HEDLIC'KA] 



DISCOVERIES ATTRIBUTED TO EARLY MAN 



39 



Auiter stream, known as Van Valtenberg Creek (fig. 6). This 

 drained a small territory into the near-by brackish Indian River 

 or Sound, and when flowing was the best fresh-water supply in the 

 vicinity. About three-quarters of a mile from its mouth the creek 

 received a small tributary, known as North Fork. It is in the area 

 partially inclosed by the two streams that our main interest centers, 

 for it was about the southern branch of the Y formed by them, not 

 far from the junction, that all the human remains were discovered. 



The two terminal branches as well as the main stream were doubt- 

 less instrumental in building up during their overflows the fiats 

 about them. At the same time thev eroded in a verv irregular man- 



Fic. 0. — Tho creek near Vero before th;' cxeavatiou of the eaual. The position of the 

 human slceletal remains is indicated by the solid squares. The canal is in heavy blai^k 

 lines. (From survey map furnished the Smithsonian Institution by William H. Kim- 

 ball, chief engineer in charge of the construction of the canal.) 



ner the older underlying sandy deposits and made themselves broad 

 shallow beds, wdiich graduall}^ became filled Avith muck. These beds 

 can be traced to-day from a distance by the more abundant vegeta- 

 tion, including trees, which grows from the rich soil. The bed of the 

 southern, or main, branch had been cut across, betAveen 125 and 225 

 feet from its former junction with the northern affluent, by the drain- 

 age canal, so that it can now be seen in an almost complete transverse 

 section, with all its characteristics. The muck beds of the northern 

 branch and of the main stream lie somewhat north of and beyond the 

 canal, except near the railroad bridge, where the main stream also 

 appears to have been cut across. Mr. William H. Kimball, chief 

 engineer in charge of the construction of the canal, was kind 



