588 Aboriginal Quarries—Soapstone Bowls and the (June, 
novelties to our archeologists, and consequently but imperfectly 
understood. The specimens found in the quarries, as a rule, are 
_ bowls or dishes, although it is known that other articles were 
manufactured from this stone. 
Quarries of soapstone, showing evidence of extensive working, 
” and similar to those we find on the Atlantic seaboard, have been 
observed in California, and are described in the seventh volume of 
Wheeler’s Survey by Paul Schumacher} although the California 
Indians made vessels of a different character to those with which 
we are familiar. It is suggested by Schumacher that the markings 
of metal tools were observed in the California specimens, though he 
does not mention the finding of any metal in the quarries. The 
same suggestion has been made in regard to those articles which 
we have in Maryland, because of the regular tool marks often 
observable on the bowls; so far, however, as the remark refers to 
our bowls, I believe it to be erroneous; primarily because I have 
seen no indications of the use of metal, not having found a trace 
of it in my researches, but principally because I have implements 
of stone, found in the quarries, with which the whole work was 
capable of being performed. These implements are all of stone, 
and I feel satisfied that the quarries themselves belong to the pure 
stone age; Kalm, the Swede, who visited this country early 1 
the last century, describes pot-stone dishes as being made by In- 
dians “ notwithstanding their unacquaintance with metals.” Al- 
though we have no present data by which to demonstrate the 
antiquity of our quarries, I think we have sufficient an 
justify our belief that they certainly date to a time prior ze j 
advent of the whites, still they must have been worked up to ns 
within the historic period. According to the opinion of th 
who composed the expedition of which Schumacher was = 
chief, the California Indians do not appear to have p° ee 
art of manufacturing vessels of clay ; or if they did, it 
very limited extent. In Maryland, on the contrary; 
abundant evidence that pottery and soapstone were used ‘oe 
same time and by the same people, for broken soapstone shel 
or bowls, have been found on village sites, and also 1n the 
heaps associated with pottery. eer. 
The area and development of these quarries seem are dif 
sive, the regularity observed in the shape of the tools al ġ 
ferent quarries, and also in the shape of the dishes, 56+ 
