680 
sent in the lower ; otherwise, no marked 
difference appeared in the kind of stones 
used, their patina, or mode of fracture. 
From the evidence previously produced 
by the more notable explorations of the 
Trenton site, the present testimony differs 
in several particulars. The shallow zone of 
discovery, ceasing at about three feet below 
the surface, failed to encroach upon the re- 
gion (10, 20 and 30 feet deep in the imme- 
diately underplaced gravel ) alleged as the 
horizon of previously excavated human 
relics. No series of ovate blades resembling 
the drift specimens of France and England 
appeared as in previous years, to out-classify 
all other objects ; while the contention (un- 
reasonably over-valued in our opinion) in 
favor of the absence of jasper in earlier hu- 
man horizons was not sustained by our dis- 
coveries. Nevertheless the existence of man 
upon the bluff top under topographical con- 
ditions differing from those of the present 
had to to be admitted. 
This granted, however, the question of 
human antiquity at the site depended not 
so much upon the evident priority of the 
sand relics to the Indian remains of the sur- 
face loam as upon the length of time of such 
priority—namely, upon the final space ques- 
tion : 
3. What was the age of the sand? Ex- 
tending outside the province of my quali- 
fication, this question remained to be settled 
by my colleagues. Let their special ex- 
perience decide whether this yellow layer 
resting exactly upon the Trenton gravels 
is a true part of their composition. Was 
this overlying sand the work of the river 
swollen to excessive volume by the melting 
of the great glacier? Had modern rivulets, 
since drained away, spread it upon the 
terrace top? Or, during the time before 
trees grew and loam formed, had wind 
whirled it, pebbles, clay films and all, upon 
the even table of the bluff? 
Henry C. Mercer. 
SCIENCE, 
[N. S. Vou. VI. No. 149. 
II 
On June 25th, by invitation of Professor 
G. Frederick Wright, the following party 
met at Trenton, N. J., to make excavations 
in the Trenton gravel terrace, and to ex- 
amine any archeological material which 
might be brought to light: G. Frederick 
Wright, Oberlin, Ohio; H. C. Mercer, 
Doylestown, Pa.; C. C. Abbot, Trenton, 
N. J.; Ernest Volk, Trenton, N. J.; Ar- 
thur Hollick, Staten Island, N..Y., and a 
workman to perform the rough digging. 
Fic. 2. Artificial chert specimen (see also upper 
right-hand specimen, Fig. 3, on next page) photo- 
graphed as found in place in the yellow sand. The 
trowel scratches show the line of films of stratifica- 
tion above and below the object. The dark, deep 
scratch marks bottom of Layer 1 (Indian), 10 inches 
to 1 foot. Yellow sand, Layer 2, extends downward 
from heavy trowelstreaks. Photographed by Mr. Volk 
in the presence of Professor Wright, Dr. Hollick and 
Mr. Mercer. 
Through the kindness of the Misses Lalor, 
a part of their farm, favorably located on 
the edge of the terrace, had been reserved 
for investigation. Upon the surface of this 
part an area about forty feet long in a north 
