FOWKE| ABORIGINAL FLINT QUARRIES 529 
before taking it away. The Indians not only did nothing of the 
sort, but there is no indication whatever that they utilized the 
blocks which, so to speak, occurred ready-made, or that they used 
the stratified flint at all. There is one place in the cave, however, 
where they gathered the nodules and trimmed off the useless surface 
portion before removing them to the outside, where they completed 
their labors. This is in a small branch which opens from the main 
cave a mile from the entrance. Its walls, for a vertical space of 
3 feet, are studded with nodules. The floor of this chamber was 
covered to a depth of 5 or 6 feet with flakes, spalls, and broken 
nodules, but without a specimen that approached completion. Near 
the side of the cavern opposite this branch cavity was another 
pile of fragments, not so great in amount. If the floor extends 
level under these refuse heaps, as no doubt it does, and they are 
composed entirely of fragments, as it is reasonable to suppose they 
are, there are several large wagonloads of scraps, none of which 
were available for service. The flint found in the cave is somewhat 
darker than similar fragments found outside, but this is due to 
different atmospheric conditions. 
There can be little or no question that from the flint beds of this 
county came the material of the disks found in the Hopewell mounds 
near Chillicothe, Ohio. It is identical in every respect and no other 
locality at a less distance has stone of this character. It is certainly 
not found in Ohio. 
A thorough and careful search was made for the particular spot or 
spots where the disks may have been chipped near a quarry site. 
No such locality could be found; nor is it at all probable that one 
exists. Spalls and fragments, literally by carloads, may be found 
in several places where the nodules occur in numbers, but no finished 
pieces except arrowheads or knives such as may occur anywhere. It 
is evident that the finishing process took place along the river or 
creek bottom lands where the villages stood; or in a few instances 
on level hilltops, which afforded some advantage as a place of abode. 
It is true that no broken and very few uncompleted disks are found 
in this region, and that perfect and well-finished ones have never 
been discovered. This indicates that they were regarded as an article 
of commerce or trade by a resident population; or were made by 
others who lived at a distance and who came here to procure raw 
material. As the disks are made of the most compact, close-grained, 
and homogeneous flint that was obtainable, a failure to complete one 
does not mean that the stone would be thrown away; it would be 
converted into smaller implements on account of its superior quality. 
This view is supported by the finding of many spalls of large size, 
some showing the whitish exterior of the nodule on one entire side, 
