Omaha daily bee., 1908-09-27

cross lines of stones like spokes of a wheel
in the Blk Horn mountains. At the ends
Of the spokes are the ruins of little stone
sweat houses and the whole place is held
in superstitious awe by the Crow Indians.
1t is called a medicine wheel and has been
seen by but few people.
Both the cave dwellings in OIL Creek
canyon and Muddy canyon were barricaded
in front with piles OF rocks forming a
breastwork.
In the western part of the area the cow
boys and sheep men had seen dishes cut
out of soapstone OF a rare type not rep
resented in any of the eastern museums.
The dishes are larger toward the top than
at the bottom, but the opening is slightly
smaller in some cases than the body. An
cient dishes made of true pottery are I'M
known in the whole northeastern part of
Wyoming, the Black Hills and the Big
Horn mountains. Such pottery has only
been found in a few places, less than a
dozen, in the whole state. and that these
places were all in the southern part TOWARD
the cliff dwelling and Pueblo area of Colo
RADIO, New Mexico and Arizona.
In various parts of the area examined
there are lines marked by rocks and piles
Of rocks. These heaps are sometimes as
high as a mans head, but often very
small, sometimes consisting of a single
stone, again of two or three. but often
by a pile the size Of a bushel basket. The
piles are frequently about eight feet apart,
sometimes more, and the lines so formed
sometimes extend for miles across the
country.
They are usually on hill or ridge tops
! and often cross large flats. Some termi-
nate at cut banks or bluffs. There is much
discussion as to what these are. Some say
they mark trails, others that they show
which way from the desert trail water
could be found.
of Hunting Grounds.
A few believe them to be boundaries be-
tween the hunting ground of different
tribes. but the explanation that seems
most satisfactory is that they are either
lines used to direct the people in STAN
peding antelopes and buffaloes over a bluff
or into an enclosure, or that they are scare
crows along which these animals could be
stampeded, they being afraid to cross
them. On being run over the bluff or into
the enclosure in confusion they could be
more readily killed II not already dead or
injured by the fall.
Mr.. Smith called attention to the lack
Of knowledge of the archaeology or pre-
history of this region and the surrounding
country as far north as the Arctic oceap
in the Boas anniversary volume published
in 1907. The museum authorities are par
ticularly pleased that they were able to
begin the work Of investigation in the
region. The task of solving all the prob
lens will take many years even If other
educational Institutions cooperate in ex-
ploring the area.
Mr.. Smith sums up the results of his
trip as follows;
Nothing was found to indicate that any
Of these remains were as recent as the
coming OF the first white men 60 the reg
ion, as no glass beads or iron arrow points
or similar materials Were found asso-
ciated with them. On the other hand,
nothing was seen which would prove their
great antiquity or show that they were
older than the securing of the horse by
the native peoples who formerly lived IN
this part OF the country.
while. OF course, these results are not