Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-11-14

Prof. Putnam's Report ON the Skele.
tons Recently Found in Massachusetts.
From tho Relo York Tribune.


From tho Nelo York Tribune.
BOSTON, Nov. The finding Of the
tusks, teeth and parts OF the skull of r
mastodon as we'll as a human skull at
Marlborough, Mass, has already been
noted, and it was thought that the discov-
cry might prove the cO-eXistence of man
and the mastOdOn. Prof. +. W. Putnam,
OF Cambridge, was invited to inspect the
relics, and the place where they were
found, and in the current number OF SCI
ence be makes the following report:
Il was unable to visit the place until
Oct. Il. four days after the skull had been
found. In this visit | made a careful
study OF the peat formation and the un-
deriving blue clay, which take TO be he
boulder clay, covering the bottom OF the
basin or old pond, which is some tour oC
nVe acres in area. over this blue clay,
containing both round and split stones,
the deposit of peat has taken place.
The TWO skulls, mastodOn and human,
were PROFESSIONALLY at the bottom of
this peat, both resting ON the blue ciaV;
but owing to the inclination Of the basin
toward the northeast from the spot where
the human skull was found there We're
two feet less of peat over il than over the
mastOdOn. The qualification of the peat
was marked, aud the lower portion i'm
medlately covering the two skulls is eN-
ceedingiy tine and evidently deposit
made entirely under water. Above this
the peat is slightly cOarser, which char
acter increases to the surface. While a
few small pieces Of wood were found at
the bottom of the peat, several largo logs,
and what seems to be the remains Of a
partly burnt stump, were found IN the
| layer about two feet above the human
Skull To this depth heavy objects
could have readily sunk through the
coarse or more open formation above,
but | question the possibility OF
so light an object as human
skull sinking through the lower two feet
to the hard pan at any tine subsequent 10
the formations of that stratum. That
both skulls were transported seems to be
proved by the fact that no other bones OF
the two skeletons were found in the i'm
mediate vicinity, and that they were
transported by water before the peat
deposit began seems probable. The bro
ken portions of the human skull have the
appearance of having been worn by the
waters action, and the separation of the
jaw and Uranium would also indicate that
method Of removal from the rest of the
! skeleton. Had it been a settling of a
| heavy body through the peat we could
hardly expect that the skull and jaw
alone would have settled to hard pan and
the rest of the bones Of the skeleton to
have been nowhere near them, and the
same remark would apply to the skull of
the mastOdOn.
''Tne skull has been placed in my hands
for careful study and comparison, and
hope soon to be able to give definite in
| formation in regard to it. Unfortunately
the skull is not typical one and the
averaging and careful balancing of its
character Will have TO be made before its
race allinities can be determined. In re-
| gard to its color, / may add that ii is OF as
deep, if not deeper, brown than the bones
of the mastodOn. lis comparatively per-
feet preservation when compared with
the mastodon skull is, however, remarka-
bic, but this could be easily accounted for
by the longer exposure of the mastodOn
bones on the surface Of a gravel deposit
before it was washed into the basin"