Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1882-11-10

readily be distinguished from the elabo-
rate flint work of the recent Indiana
They are larger, much ruder in finish.
and can at once be recognized as essen
tally the same as those of true flint
found in the similar valleys of European
rivers. As has been remarked of them,
"the types OF the two classes of imple.
ments are remarkably similar. To
whatever uses and purposes the
European implements were capa-
BILE of being applied. l regard
these Delaware objects as being
equally well adapted. The same gen.
eral description applies to both classes
of implements alike"
| If now We have been able to show
that man existed on the Atlantic Coast
of America so long ago IS the close Of
the great Ice Age. what Of his relation
ship to the present peoples of the
worlda OF his origin. nothing need
here be said. Whether he originated
in America or was a migrant from
another continent it is vain to con-
je ture. We know him only as the ear
lest and moss primit We Of mankind,
and. content with so distant . starting
point, can we trace his subsequent his
tory?
Our principal clue to this. strangely
enough, Is the material of which the
rude implements used by him are made.
This, with scarcely an exception, is a
mineral called argillite. defined by
Prof. Wadsworth. OF Cambridge. to lie
an argillaceous rock. which is greatly
indurated. breaks with con hoidal
fracture, and has no trace of cleavage.
Therefore. it is much more like flint
than slate. with which it should not be
confounded.
Now. if we wander over the stretches
of field and meadow that skirt the river
of to-day. it will often te our good for
tune to gather here and there delicate
arrow-points of quartz and jasper; per-
haps we may find a polished celt of
marvellous symmetry. fragments of pot
terry, or tastelully-carved stone pend
ant.
Place any or all OF these by the side
of the rude objects from the underlying
gravels, and the impression Is at once
made that they are not the handiwork
OF the sane people-at least, are not
representatives of the same degrea OF
culture. There is an evident break in
the chain OF progress as represented by
the objects before you. There is moth
ing in the rude articles from the gravel
foreshadowing the elaborate stone
work gathe el from the surface sol $.
II, however. We institute more caro-
full search. and systemati ally examine
the cath overly ng the z avel. we shall
find that besides these beautiful pro-
duct'ons OF the recent Indians, there o,-
cur in some PAGES .ruder series Of stone
implements. OF better make and more va
ried shapes, as compared with those
from the gravel. but far less elaborate
in finish than the suriace-found objects
of quartz and Jasper. These intermediate
forms. il they may be SO called, like
those from the gravel. ere also made OF
argillite, and, to some extent, OF slaty
mineral. They indicate n marked ad-
vance over the larger weapons OF earlier
times. and are evidently decided i'm
provement over the most primitive Of
all weapons. They clearly represent
higher stage of culture. yet fall far
short OF the average productions OF the
Indian worker in flint. Admitting this,
il these intermediate objects are closely
assocla ated with the known relics of the
Indians, we are not warranted in separat-
ing them solely on the ground OF in
ferior skill in their manufacture. But
we are not called upon to do this.
Fortunately the careful study in the
field Of thousands OF these objects shows
that they are often found alone and
deerer in the ground than true Ind an
relics. as when virgin soil has been caro-
tully examined with the view of de-
tcrmining this point; and what may be
held as of greater Importance Is the fact
that where we find arrow-hcads OF
jasper and quartz have been made.
there do not occur any chips or nodules
of argillite, showing that il was then
a mineral not in common use by the
Indians. although, OF course, its oc-
casional use is probable. Then. too,
these argillitc specimens are greatly
weathcred, and show by this feature
their great antiquity; some. indeed, 50
weathered as TO be scarcely recognize
able. Altogether. there is every prob
ability that by whomsoevcr made these
rudcr argllite objects antedatc SIMILAR
implements made Of flint-like material.
II would appear then from q careful
study of all these relics Of by-g races,
more particularly in regard to the cir
cumstances under which they occur,
that we have evidence in America, first
of a race more primitive in all respects
and lower in culture than any now ex-
isting, and which was contemporary
with the mastodon aud other extinct
animals. Secondly. of man In q more
advanced stage. armed with more skill
fully wrought weapons.
The association Of man and the masfo-
don Is little startling perhaps, but is
no unwarrantcd fancy OF the too en-
thusiastic gcologist. We are apt to con-
slider the mastodon ms creature Of so
distant a time in the unreco .ded past
that man must necessarily have APP
peared much later upon the scene. The
truth Is. comparatively speaking. the
animal SO recently became extinct that
in all probability our historic red Indians
were acquainted with II. II there be no
question Of the authenticity Of the ele.
phant pipes found in Iowa, then un-
qucstionably the elephant was living in
North America not more than one thou
sand years ago. However this may be.
in the distant long ago of the Ice Age
the mastodon certainly existed. and
with him that primitive man VINO fabri-
Gated the rude implements we have de-
scribed. The bones Of the animal
and the weapons Of the man lie
side by side, deep down in the gravels
deposited by floods from melting
glaciers. and il is scarcely a stretch Of
the imagination 10 picture the Della
ware as at times a solidly frozen stream;
20 firmly ice-bound. indeed. that the
mastodon might pass in safety over it
not cautiously. even. but with the quick
trot Of the angry elephant
These people remained long in pos
session OF our shores. but how long. or
how recently they were driven away.
we have no means OF determining and.
lastly. we have the historical evidence.
rs well a. the abundant relies that they
left. of the Indians. whom we may call
the true clippers of flint.
Thus il will be seen that what we
have considered as the evidence Of two
races. occupying this continent success
sively. is largely based cnfhc two kinds
of stone used in making the innumcra-