Bep'ort of the State Geologist. 389' 



I took charge of the excavations which were undertaken early in the 

 month of August, 1887. 



The topographical character of the ground investigated is shown 

 in the accompaying map. It was found that, as at first reported, 

 there were two small bog-holes, the smaller lying mostly within the 

 boundaries of Genesee street, and, as the excavation proved, very 

 narrow. The work of excavation was begun at the point where the 

 tusk had been found, and was carried in all directions until the muck 

 or mucky clay petered out. This gave the hole a diameter of about, 

 thirty feet north and south, and somewhat more east and west, the 

 vertical section through its deepest point being: 



Made ground (road-bed, etc.) 2 ft. 10 in. 



Loam 5 



Clayey muck 1 2 



Clay (unlaminated) 1 5 



Clay (laminated) 



5 ft. 10 in. 



A few bones only were found; these being fragments of ribs taken 

 from the unlaminated clay at a depth of two feet six inches from the 

 natural surface of the ground, a little west of the deepest point in 

 the hole; several ribs, nearly entire, from the unlaminated clay, at a 

 depth of three feet from the natural surface ; and in the muck above 

 these, one foot below the natural surface, the ankle bones of some 

 large ruminant, probably the elk. Excavation was then begun in 

 the large bog-hole lying in a pasture lot belonging to the Messrs. 

 Smith and Cogswell, 297 feet west of the west line of Genesee street.. 

 A series of trenches were put down in various directions, which 

 showed that this hole was circular, measuring seventy-five feet in 

 diameter, and was filled by a very shallow accumulation of black muck 

 and mucky clay. This material reached a thickness of from twelve to 

 fifteen inches, except at a single point where over a surface twelve 

 feet square it extended to a depth of four feet. All of this vegetable 

 earth was underlain by compact laminated clay. At the bottom of the 

 deep accumulation of muck, and four feet from the natural surface 

 of the ground, was found a fragment of pottery, and from beneath 

 and around it were taken about thirty fragments of thoroughly burned 

 charcoal. These traces of ancient man were found fully twelve inches 

 further down from the natural surface of the ground than the deepest 

 of the bones taken from the other sink-hole. 



The connection of the two sink-holes, and their former drainage 

 from one to the other, was established by a series of excavations 



