160 Till Ann i><(l)l (TiiiliK/i.sf. September, IS'.tl 
NEOLITHIC MAN IN NICARAGUA. 
By .1. C'KAwroiii), M;iii!i<;uu, Nicar!ii.'ii;i. 
NiiimToiis evidences of panic and friglil among men and 
domestic animals in N'ic-aiairna. in one of the past geological 
epochs, are deeply impressed on stratified rocks many feet ])elo\v 
the earth's snrface. under the city of Managua, extending south 
and southeastward from lake Managua to a distance of over one 
mile, possibly further, as far as has been examined, in the direc- 
tion of the extinct volcano Masaya ( 1 ). ten miles distant. The 
footi)rints indicate haste, confusion and excitement, and are im- 
pressed from \^ to 2 inches deep in the stratum, the toes of the 
feet in every footprint nuide the deepest nuirk and i)uslied the 
mud l)ack towarcl the heel, as usual frf)m running in shallow mud; 
all are pointed, many directly, others olilitjuely. toward lake 
Managua, as if to seek shelter in its waters from a storm of l)urn- 
ing hot volcanic ashes and .cinders, or some ecjually dangerous 
occurrence. A few roughly polished arrow heads and Imrbed 
harpoons, but no skeletons nor l»ones have been found in that 
nor in any of the superimposed strata(2). 
A short topographic and stratigraphic description of the local- 
ity will enable a comparison to l)e made with similar conditions of 
(1) This volcanic classification of " extinct " is not based on any theory 
about the interior constitution of the earth, l)ut, on such facts of ray 
own observation as, when in mv e.xaminations I found that I must adopt 
some classiticatiou. The plane of invariable annual ( also daily) temper- 
ature beneath the earth's surface on and near to this large mass of vol- 
canic materials is isogeothernial with planes of similar situations and 
altitude in that country; on inactive but not extinct volcanic masses no 
isogeothermal plane can be found, or, it is too irregular and indefinite 
for determination. The selection of homes and hiding places by wild 
animals and birds on extinct but never, so far as I have observed in 
this and in Soutli American volcanic countries, on inactive hot top nor 
on active volcanoes. 
( 2 ) Since this paper was written, Nov. 1890, there has been found 
( Feb'y 10, I8i)l ), the ilnxt <nul sumU dhcuii-nriitiiKj jxiHk of sircvul rnini- 
iim ho'iKK mill Hurt' or fmir tirf/i of xouir hniiinii hcimi. in an urn of oblate 
oval form made of volcanic, iron-colored clays aiul sand and burned. 
The dimensions of the urn are: depth (58 c. m., greatest diameter 68 c. 
m., diameter across opening at one end 48 c. m., thickness in walls \j^ to 
% of an inch. This was discovered in a quarry in southern part of the 
city of Managua, about lo teet below the earth's surface and resting on 
a stratum composed of volcanic ejecta hardened sufticiently to be 
quarried and used in the constructiou or all kinds ol walls for resi- 
dences and public buildings in tlie city of ^lanagua; about sixteen feet 
beneath the urn, four hard conglomerate strata intervening, is the 
stratum on which human footprints were found in large numbers. The 
bones and urn were imrchased by the consul for Austria, and will l)e 
sent to the museum in Vienna, Austria. 
