THE FOLSOM PROBLEM ROBERTS 533 



association with an extinct bison, but failed to preserve their evidence 

 in acceptable form, Mr. Figgins gave explicit instructions for the work- 

 men to watch carefully for such artifacts at the Folsom pit. Parts 

 of two finely chipped projectile points were recovered from the loose 

 dirt during the excavations (pi. 1, fig. I, a, b, c). Near the place 

 where one of them was picked up, a small triangular piece of stone was 

 found embedded in the clay surrounding an animal bone. This 

 fragment was left in the block of earth and sent to the laboratory at 

 Denver. When the dirt was carefully cleaned away from the stone 

 it was noted that it was of the same material as one of the points. 

 Close examination showed that it was actually a part of the point as 

 the two pieces fitted together (pi. 1, fig. 2). This indicated a definite 

 association between man-made objects and an extinct bison. Mr. 

 Figgins was greatly impressed by the find and reported it to a number 

 of archeologists and general anthropologists. The information was 

 skeptically received in most quarters, and in several instances there 

 was a definitely hostile attitude toward suggestions that the occur- 

 rence might be of importance and worthy of further investigation. 



The Colorado Museum again sent a party to Folsom in the summer 

 of 1927 and had the good fortune to find additional points. One of 

 these was noted before it was completely uncovered, and work was 

 stopped. Telegrams were sent to various institutions inviting them to 

 send representatives to view the point in situ. Dr. Barnum Brown, of 

 the American Museum of Natural History, New York, and the writer 

 responded. Arriving at the quarry (pi. 2, fig. 1), he found Director 

 Figgins, several members of the Colorado Museum board, and Dr. 

 Brown. The latter had just uncovered the point which became the 

 pattern and furnished the name for the type. There was no question 

 but that here was important evidence. The point was still embedded 

 in the matrix between two bison ribs (pi. 2, fig. 2). In fact, it has 

 never been removed from the block, which is now on exhibit in the 

 Colorado Museum of Natural History at Denver. The writer re- 

 turned to Raton and telegraphed Dr. A. V. Kidder, then associated 

 with Phillips Academy, Andover, now with the Cainegie Institution 

 of Washington, and urged that he also visit the site. Dr. Kidder, who 

 was engaged in excavations at Pecos, N. Mex., arrived 2 days later. 

 After the whole situation had been studied carefully, it was agreed 

 that the association could not be questioned nor explained away by 

 any of the customary arguments against the authenticity of such an 

 occurrence. That winter Dr. Brown, Dr. Kidder, and the writer 

 reported on the finds at the annual meeting of the American Anthro- 

 pological Association at Andover, Mass. In spite of the convincing 

 nature of the evidence, most of the anthropologists continued to doubt 

 the validity of the discovery. 



