August 7, 1914] 



SCIENCE 



199 



or chimneys filled witii asphalt. The chim- 

 neys were each about three feet in diameter 

 and both had contributed to a hard asphaltic 

 layer forming the surface of the ground at this 

 point. At a depth of about eight feet the 

 chimneys opened into a large dome-shaped 

 asphaltic mass not less than eight feet in diam- 

 eter and extending downward to an unknown 

 depth. 



Eemains of many kinds of animals were ob- 

 tained in both chimneys, but the most interest- 

 ing discovery was the finding on February 5 

 of an upper jaw from a human skull, at a 

 depth of a little more than six feet, in the 

 northerly of the two chimneys. Careful in- 

 vestigation of this vent disclosed later almost 

 the entire skull with other portions of the 

 skeleton. The remains evidently belonged to 

 one individual. The bones were found rang- 

 ing in depth down to a level of about nine feet 

 below the surface, and reaching almost to the 

 point at which the chimney connected with 

 the dome-like reservoir below. 



Eealizing that this find might prove of ex- 

 ceptional scientific interest, unusual precau- 

 tions were taken in the excavations following 

 the discovery of the human remains. Under 

 the direction of Mr. Frank S. Daggett, director 

 of the Museum, and of Mr. L. E. Wyman, 

 who had immediate charge of the work in the 

 pits, the excavators obtained all possible in- 

 formation as to the nature of the deposit in 

 which the specimen was found, and every bone 

 appearing in the deposit was saved. The final 

 results of the work give us a complete map of 

 the deposit, and full list of the animal re- 

 mains from the two chimneys, with their situ- 

 ation in the chimneys. 



Through the courtesy of Mr. Frank S. Dag- 

 gett, director of the Museum of History, Sci- 

 ence and Art, it has been the writer's privilege 

 to follow closely the course of the excavations 

 in the pit in which the human remains were 

 found, and to make a study of this most in- 

 teresting occurrence. Most efiicient assistance 

 has been given in every possible way by Mr. 

 Daggett, by Mr. Wyman, and by every one 

 connected with the work. The handling of the 

 excavation by the museum staff, and the care- 



ful exercise of precautions necessary to insure 

 the scientific accuracy of the work, are worthy 

 of most favorable comment. 



Character of the Problem 

 As a part of the general problem of the his- 

 tory of the human family, involving questions 

 of the origin and of the true nature of man, 

 the history of the human race in America 

 has interested every thoughtful person. The 

 occurrence of human remains at Eancho La 

 Brea, appearing as it has in close relation to 

 a marvelous representation of life from a past 

 period, has justly demanded attention. 



The interest in the human skeleton from 

 Eancho La Brea centers either on peculiarities 

 in the character of the skeleton itself, or in evi- 

 dences of its antiquity furnished by definite 

 indications of the geologic age of the deposits 

 in which it was found or through proof of age 

 presented by the animals associated with the 

 skeleton. 



Nature and Origin of the Deposits Containing 

 Human Remains 



Purely geologic evidences of age are often 

 exceedingly diflicult to obtain in asphalt de- 

 posits, owing to the peculiar mode of accumu- 

 lation, and the possibility of movement in the 

 deposits after they are once formed. The 

 asphalt is a residue from evaporation of oil. 

 It accumulates either on the surface of the 

 ground or in the midst of other strata into 

 which it has soaked or poured. Even after the 

 asphalt deposit has formed, the nature of the 

 viscous material makes possible considerable 

 movement in many directions within the mass, 

 and consequent change of position of any ma- 

 terials in it. 



The deposits in which fossil remains have 

 been found at Eancho La Brea are evidently 

 in part layers formed on the surface, and in 

 part pipes, pockets and chimneys through 

 which oil came up from deeply buried strata. 

 The source of the asphalt or oil is a deep-lying 

 formation, which is considerably folded, and 

 is covered by approximately horizontal layers 

 of clayey and sandy strata washed in from 

 higher land not far away. Oil and gas have 



