Pap. Na" 25"/' JOHN H. KERR RESERVOIR BASIN — ^MILLER 47 



Heretofore, many of the statements relative to the age of Early Man 

 ni the New World were based upon assumptions that have not been 

 proved to be checkable. Most of these dates are dependent upon geo- 

 logical estimations and early radiocarbon dating that will bear re- 

 checkmg, snice the dates were never checked against materials col- 

 lected by other workers from similar sites. It is true that Libby's 

 early methods were only indicative; by no means should they be 

 taken as pontifical of the approximate age of these various finds, 

 and until we can get two independent agencies to test objectively 

 and simultaneously common datable material and to derive similar 

 results can this method of dating be accepted as thorouglily reliable. 

 Hunt (1955) seems to think that environment position plays a 

 major role in the dating of carbon 14 specimens. Materials from 

 and areas invariably give much older dates than comparable deposits 

 from humid zones, owing to absorption of carbon 14 elements in 

 ensuing years. 



From the above we know that man was living in the New World 

 prior to Mankato altithermal period, but Ave have no such evidence 

 of his being m the Roanoke River Valley or in nearby areas at this 

 time. We do know that he did not bother to leave behind any evidence 

 of his bemg in the lower reaches of the valley because it had not 

 formed at the time he was present, but that all remains attributed to 

 him have been found on the upper terraces or upper areas away from 

 the present streams. 



Man, at a very early stage, after seeing the advantages offered by 

 fire in its natural conditions, must have spent many long hours think- 

 ing of how he, too, could create this phenomenon of nature at will. 

 Having had neither previous experience of creating or inventing nor 

 any background upon which to build, he would have had to be 

 a world genius to go through aU of the complicated steps in his mind, 

 thinking through the various factors that are involved before fire 

 could be made: the requirements of two types of wood, the placement 

 of these pieces correctly, the small cupped hole in the horizontal piece 

 in which the upright stick must revolve, and the channel off this for 

 the spark to fall upon properly prepared tinder, which must be care- 

 fully nursed before a blaze could be created. That a primitive brain 

 could have conceived and solved this most complicated problem in 

 physics and chemistry is attested by the remains of his hearths in vari- 

 ous parts of the world. Once having successfully created fire by 

 means of friction, he raised himself above the animal level, taking his 

 first real step toward the goal of world domination and civilization— 

 the greatest single step in the events of mankind. 



568192 — 62- 



