nOLMES I 



ABORIGINAL AMERICAN ANTIQUITIES PART I 



267 



withe handles (fig. 13G) . The great number of these implements made 

 it certain that extensive operations had been carried on by the abo- 

 rigines, but the exact nature and aim of the work were not readily 

 discernible. The first impression was that the compact masses of 

 hematite were sought for the purpose of manufacturing implements 

 such as were employed by the mound-building and other tribes in 

 many parts of the Mississippi Valley, but few traces of the shaping 

 <;f this material were found in the mines, although the nnners rc- 



Fiu. i:;0. 'ExMinplcs of till' stone slcdgo heads, picks, and hammers found in the mines. 



ported that in beginning operations on the site a large body of chips 

 was encountered near the surface of the ground. Some workable 



flint was observed in the vicinity of the ore body, 

 Flint Implements and flakcs and rejectage of blade making, as well as 



a number of well-finished projectile points and leaf- 

 chaped blades, were intermingled in the filling of some of the pits. 

 It is believed that this work was only incidental to the mining of the 

 hematite. Flint is found in large bodies in many sections of the gen- 

 eral region and could readily have been obtained in any quantity by 

 the ancient miners. 



It was observed that the exposed surfaces of the ore and the 



ground about were everywhere a brilliant red. The 

 Oxide of Iron Used ^yQj.]^j^-jej^ ^^ere red from head to foot, and anyone 



ventiu'ing to handle the ore soon found his hands 

 smeared with red oxide, repeated washing being required to remove 



