108 STONE IMPLEMENTS [eth asn.15 



in siicU quarries, ivccording to Charles H. Stiibbs, in a note in the 

 Smithsoiiiiin lieport for 1882, an important quarry is located near 

 Chiistiana, Lancaster eounty, in the latter state. 



Explorations conducted for the Bureau of Ethnology during the 

 years lS!tO-lS!t4 extend from the Patuxent valley iu Howard county, 

 Maryland, to the southern borders of ^■u■gi^ia. I made it a rule in 

 this as in other departments of field work to visit and examine as 

 many sites as ])ossible, and then to select certain favorable examples 

 for detailed study, making these the types of groups of phenomena too 

 extensive to be fully gone over. Excavation has been undertaken at 

 but two ])oints — the I'ose hill or Connecticut avenue quarry, near 

 Wasliington, and a quarry near Clifton, Fairfax county, Virginia, -2 

 miles southwest of Washington. 



Pf.vei.opment of the QiAisnviNG Industry 



The early occupants of the Potomac region, in their search for 

 materials capable of serving them in their simple arts, i>robably dis- 

 covered and attempted to utilize loose masses of the sott and tough 

 stone known to us as steatite or soapstone. The progress toward its 

 extensive utilization was no doubt very slow, and unless previous 

 knowledge of such stone had been gained elsewhere, must have con- 

 tinued for centuries. Step by step the peculiar qualities and adapta- 

 bilities of the nuiterial were developed and diligent search was made 

 for it throughout the highland. When the convenient loose masses 

 were exhausted, the rock in place was attacked where it outcropped in 

 the stream beds and on the hillsides, and partially detached portions 

 were pried or broken oft'; then the process of uncovering followed and 

 the quarrying industry was initiated. Sharp stones were employed to 

 cut oft" projecting pieces, and finally cutting tools were made and 

 improved, so that the solid stone could be removed to considerable 

 depths. 



We are not able to discover just what devices were employed in the 

 preliunnary quarry work. The earth was j)robably loosened with 

 wooden pikes and with picks of stone and antler, and was thrown up 

 with the hands or carried out iu baskets of bark or cane, or iu skins. 

 As the quarrying advanced the older pits were filled with the debris, 

 and evidences of the operations were much obscured. It is only when 

 the pits are fully cleaned out that we come to realize the full nature 

 and extent of the ancient work. Our excavations brought to light sur- 

 prising evidences of the energy, perseverance, and skill of the native 

 miner, and showed the practice of an art totally distinct from that 

 carried on in the bowlder (juarries of Piny lirauch. 



Mining Axn Shaping Oi-euations 



The method of conducting the quarry work was substantially as fol- 

 lows: When a sufticieiit area of the solid stone had been uncovered, the 



