fowkb] 



ARCHEODOGICAL, INVESTIGATIONS 



147 



Fio. r>2. — f'rofs .section of 

 Foit Deposit Cave at 70 

 feet. 



thick and apparently all dumped, as there was no definite arrange- 

 ment of the various parts. ('See fig. 32.) A small perforated disk 

 and a double-pointed bone needle were found here. 



The fire beds now began to thin out rapidly, the dark earth also 

 diminishing in quantity, until at 80 feet, from which point the 

 entrance was no longer visible owing to curvature of the walls, there 

 was only 5 or 6 inches of them in all, resting directly on the yellow 

 earth, which contained much more clay than farther toward the 

 front. The walls began to diverge here, forming a room whose 

 greatest width was 11 feet 6 inches at 95 

 feet. At 100 feet a reverse curve brought 

 the cavern on a course parallel to that 

 which it had held up to 60 feet. 



At 90 feet there was evidence of fire at 

 one side, the ashes and burned earth being 

 5 inches thick at the wall, and thinning 

 out to a feather edge within 4 feet. This 

 was the last fireplace discovered which 

 may not with certainty be attributed to white men. The yellow 

 earth, presenting no evidence of having been disturbed since origi- 

 nally deposited, reached from the superficial layer of loose dry earth 

 to the bottom of the trench, a depth of 4 feet 8 inches. Below this 

 point the walls were less than 4 feet apart, and the space filled with 

 gravel, as shown in figure 33. This gravel had exactly the appear- 

 ance of that in gullies on the 

 hills outside, and plainly dates 

 back to the period at which the 

 cave was formed. The stream 

 which aided in the erosion, or 

 which flowed through from some 

 sink hole or other outside open- 

 ing, carried this gravel into the 

 crevice. Consequently, even if 

 the space between the walls had 

 been ample for dwelling pur- 

 poses, an attempt to live here when the gravel was being carried 

 in would result in the intending settler having his effects washed out 

 into the river. 



At 93 feet the side walls confining the yellow clay narrowed to 

 a little less than 5 feet apart. The upper portion of the one to 

 the left has been eroded into a recess or cavity, forming the cham- 

 ber above mentioned. The earth on the rock floor in this recess 



Fig. 33. — Cross section of Fort Deposit 

 Cave at 90 feet. 



