AKCHEOLOGY 

 FOWKE 



] REMAINS AT GALA 17 



mass of burned stone, in and close around which were tVagmeuts of 

 pottery, arrowheads, a celt, a rousj;h or unfinished ax, several worked 

 stones which were evidently intended for celts or axes, and many 

 chips of quartz, quartzite, flint, and chalcedony. These apparently 

 marked the, site of a single firebed. 



At this place two creeks, whose courses across the bottom land are 

 nearly j)arallel, flow into the James within 300 yards of each other. 

 Most of the land between the creeks is about 20 feet higher than the 

 bottom lands above or below them, or on the oi)posite side of the 

 river, and is terminated at the river by a clift' of shale, the remnant of 

 an ancient island. The river at this i)oint flows almost due south, 

 making an abrupt turn westward just below. Opposite tlie bhifl', and 

 for half a mile farther up, the river is from 10 to 20 feet in depth. 

 Before dams were built, shad were caught in great quantities ; bass 

 are abundant now. The rugged mountains (Ivich Patch has for miles 

 an elevation of 2,000 to 2,700 feet above the liver) still harbor many 

 deer, and bear are frequently seen, while smaller game is abundant. 

 The low lands yield from GO to 90 bushels of corn to the acre. The water 

 of the creeks, being from mountain springs, is very clear and cold, and 

 is used by many in preference to well water. It is an ideal place for 

 an Indian settlement. 



In making a railway cut between the creeks, about 200 skeletons 

 were taken out, with many of which were jjottery, pipes, beads, and 

 other articles. Ilemains of the same character have been exhumed 

 from jjostholes, cellars, and other excavations in the vicinity. 



For various reasons careful examination was possible on only one 

 side of the railway, along a strip ISO feet in length, with an average 

 breadth, of 20 feet. 



A Arm subsoil of yellow clay underlies a loose, porous soil, almost black 

 in color; at the northern end of the area dug over it is from 2 too feet 

 deep, but soon decreases to a thickness of 18 to 30 inches for about 8;) 

 feet, then gradually becomes thinner until within 30 feet of the other 

 end, where it is not more than inches deep. This difierence is due to 

 surface erosion; the clay holds i)ractically the same level. 



Scattered throughout the black earth, from the surface to the under- 

 lying clay, were thousands of pottery fragujents; mortar stones; celts; 

 grooved axes; mullers; clay pipes; fragments of steatite i)ipes Avith 

 flat stems; arrowpoints, mostly triangular ; flint scrapers; drills; bone 

 beads; awls, needles, or perforators, made of the leg bones of deer, 

 wild turkey, and other animals and fowls, as well as from other 

 bones broken and dressed ; quantities of periwinkle shells, probably 

 used for food, many having the points broken oft"; bones of various 

 animals, birds, and fishes, .showing evidence of having been burned or 

 boiled, or occurring in their natural state; charred corn on the cob or 

 BULL. w=23 — —2 



