Skinner: Indian Camp or Village Sites 95 



organic matter; but in spite of the fact that in many places the 

 flow had penetrated deeply, and a heavy rain the day before had 

 washed the surface considerably, but comparatively few animal 

 remains were found. The astragalus of a deer, a few bones, ap- 

 parently split to obtain the marrow, two or three small fragments 

 of antler, and a couple of bird bones were found. Implements 

 were very scarce. Two rude net sinkers, made by modeling a 

 piece of " iron stone " on either side ; two perfect and several im- 

 perfect arrowpoints; a geode or iron concretion, apparently 

 worked, and some potsherds, were also obtained. Chips or spalls 

 of black flint; some rejects of the same material, and a rough 

 "turtle back" of Trenton argillite were found in the heap; on 

 one side of the cut made by the Keyport trolley line, an elongated 

 pecked and battered object of red shell, probably a pestle, was 

 discovered. 



The pottery was typical of the local Algonquin. Some of it was 

 coil-made and some fragments of the rims of vessels were deco- 

 rated by pressing a stick wrapped with twine upon the soft clay 

 before firing. One sherd was decorated upon the inner surface 

 of the rim as well as on the outer. Locally this is an uncommon 

 feature. None of the fragments obtained showed incised decora- 

 tion, but this undoubtedly occurs, and no specimens showed 

 Iroquoian influence. This too is but negative testimony, as the 

 number of sherds obtained was very small. 



It is rather remarkable that more arrowpoints were not picked 

 up, but as this was probably a fish- or shellfish-subsisting settle- 

 ment, and was possibly inhabited only during the summer months, 

 when much sea food was obtainable, the apparent scarcity of ani- 

 mal bones and projectile points may be explained. 



The inner whorls or columnella of the conch {Fulgur sp.) were 

 quite abundant throughout the heap, and their presence may be 

 explained in one of two ways. In the first place, it was cus- 

 tomary among the local aborigines to smash or break off the outer 

 whorls of the conch in order to lay bare the flesh, which was 

 eaten, and in the second place, these were a step in wampum 



