ADMINISTRATIVK REPORT LXXV 



at the site discovered by Mr Fowke, the pebbles are at the 

 same time of suitable size and sufficiently abundant for easy 

 working by primitive methods — in short, the best and, indeed, 

 the only feasible site for the aboriginal factorv was that selected 

 for the purpose. The material is a peculiarly tough and strong 

 crystalline rock, which flakes fairlv well and is at the same 

 time adapted to battering and grinding. 



During the first three months of the year Mr Gerard Fowke 

 was occupied, under Professor Holmes' general instructions, 

 but under the immediate direction of the Ethnologist in Charge, 

 in making collections from the little-known but higlily inter- 

 esting interior shell mounds in the valley of Tennessee river. 

 This work yielded excellent results, particularly in the form of 

 material collected for the enrichment of the National Museum. 

 The collections were duly cleaned, prepared, and tabulated, 

 and transferred to the iMuseum by Mr Henr}' Walther. 



Mr William Dinwiddle, under Professor Holmes' immediate 

 direction, spent the greater part of the months of Juh', August, 

 and September in archeologic reconnoissance along the shores 

 and tributaries of C'hesapeake bay with the object of demarking- 

 more exactly by art ])r(iducts the territorv belonging respec- 

 tively to the different peoples. His work also yielded abun- 

 dant collections for the enrichment of the department of arche- 

 ology of the National Museum for the benefit of contemporary 

 and future students. 



During February and March, as ah-eady noted, Mr Dinwid- 

 die was occupied in investigating the aboriginal steatite quarry 

 at Clifton. The quarry was cleared and its walls and floors 

 were found to yield numerous and characteristic traces of 

 primiti\e workmanship; a rich collection of broken and par- 

 tially finished utensils was made; a good series of photographs, 

 showing with unprecedented accuracy the details of the quai"- 

 rying and manufacturing- operations, was taken ; a number of 

 the tools used in the work were found, while the entire collec- 

 tion has been brought together for study and preservation in 

 the National Museum. The general results of the investiga- 

 tion of this quarry have been incorporated in the accompany- 

 ing paper by Professor Holmes. 



