The daily gazette., 1880-02-10
FIFTH EDITION.
Rs ,IIcs at z Rehoboth.
SOME INTERESTING ANTIQUARIAN RE
r9 SEARCHES IN OLD SUSSEX. "a :

SOME INTERESTING ANTIQUARIAN RE-
"a SEARCHES IN OLD SUSSEX. u
Y AT d ameethig Of the .Numismstic and
Antiquarian Society, Of Philadelphia,
recently held, Mr.. Francis Jordan, Jr.,
read an Interesting paper on the ~
mains Of an aboriginal encampment
near Rehoboth in Sussex county, this
State. The paper says: ...
Scattered throughout the precincts OF
this encanpment, at irregular intervals,
are the remains of several hundred Of
what shal call camp-tires-small conf
cal elevations composed of clam, oyster
and mnssfl shells, mingled with char
coal. The NOUNS vary in size and
In seeming entirety. Some appear TO
have cesstully resisted the force Of
the elements aud retained their original
form almost intact, whilst others have
partially shccu,nbed to the wash of the
winter tides tn At have occasion ally gam
ed access through aperturcs in th- sand
bluffs, and submerged psit cf the sur
face.
There are still others that have been
entirely etlaced from the same cause;and
their posit ons are only disIinguishable
by the chalky appearance Of the ground,
and the presence Of myriads of brogen
shell that have bleached by centuries OF
exposure. In other localities where ar
tifcial she heaps have been found. they
have consisted OF several large mounds,
showing they were the aceumulations of
what we would popularity call ''can
bakes," where the Indians repaired for D
brief period for the express purpose Of
a. JOY the succulenl biyalves. One or
~ o such mounds are TO be seen on the
flats which separate Lewes from the sea,
and during the years 1865 and 1857 welr
casually Examined by Prof. Jos phi
Lridy, and described In a commune -
lion TO the Academy Of NatnrAl Scieaee
AL the RehobOth Encampment there
are no large mounds, AID presumably
never have been, as the number aud po-
sitions I those extAnt pre,lude such a
suppOsilioD.
fhe positive evidence OF their origIu
Is found M the fast tndi III the imniedIat.
vlCintty, AS well as min. led with th,
mollusks, are fragmen's of pottery IN
large quan itirs, ceits, rrow heads, auu
variety II other stone iinpleine h apa
orndin"nr; The homes OF ANNA Is Ria
many ped 4 of calcined stone, that ohr'r
played an Important part in the cOustruc
tlun OF hFlr luIg since eXtIIct tft-
places. lnlieed, In almost sy-tY stone
picked up with the Confines Of the CAM
ground cnn be traced the fragment OF
au impl' Irent ot domestic use, The chase
or war. should be borne IN mind that
s'2Des are not an iudg' nous product Of
lis part Of Delawarr; aud further, ithas
oe-n as>er.ed, perhaps "A nttle irouicall, .
that none are to he found within the
bountarv of SusS county larger than
an ord,na y pebble.
Ffhguie uts OF potsery are found H.
more or lasS quantities IN all tie inounds
and notwithstanding the sharts arr.
small-thd large,t smaller than a mans
haph-they enable Us 10 determin.
With some degree OF accuracy, The sizr
ana form Df The vessel Il which the,
originally formed part When W.
consider the early settlement OF this
portion OF tie cuuLtry, and phe kn,wl
edge we lave that the Indians aba .
uoned many of heir primitive forms
domestic economy Immediately upot
coming 10 cOaia"t WIN the whltes--from
~ obtained utensils OF irou-we have
r-asJn 10 believe At those specimen,
are amo MI tue ear lest t. pes OF "A sorxin IA. !
ceramic Art, though they are idsniic
wlh those found IN other localities. The
>tyle of ornameItation IL of the nIaine.t !
deScriptd ca, aud Is confined To the in.
cised lines running pAraIl,J Win ~.
rim OF The Dot, yaIying in nun,her n,
accordance with the see, or the taste OF
tue potter, some having as many n,
twelve me aud others only five and
SIX IN" exterior OF all the larger and
ruugheT fragments have the corTng.t.d
,urfac- so Uiten seen on Indian ear? b,.,,.
ware ahn p"pularly supposed 10 have
oesn executed with that primitive stylu,
the corn cob.