposition; but Mr. Stewart found that the 

 parts of fossil animals at Afton were dissociated and fragmentary, 

 and the investigation was abandoned after slight excavations had 

 been made. 



Owing to the report that relics of human handiwork were found 

 associated with the fossil remains, I resolved to visit Afton and make 

 investigations. Setting out for the West on September 26, I stopped 

 a few days at St. Louis to visit the fossil mastodon beds at Kinuns- 

 wick, 25 miles south of the city. and. in company with Mr. C. W. 

 Beehler and Mr. T. D. Townsend, who are interested in the property 

 and engaged in its exploration, spent a very instructive day at the site. 

 The question of the association of human remains with those of the 

 mammoth and mastodon has been raised at this place also, hut up to 

 the present time the evidence collected is not at all conclusive. It is 

 believed that the bones found, which so closely resemble the humerus 

 of man, may be portions of the fibulae of young mastodons, and that 

 the Hint implements reported as occurring with the fossil remains may 

 have been recently introduced, since identical forms are plentiful on 

 the surface of the site. At any rate, it seems wise to suspend judg- 



