10 



AN ANCIENT QUARRY IN INDIAN TERRITORY, 



<; BUREAU rp 

 'I ETHNOLOGY 



all cases the debris was allowed to accumulate in a ring arouud the mar- 

 gin and has descended into the excavations, many of which are entirely 

 filled with the refuse of manufacture. 



As in other similar cases, we are unable fully to determine the meth- 

 ods of quarrying, but further exploration will doubtless throw light on 

 this point. lu cleaning out one of the minor pits to learu something of 



Fm. 1. — rraj,ment of antler, probably used as a pick. ^ 



the relation of au ancient oak that grew on its margin to the artificial 

 deposits, I came upon two fragments of buck-horn. The better preserved 

 of these was pick-shaped and about twelve inches long, and although 

 much decayed it still bore evidence of having been worn by use in the 

 mines. This specimen is shown in figure 1. Portions of the skeleton of a 

 deer were found near the bottom of another pit. It is altogether i^robable 



Fiu. 2.— Secliou through a group of the quarry pits. 



that buck-horn was used in the quarry work, for neither stone, bone, nor 

 wood would be as suitable and serviceable; but when we turn toward 

 the lines of pits excavated in compact, flinty strata, any tools save 

 tliose of metal seem wholly inadequate to accomplish the results. If 

 we assume that the cherty masses were unco-vered or undermined with 

 buck-horn picks and wooden picks and shovels, we find it necessary in 



FlO, 3.— Section through a single jiit v,v\\ tilled with shop debris. 



addition to suppose that fire and water were used to fracture the masses 

 and break them up. Frequently the pits were sunk to the upper sur- 

 face of the horizontal strata, in which case even these latter agencies 

 would be very difficult of application. 



