194 STONE IMPLEMENTS, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA PKOUDFIT. 



the Other a matter not to be detected by the expert) can not fail to sug- 

 gest how small a place mere form has in settling the antiquity of a 

 chipped stone implement. 



ARROW-HEADS. 



An effort toward the classification of the arrow-heads found on the 

 village sites has been made, and though it is only tentative and based 

 upon arbitrary conventionalities in form, it may be useful in calling at- 

 tention to the many variations possible in so small a matter as the 

 method of attaching the point to the shaft, or the blade to the handle. 

 The classification is made upon the base line of the arrow-head and the 

 form of the butt or shank. The forms, however, frequently blend, and 

 vary from one shape to another, with such slight shades of difference 

 that an attempt to classify them on any basis of form would be worse 

 than idle. 



Some beautiful pieces in quartz and quartzite are shown. Long slen- 

 der tips, with symmetrical edges, and carefully wrought shank. 



Imported material, flint, jasper, and chalcedony, occasionally appears 

 in the collection. 



AXES, CELTS, ETC. 



A few fine specimens are submitted; the most are, however, not 

 worthy of special mention, though the whole collection in this class is 

 perhaps a fair illustration of the handicraft of the Potomac Indian. 

 Special attention is asked to the descriptive catalogue herewith. 



POTTERY. 



One box of sherds from the fields at Benning's comprises the exhibit 

 of pottery. The long continued cultivation of the ground has grad- 

 ually reduced the pottery to such small fragments that the shape and 

 size of the original vessel can but rarely be determined. But from the 

 small pieces now obtainable, the material used, the method of temper- 

 ing the clay, and taste in decorative- art, may be readily learned. 



SOAP-STONE VESSELS. 



The last four numbers in the catalogue are from a soap-stone work- 

 shop located on Four-Mile Run,, and about one mile below Falls Church. 

 A considerable amount of the material was found at this place, but the 

 greater portion of it showed but slight evidences of artificial handling. 

 The supply was doubtless from a point a short distance above the work- 

 shop, where in late years the stone has been quarried to some extent. 

 No indications of aboriginal mining however remain at present. 



