Shell Heaps on the Coast of 



Maine. 



BY PROF. T. F. MOSES. 



The shell-mounds described in this paper are located on the Damar- 

 iscotta river in Maine, some twelve miles from its mouth and just 

 above the "Falls," and the site of the towns of New Castle and 

 Damariscotta, between which the river flows. They lie on both banks 

 of the river and are of great extent. The deposits examined were all 

 on the west bank. Deposits of this character have long been known 

 to the natural historian. In Europe these mounds are found on the 

 Scandinavian peninsula, and in Denmark where they are known by the 

 name of Kjoekkenmoeddings or kitchen refuse-heaps. During the 

 past year similar heaps have been discovered and examined in Japan 

 by Prof Edw. S. Morse, of the University of Tokio. In our own 

 country they are found in the Mississippi valley along the banks of 

 rivers, and more extensively on the sea coast and the banks of streams 

 contiguous to the coast, from Maine to Florida. Those of the interior 

 are composed of various species of fresh water shells, which those of 

 the sea-board are made up of marine shells belonging to species either 

 now existing or known to have formerly existed in the neighborhood. 

 The exploration of these heaps has been made only within compara- 

 tively, recent years, and their true character ascertained. These 

 explorations were conducted by Chadbourne and Jackson in Maine; 

 by Prof Chas. Rau in New Jersey ; by the late Prof. Jefi'ries Wyman, 

 of Cambridge, along the coast of New England and Florida; by Prof. 

 Baird of the Smithsonian Institution, who made the matter a subject 

 of special investigation under the direction of the Secretary; by Mr. 

 F. W. Putnam and his assistants of the Peabody Museum of Archae- 

 ology, Prof E. S. Morse, Count Pourtales and others. Besides these 

 explorations many others of a more private character have been 

 carried on. 



In the spring of 1859 it was my good fortune to be invited, togeth- 

 er with Mr. Jno. M. Brown, of Portland, Maine, to accompany Prof 

 Chadbourne, of Bowdoin College, (now President of Williams College) 



