The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1879-05-01
Shell Heaps.

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At the meeting Of the Natural History
Society last evening n the Common C0uu-
ell room there was a large attendance of
ladies' and gentlemen. the special atfrac-
tion bong the published announcement
that H. h. NewalI, Esq. of Wiscas>et was
10 deliver an address On the "SAell Heaps
OF Danarisc0tta and Sheepscot rivers"
The meeting was presided over by Pres
ldent Mood. On tile desk We're specimens
of oyster shells, stone work, and bits pi
pottery, du- from the shell heaps OF Dam
ariscotta and presented to the society by
Mr.. Sewall
Mr.. SewaIl began his address 10y giving
a brief yet comprehensive description OF
tie locality in which these shell heaps
are found. Its Indian name was Ped
aughiauk, pronounced as Il spelled Ped
cokegowak, as given in Lydia SJanHood's
deposition relating 10 the convey autes
to Walter Phillips in 1860 These shell
heaps are found below the falls emptyine
into Damarscotta Pond. The foot OF the
falls is expanded into basin OF bay at
this point. The exact locality was made
plain to the audience by a map prepared
IN l-59 BY Gen. John NJ. Brown for Prof
Chad5ourne OF BoWdoin College. with
whom Mr.. Brown paid visit to these
Shell heaps The deposits ut the oyster
are enormous. Shells are found ranging
from - to i inches in length, and ; Ia /
inches in width
In this connection Mr.. SewaI showed
the audience several specimens OF these
shells 10 illustrate the dNiercn. ages OF
the shell deposits, as well as their Won-
dertul size. Inttrmingled with the shells
are the bones Of fish. beasts ana ot the
human frame. ttrass grown soil over
spreads all these deposits. Pieces OF char
coal, stones, more or less fire marked,
fragments OF stone work and bits OF pot
teIy Mr.. SeWall exhibited as taken from
these shell heaps In lo5V Prof Chad
bourne found enough evidence in these
shell heaps to satisfy him that they were
the work Of human hands. Dr. Jackson
ot Boston explored these remains, and he
pronounced them remarkable He calcu-
lated that not less than 1906, 100 cubic
feet OF shel! We're there piled up.
Mr. SeWall estimates that more than
- 900 900 bushels OF oysters must have
been consumed By the original eaters
Jackson's report estimates that if con
verified into lime these heaps would Weld
about iO,0O0UOO casks. The burial
ground, an island On the margin of which
these shell heaps lay, has been opened.
In these graves the skeletons were uni
tormly found i'll Il sitting position facing
the rising sun. The specimens of pottery
that have been eXhumed from these heaps
are OF remarkable shape.
The diameter OF the arc OF one Of these
vessels gives projection Of more than
eighteen inches in circumference 4
piece Of the original clay was found I'M
der some Of the pottery Mr.. SeWalrs
remarks in regard to the specimens OF
pottery he exhibited were interesting and
showed keen Judgment and pains taking
research. On SWett'S island, in BOothbay.
near Indian town, are patches Of oyster
shells intermingled with heaps of clam
shells, out Of which eurthern pots of six
quarts capacity have been eNhumed, trag-
ments Of which resemble the oyster shell
pottery Of DdmariScOtta. In and about
the shell heaps Of DamariscOtta human
skeletons have been unearthed with cres-
cent helmets, aud shields of copper the
size of a cooked hat Also tubes of cop
per OF the size OF finger plated and WOW
en- into thongs Of hide. a variety of
stone tools for breaking and cutting pur-
poses, but not the arrow head or spear.
Stone sinkers for deep water service have
been discovered and brought to light.
The only metallic remains are copper
On the east side these deposits have not
been so carefully examined But an eX-
If Cln oil -,tI
mounds with an elevation of more than
sixty feet above and twenty rods back of
high water mark, exists on the east shore.
1t was sounded to a depth Of thirty feet,
without reaching the soil of the earth.
Depths of shells, fragments Of bones,
charred wood, disintegrated stones from
one to five pounds, discolored and fire
marked, extended through the entire
mass. 1t is obviously a deposit and not
brought about by geological change
During an exploration of the eastern shell
heaps of Damariscotta by a committee OF
the historical society of which president
Harris Of Bowdoin College was member,
general fact appeared in turning the
soil that the smaller mounds had a sur
face position not unfrequently interleaved
with dark soil and vegetable decomposi-
ton. But living oysters are not now
found at or near these shell heaps Dc
casionally, however, living oysters are said
to be raked from brook called "Oyster
Creek, near Belvidera Point, which brook
drains extensive meadows and enters the
north east head of the bay, and is en-
banked artificially with levees of the Mis-
sissippi pattern, from 10 to II feet wide,
and from to q feet high. Mr.. Sewall
at this point gave number of traditions