BULLETIN 39, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. [12]' 



As to earliest man, and his predecessors, their skeletal remnants 

 must be patiently looked for in countries that have been most fit for 

 the constitution and life of such beings at the time they came into 

 existence. If it were possible to trace and explore the vicinities of 

 the lakes and rivers in the semitropical regions of the later tertiary 

 and quaternary periods and find their caves undisturbed, a great deal 

 could be expected. As it is, science is reduced to the necessity of 

 awaiting and following up accidental discoveries. But in order that 

 opportunities for making such discoveries be not lost, an intelligent 

 watch should be kept over all excavations, such as wells, cellars, rail- 

 road cuts, canals, etc., in regions where, from geological and climato- 

 logical reasons, early man could possibly have existed, and especially 

 where some finds pointing to him have already been made. 



DIRECTIONS FOR COLLECTING, EXCAVATING, MARKING, PACKING, AND SHIPPING OSTEO- 



LOGICAL MATERIAL. 



The main rules for the collector are: 



Handle all skeletal material with care; secure all the identification 

 possible; where other parts of the body besides the skull are collected, 

 and there are more skeletons, assure the separability of each individual; 

 if at all feasible, take every part and fragment of the skeleton found in 

 a given place; gather everything of archeological and ethnological 

 value that can be conveniently moved; supplement your finds with 

 notes and photographs or sketches. If there is reason to believe 

 that the remains may be those of early man, let everj'^thing discovered 

 remain in situ until an expert can take charge of the excavation; or, 

 if the calling or coming* of an expert be impossible, have every step of 

 the work witnessed and supplemented by photographs. ' 



The collector must exercise due care in order to preserve the various 

 parts of the skeleton as near as possible entire. A damaged or broken 

 skull or bone is not useles, but, even if repair be possible, it is mostly 

 less useful than it would have been if not injured. 



The implements for excavation are a shovel, hoe, one or more 

 trowels, a small, sharp stick, and a rather stifi:' brush. The sharp- 

 pointed pick and bar are to be avoided, unless the hardness of the sur- 

 face makes their use imperative. As soon as any part of the body is 

 reached, it is best to finish the exposure with the trowel and brvish 

 only. 



If the bones found are in a bad condition and tend to crumble, some 

 attempt at the preservation of at least the skull may be tried; but such 

 attempts are seldom fully successful. At times a free exposure of the 

 specimen hardens it remarkably. Some melted paraffin or a solution 

 of shellac in alcohol may be tried, if convenient; the skull is to be 

 cleaned with the brush and the liquid then poured over it, to infiltrate 

 the bone. Glue is of little value except perhaps where the bone tends 



