Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-04-19

aboriginal workshops in the District of Column
| Dla he pointed TO the splendid assortment OF
/ testimony which he had brought to illustrate
ms remarks and to show that he had accumu-
/ ated ms information by his own energy and in
! telhgence. Nearly all the pieces exhibited had
| been found. he said. within mile of the cap
ltol. One of the largest villages on the east
ern bank of the Anacostia-a succession of houses
| from GiesbOro' to Bladensburg-and it was
| known as Nacochtank, from which name Ana
costa afterward derived. There were no
houses on the opposite shore, for there there was
| nothing but swamp. Ali the material found on
| the village sites was picked up within 800 feet
of the waters edge, showing that the
/ aborigines lived as near as possible
/ to the river. Another large village site eX-
/ tended from the distributing reservoir up to
/ Little Falls. Other camps were at Red Bank,
| on the west bank of the AnacOstia and south
east of the reform school, the Carroll place, in
| Washington. north of Garfield park and be-
tween LIST and Cd streets southeast; the crest of
the hill on the Virginia side of the Potomac at
Cham bridge; opposite the foot of Analostan
island. Oh the Virginia shore; near the mouth
of FOur-nlile run. Va, and on the farm of Isaac
Crossman, at Falls Church. Va
WORKSHOPS.
Mr.. Proudft gave a detailed description of
some of the workshops which he had explored;
tile larger one at the place where the 14th
street bridge spans Piney branch. He described
the extensive workings in the sOapstOne quar-
rics at Rose Hill. about miles north of Ten
nallytown. He disagreed with Mr. Wilson as
to the alleged palcOlithic discoveries here, and
said that those instruments supposed to be
extremely ancient were really neOiithic in their
origin, but had not received a name.
MARYLAND sHELL-HEAPs.
Mr.. Walter HOugh read DR.. Elmer r.. Rey-
nolds' paper on shell Heaps" The majority
of those referred to, which were situated in
upper Charles county, Nd where shell-fsh are
no longer to be found in any considerable guam
titles. The vast fields of these deposits and
the relics found therein-hammers, spears.
axes, pottery. &c.-were fully described, and
then the conclusion was arrived at that the alb
origines knew how to cook oysters. The I'M
broken shells showed that they had been
steamed, and the testimony to this effect is so
strong that gentlemen who have claimed to be
the OrlgInatOrs of steamed oysters will have to
admit that there is nothing new under the sun.
and yield the palm to some unknown lightly
clad chef, who. 1t may be- discovered the pro-
cess in the same accidental manner as the Chi
nese learned of the luxury OF roast pig. In a
concluding paragraph the doctor said that the
Indians of that time were fair and not addicted
20 painting themselves, that custom only be-
coming necessary and popular when it was dis
covered that even the most bioodthirsty mos
quito eyInced an antipathy for an ochre-be-
daubed Indian.
POTTERY AND TEXTILES
was the subject from which much of interest
and Importance was elucidated by Mr.. W. H.
Holmes. He quoted from some of the earlier
authors, that the aboriginal females made
carthen vessels just as skilfully as the potters
OF the cOlOnists The uses to which the vessels
were put were discussed. and considerable at
tentlOn was given to their decoration. There
was great similarity in the patterns. some of
which were stamped while others were made
IN ttf,,r. .y,l G,,rr
on some of the utensils was identical with the
tattoOlng which marked the face. arms chest
anu legs OF many OF the principal savages.
ISDIAS TRIBES OF THE NEIGHBORHooD.
Mr.. James Moneys paper was on the Indian
tribes of this region. and the sketch was so
comprehensive that the known history of those
bands was clearly stated in a brief period He
told how Capt. John Smith explored the POto-
mac to the Little Falls. and how the Jesuits
who came over with Lord Baltimore managed
matters: how the powhatans (who lived on the
banks Of the POtOmac) were farmers and fish
orS and how they were ground to pieces be-
tween TIE upper and neither millstones of the
''HOundhCad PrOtestants of Virginia and the
Catholics of Maryland A very interesting de-
scriptiOn was given of the names and customs
the weapons and the modes of warfare of the
HanrahOOgS, the GlOnacans. the Tauxenents
and a number of other tribes who inhabited
adjacent territory.
PALEOLTTHIC RACE.
Mr.. Mooney paper was the last on the pro-
gram, but the meeting did not end there, for
number of the members called for remarks
from Prof. F. ". Putnam, of Harvard uni
verslty. director of the Peabody museum of
ethnology and archaeology. The professor re-
sponded and entered at once upon an instruc-
tive argument as to the existence of paleolithic
man III this nelShborhOOd. The fact that one
implement was more rudely made than
another. he said was not enough to stamp the
rudCr one the most ancient The Indian of
4 couple of centuries ago did not always make
finished tools and weapons. Often rough i'm
PIGMENT would serve his purpose, and when
that was so he was satisfied with it. There was
no necessity for anything better, so he did not
shape 1t and polish it. Yet many people sup
posed that 1t was older than the finished tool.
simply because it was roughly made. The pro-
lessor told of the discovery of three skulls
which prove. he thinks, the existence of a
paleOlthic race of small men on this continent.
and he urged those present to increased activ-
ltv III research i'll order that the question
might be settled beyond doubt