HOLMES] CONNECTICUT AVENUE QUARRIES 123 



slope ot'tlie southern lull (plate Lxxxviii). A iiest offoiir wi'll-sliapcd 

 chisels, two of which appear in plate xci, was discovered by me near 

 the suiumit of the hill; all were shari>ened by grinding'. 



One of the most ini]>ortant finds made during the excavations at this 

 jilace was a large grooved ax of the wedge hafted type («, plate xcii). 

 It was found in one of tlie shallow pits on the southern margin of the 

 hilltoj), a. foot from the surface and resting on the surface of the soap- 

 stone in place. There is uo doubt that this tool was irsed by the 

 ancient quarrymeu in dislodging, and possibly in trimming, the masses 

 of stone. Its edge shows considerable wear, apparently from use as a 

 pick, and its surface irregularities are tilled with steatite. Its weight 

 and shape would make it a very effective tool. If proof that the 

 workers of these quarries were Indians were necessary, the discovery 

 of this object would seem to be satisfactory. Finds on the sites of 

 ancient soapstone quarries in Maryland include many of these grooved 

 axes. In most cases they have been more or less completely remodeled 

 by flaking to fit them more fully for use as picks. 



CulMiKLATlON WITH HciWI.DER QUARKIES 



The question arises as to what correlations can be made out between 

 the steatite quarries and the (luartzite-bowlder quarries of tlie District 

 of Columbia. Are tliey all jirobably of one age and the work of one 

 people, or ai'e they separated by long periods of time and by marked 

 ditterences in art characters? It is observed that the two classes of 

 quarries are located in the same valley and only a mile and a half apart; 

 that they correspond as closely in extent and in appearances as could be 

 expected if worked at one time and by one peo])le; that modern neo- 

 lithic implements are found in the steatite quarries, and that the prod- 

 ucts of the steatite quarries are found on many modern village-sites. 



It appears that the steatite.was notijuarried to a depth equal to that 

 of the quaitzite bowlders, but it will be seen at a glance that the diffi- 

 culties attending the working of the former are much the greater. 

 With increasing depth the steatite becomes firmer and more massive, 

 and the difficulty of detaching the necessary masses with primitive 

 tools increases. With the bowldei'S the difficulty does not increase 

 with the depth in the same degree, and greater depths could be reached 

 with comjiarative ease. 



It is true that the bowlder quarries exhibit more decided evidence of 

 great age than do the steatite quarries in that the pits are much more 

 completely filled up and obliterated. This fact may, however, lead to 

 erroneous conclusions if the conditions under which the two classes of 

 pits existed are not considered. The deepest steatite pits were not over 

 .5 or 6 feet in depth, but they were excavated in solid rock and on the 

 crests of hills where there was little or no material to fall into theui 

 save the leaves from the trees. Such of the pits as were not on the 

 summits were entirely or almost entirely filled up. The cobble pits ou 



