132 STONE IMPLKMKNTS (eth.ann. 15 



niaiking the sites of ancient pits were observed, and in cuttinf; tlir(>u{;li 

 tlieni several rudimentary vessels and niiineroiis mining and eutting 

 tools, broken and entire, were encountered. Tlie ancient work had 

 «'Xtcnded to the depth iu one place of 7 or 8 feet. Several s])eciniens 

 from this site are illustrated iu the aecom])auying plates. An ordinary 

 grooved ax, broken iu use, is illustiated in i)late xcvii, and two other 

 axes moditied l)y Haking to give tli(Mu sliarper cutting edges (plate 

 xcviii) are of special interest as further illustrating the subordination of 

 general to special function among the tools of the aboriginal <| uarrymeu. 



AMELIA COUNTY QUAURIES 



On the southern side of James river, in Amelia county, Virginia, a 

 very interesting site was studied by Mr F. 11. Cushing, who conducted 

 extended excavations and made a model of an ancient pit illustrating 

 the uianuer in which the masses of ])artially shaped steatite were cut 

 put and removed. The tools recovered and the quarry rejects were 

 identical with those from the more northern sites. 



5IADISON COUNTY QUARKIBS 



Between 5 and 6 miles from Orange, on the road to ^Madison court- 

 house, Virginia, is a 7iegro church, at which a road turns oft' north- 

 ward. At a ])oint about iiOO yards from the church the latter road 

 strikes an outcrop of steatite, along which it runs for ")()() or fiOO yards. 

 Most of the deposit has been so much worked by residents that it is 

 now impossible to determine whether there is any trace of aboriginal 

 work except at the extreme northern end of the outcrop. Here there 

 are a few small pits that seem due to ancient work. 



CULPEPER COUNTY QUARRIES 



There is a very extensive quarry of steatite near Waylands mills, on 

 the Orange road, 9 or 10 miles west of Culpeper court-house. At the 

 top of a hill, something over 100 feet high, the steatite outcrops and 

 the pits begin at once. They are all to the right of the road, and vary 

 from a foot to i feet in depth, with the exception of one, which is fully 

 150 feet in diameter, the bottom being filled over an area of ")(» or (iO feet 

 across with muck, so that its depth can not be determined. Almost 

 the entire surface has been dug over for half a mile iu extent. 



On the farm of H. I. Aylor, about 2.i miles from the mill, is another 

 steatite quarry, in which it is reported that aboriginal digging was 

 extensive, and that fragments of pots and the like were plentiful. 

 Si)c(dmens may be found at neighboring houses, especially at the negro 

 cabins, wliere they are used for "chicken troughs." 



BRUNSWICK COUNTY QUARRIES 



On the farm of Bassett B. Wilkes, at Charlie Hope station, (J miles 

 we«t of Lawrenceville, Virginia, there are several pits, extending over 

 au acre in area, where steatite has been quarried by the Indians. The 



