Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1879-06-06
ABORIGINAL Remains.
INTERESTING MEETING OF THE ANTHRoP0LoGI-
CAL SOCIETY.

INTERESTING MEETING OF THE ANTHROPOLOGI-
CAL SOCIETY.
The Anthropological Society met Tuesday
night, Major j. w. Powell in the chair, and DIR.
Elmer r. Reynolds, secretary. Messrs James
stevenson, Frand deYeaux Carpenter and j. CAL
vert Sptller were reported favorably upon by the
council, and were duly elected members Of the
society. Prof. Mason stated that DR.. Reynolds
had placed on exhibition good collection OF
indian antiquities In stone from the PtScataWay
valley; DR.. ReiSinger had presented some spe-
cfmens Of pottery from South and Central
America; there was map OF the st. Johns
river, Florida, showing the shell heaps, drawn
by MIR. Francis LIE Baron, on exhibition by Prof.
found on the famous Dighton rock, by Prof.
Col. G. Mallory read an interesting paper on
"THB COMPARATIVE MYTHOLOGY OF THE TWO
INDIES"
IN which he showed the analogy OF the two sys-
TENS and the general analogy Of ancient nv
thology with some OF the events Described in
the Bible discussion followed, in which the
chairman MADE some very interesting remarks
upon she subject describing the various degrees
OF mythology from low to high order ac-
cofding to the degree Of enlightenment OF man
Ia different ages Of the world, and that the va
IlouS systems OF my thology embodied the phi
loSOpny OF tne places and ages where they pre-
vailed, by which causes and effects were ex-
planned In nature.
TIE INDIAN BURIAL PLACE NEAR PIscATAwAY
MARYLAND.
Ut. Elmer Il. Reynolds, the secretary, who
had placed on exhibition at the meeting quite a
large collection Of implements gathered By him
IN recent visit to the Aboriginal cemeteries
near Pennington, PlScataway Md in eypIain-
ing Them said the cemeteries near this landing
are ABOUT one and a-haf miles from the point
where the Pscataway creek joins the Potomac.
fOot-hill one fourth of mile from the stream.
They extend eastward to the ancient town OF
Piscataway which, In 1884, when Father White
visited 1t in the ''Dove,r contained large popl-
# w oil
armed with bows. The first discoveries were
made by Capt. Dent P. Hatton, twenty live
years ago. In crossing the foot hill he found
bones sticking out Of the soil. where the rain
had washed deep rut through the grave
yard-he also found the brass bands Of an old
fashioned musket, probably used as personal
ornaments; a stone axe, knives, spears, arrow
heads and pipe made Of clay fashioned like
the human head. with an opening on the top
He set his servants to digging, and found
bushels OF Implements among which were seve-
raj spoons and large quantity OF silver coin of
the time OF Charles the II, the coins were all
perforated and quite new, and had been used as
ornaments capt: Hatton found near his house,
IN MS garden, an ''osSuary' containing
THE BONES OF SEVERAL INDIANS,
three OF whom were children-the crania were
on top, the long bones next, and at the bottom
were found the small and irregular bones partly
consumed by fire-alSO In the same OSsuary
were found fragments OF broken pottery. The
hole was one yard long, two feet wide by three
deep: He found cache containing bushel Of
finely finished quartZite knives one of which
was on exhibition. The string Of beads exhib-
TIED were presented to DR.. r. by Mrs. Martha
Patterson Fisher, cousin OF Madame Bonaparte
who recently died in Baltimore. During the
war Capt. Bennett, who commanded a com
paDy OF soldiers at Pennington, used to detail
his men to dig among the graves, and many
beautiful relics were found. The graves are
difficult to find-the fields having been cult.
waited for century and quarter. The secre-
granite pestle or roller weighing 10 or Is pounds
and over two feet long, fragments of soap
stone pottery, pottery Of clay, axes, Celts
arrows and spears, all from the same locality
and most Of them taken from the graves. He
also showed a small and beautifully wrought
stone pipe OF the mound pattern presented MIN
Dy Mi. Jackson Cole, who has also found many
interesting articles on his farm near Farming
ton, the most interesting Of which was a highly
polished stone about four inches long by six, on
which was carved In high relief, a beaver In
sitting posture.