HEDLifKA] SKELETAL REMAINS OF EARLY MAN 215 



obtainable, but the statement is quoted in full by Ameghino/ as fol- 

 lows: "The point where these fossil remains were discovered is sit- 

 uated on a slight incline which descends from a higher swell of land 

 and unites the same with the border of the river, the place v/here the 

 human remains were found being half a league, more or less, from the 

 Rio de Arrecifes. The locality where the excavation was made has 

 been denuded by rains, the vegetal earth being carried away. The 

 human skull was found at the same level as the carapace, on the side 

 toward the river. The bones of the human skeleton were found 

 scattered slightly (desparramados un poco) in all directions; one femur 

 and the pelvis {cadera) were beneath the carapace of the animal. The 

 skull was by itself and in the vertical position, the lower jaw below, 

 the instrument of deer horn under the lower jaw with which it was 

 in contact; the ribs were scattered, the atlas and axis lying 1.50 m. 

 from the skull. What I could gather of the spinal column lay by 

 itself. The bones of the feet were scattered ; those of one hand were 

 together, those of the other separated. The shell of a bivalve was 

 found in the pelvis p] {en la cadera), and, on cleaning it at my house, I 

 found in the earth that held it some little bones of a small edentate. 

 The carapace of the Glyptodon was turned over on its back, its border 

 projecting from the ground. The position of the human skeleton 

 makes me suppose that it was covered by earth through atmospheric 

 influences after having remained for some time exposed to the air 

 and the rain, which explains why a certain part of the bones show 

 destruction of their surfaces while others, covered more promptly, are 

 well-preserved . ' ' 



In 1883 the Fontezuelasfind, and particularly the skull, are discussed 

 by Virchow.^ The account by Roth given in the preceding lines is 

 repeated, with the additional remark that from the presence of the 

 bones of the small edentate Roth concluded that the animal served 

 the man as food. 



Virchow does not enter into a critical consideration of the find. 

 As to the antiquity of the human bones, he shows reserve. As to 

 the skull, having only a photograph of its lateral aspect at hand, he 

 misjudged its type, pointing out its apparent resemblances to the 

 Sambaqui and the Pampean Indian crania. 



A year later, at the end of a correction of some statements concern- 

 ing the nature of the Pampean deposits,* Burmeister also refers in a 

 few words to the Fontezuelas bones, saying that he has seen only 

 the lower jaw, "which seemed to me to show nothing deviating from 

 the type of the native race." 



> Contribuci6n al eonocimiento de los mamlferos f6siles, etc., 1889, pp. 07, 84-85. 

 * In the letter to Vogt (see above) it is said that an oyster shell was found below the skull. — A. H. 

 3 Ein mit Glyptodon-Restcn gofundenes menschliches Skelet aus der Pampa de la Plata; in Verh. Bet. 

 Ges.filT AnthT., Eth., und Urg., xv, 1883, pp. 405-407. 

 < Bui-meister, H., Bemerkungen in Bezugauf die Pampas-Formation; ibid., xvi, 1884, p. 247. 



