56 UNIVERSITY MUSEUM ANTHROPOLOGICAL PUBLICATIONS VOL. VI 



The excavations of the present site in which numerous 

 types of implements from both the ancient argillite and modern 

 Lenape cultures are found in undisturbed soil in successive 

 geologic strata, with a possible intermediate culture between, 

 gives a firm footing for the consideration of the problem. It 

 determines the position and enlarges the extent and form of 

 the older culture, but raises the broader question as to whether 

 the argillite culture extended with modifications through the 

 intermediate into the modern. A further and intensive investi- 

 gation over the area covered by reported argillite finds will 

 be necessary to settle this aspect of the question. 



DESCRIPTION OF THE SITE 



The site excavated is situated in southern New Jersey, 

 on one of the branches of Rancocas Creek, about six miles 

 from the Delaware River. It is on a farm belonging to Edward 

 Crispin, situated midway between Mason ville and Medford, 

 and some two and a half miles from the former. The stream 

 on which the site is located offers evidence of having once 

 been much larger than at present, as is shown by an adjoining 

 swampy area which is flooded in wet seasons. In early times 

 this locality must have been easy of access from the Delaware 

 by canoe. The elevation above sea level is slight. Excava- 

 tions showed conclusively that the site had never been cleared, 

 which gives the material unique value as archeological evidence. 

 The modern Lenape material was found undisturbed beneath 

 the leaf mold of the present hardwood forest, while occasional 

 cedar stumps in the yellow soil showed the nature of the former 

 forestation. Some two feet beneath the leaf mold a few 

 scattered finds, representing a possible intermediate culture 

 were located; and from five to seven feet beneath the surface, 

 caches of argillite implements, bannerstones, etc., were found 

 lying on white glacial sand at its juncture with the overlying 

 yellowish sand. (See Fig. 1.) 



The caches were found arranged in three roughly parallel 



