The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1903-06-26
MIssOuRrS NEW CAVE
Abode of Prehistoric Man Found
~ ~" @s .1- MEH
Near Arkansas Line.
VALUABLE REL1os UHEARTHED.

Most Important Discovery II That Of
Four Human Skelet0ns-PrOfessOr
C.. n. Gould PrOnounces the Cave
the Greatest Find u Its Kind ON
the Continent.
Professor C. N. Gould returned re-
gently from southwestern Missouri,
where he has been engaged in an in
spection of a cave which promises to
be of much archaeological value, says
a special dispatch from Norman. Okla,
to the st. Louis Globe-D Democrat. Mr..
e. H. Jacobs, an a~rchseologist Of Ben
tonville, Ark, discovered the cav and
wrote to Mr.. w. j. Moorehead, curator
Of the archaeological department OF
Phillips academy. Andover. Mass.
Professor Moorehead sent for DIR.
Charles Peabody Of Cambridge, Mass.
and DR.. Holmes Of the bureau Of eth
nology at Washington and other spe-
cialists in archaeology. He also seEt
for Professor Gould Of the University
/ OF Oklahoma to pass IN the geological
| formation Of the cave. The cave Is
four miles north of the Arkansas line
and twelve east Of the Indian Terri.
tory line. The ave us seventy feet
long, a hole dug out of solid rock. The
bottom is covered with a coat of ashes
three feet deep. estimated in III! 1T
some 5000 cubic feet. The only r!at.
sible theory in explanation Of this pc.
culiar formation is that the cave wAs
formerly inhabited by ave jewellers
and the ashes are those left by the fires
they built.
Out Of the debris of ashes and clay
have been dug four immense skeletons.
together with bones of animals. The
arms are unduly long and the legs
unduly short, which argues that the
skeletons belong to an ancient period.
Flint instruments of all kinds. knives.
~spearheads, drills, as well as bone and
stone instruments, are found in great
abundance.
The surface, OF the caveSis of lime
stone worn perfectly smooth, probably
by long generations Of use by the cave
dwellers. DR.. Peabody tells of a sheep
fold at Mycen@ of similar limestone
worn smooth in a like manner by long
use by the sheep.
Along the back wall Of the cave the
water pouring off the limestone has
formed huge stalactites, which Pro-
fessor Gould says must have been in
process Of formation for thousands OF
years. AS these stalactites have formed
above. the coat of ashes in which the
human skeletons and other relics of
ancient times have been found the
cave must be one of extreme age.
The most interesting discovery. OF
course, is that Of the human skeletons.
Only four prehistoric skeletons have
ever been found up to the present
time, three in Europe and-one in Amer
lea. The one found in America was
dug out a number of years ago in
California. OF those found in Europe
one was the Engis skull, near Engis.
] Belgium. the second the Neander-
Thai skull in Germany. the third
the Manof-Spy skull. near the village
of Spy. These skulls were all found
:. along the lower Rhine valley. They
are all characterized by the low fore
head. thick skull and other marks of 4
degenerate race. Up to the last year
| anthropologists have found no positive
: proof of the existence of a prehistoric
race of men on the American CONT
J nent. Last year, it will be remem.
bered. a skull was reported to have
been found near Lansing. Kan. and
many theories were put forth as to it's
probable age and Importance in solv.
ing the problem Of prehistoric man in
America. From later evidence it is
probable. however. that this skull was
not of ancient origin.
AS far as known. the discovery OF
these four skeletons in southwestern
| Missouri is the first positive discovery
/. of a cave man in America. Their an.
tiquity is yet to be proved. The stalac.
. tites. however. the three foot coating
Of ashes and other evidences of like
kind seem to prove that the discovery
is indeed an important one. Professor
: Gould was the only ge0logist present
, ut the investigation, of the ave and
aa almost the whole question of an
tiquity must be settled by a study OF
> the geological formation his opinion
in the case is of great value. Pro
. lessor Gould is of the opinion that the
r cave is the greatest find Of its kind
ever made in America. OF course the
! work Of excavation has only begun
: and the greatest discoveries are yet tc
be made in all probability. He thinks
there is little question as to its an
tiquity and that the discoveries being
Z made in the cave will be OF Invaluable
= aid in solving the problem Of the pre-
: historic race of man which inhabited
! the American continent at one time.