The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1912-08-08

Cl SOAio nhO fAoAt Jul loA eoS A4Aa
seums obtain a wrong impression with
reference to the Importance of New
England in archaeology, SO writes
Warren K. Mooreland in the Boston
Transcript.
People ask me-and especially
since we have made these discoveries
in the State of Maine-why it is that
the scientists have neglected this re
gion. 1t must be borne in mind that
outside of the colonial records and
the narratives of travellers, etc, thera
was little to attract the attention oil
the archaeologists to this region
There were no great mounds, no COM
plicated earthworks, no ruined build
ings. Further, it was easy to secure
money from wealthy people to explore
in the West Southwest, or Central
America. There was a romance con-
nected with these great structures
which appealed to men and women
whether they knew anything about
archaeology or not.
At the beginning of this year, the
department of archaeology at Phillips
! Andover, decided to start an archae-
illogical survey of Maine, with a pos
sibility of extending said survey to
Connecticut and Massachusetts. The
! trustees kindly appropriated sufficient
! funds to carry on the work this year.
/ Immediately after making arrange
ments for the summer, sent Mr.. Chas.
| A Perkins throughout the State, look
| ing up Indian camp sites and burial
places. He also visited all the collect
ors of archaeological specimens in the
State and secured from them much
valuable information. Mr.. Perkins
spent nearly three months in this SER
vice.
About the middle of May | went to
Moosehead Lake, engaged Frank Cap
inc, a full-blood Indian guide, and
visited the west branch of the Penob-
scot, Lakes Chamberlain Chesuncook
Eagle, and took the Allagash trip.
This was at the highest stage of water
and we were enabled to travel very
| fast down both the West Branch and
the Allagash. At one place we ran
! twelve miles in an hour and fifteen
minutes. Frequently our speed was
| ;rI,t Rot n
the West Branch and the river were
| full of logs-millons of feet. We used
a 20-foot canoe and carried about 250
pounds of luggage. Capino is con-
sidered one of the best canoe men in
northern Maine. He ran the canoe
through all the rapids except ALA
cash Falls. We were the first to take
| the Allagash trip this year. 1t was eX-
tremely pleasant, there being no flies
as we'll as exciting. | found some
camp sites in the lake region, but very
! few evidences of Indian occupation on
| the Alagash. At the mouth of the AL
! lagash and up the st. John there are
more numerous indications of Indian
occupation.
About the middle of June, our eX-
petition proper set out for Maine. IT
located first at Bucksport and dug Oh
the land owned by Messrs. Fred and
Benjamin Blodgett. Various nipple
ments had been found on this estate
in the past, and gravel knoll over
! looking the Penobscot River had been
thoroughly explored by Mr.. c. c
Willoughby, assistant curator of the
Peabody Museum at Harvard. Mr.
Willoughby also made an examination
4 of a graved knoll at Orland, and an
other at Ellsworth. He has written a
valuable report on his Investigations
and the exhibits he made of his finds
may be seen in the Peabody Museum
Mr.. Willoughby did the first real scien-
| tific work in Maine archaeology.
On arrival at Orland, We found a
most interesting region. Orland is a
| the head of navigation on the Narri-
missile River. In colonial times this
stream was famous for shad, salmon
and other fish Five miles up the
stream is Lake Alamoosook, one oil
the most beautiful of the southern
Maine waters. The entire region seems
to have been a favorite, not only with
/ the ancient, but the modern Indians as
we'll. Picturesque as it is now, 1t was
even more so before the advent of the
saWmill and the electric light plant
A dam has been built at the outlet
just below our camp, and the level oil
the lake raised five feet. We are UNI
able to search the shores because oi
the present height of water, but in
the fall, when the lake is low, We shall
have no trouble.
I At Orland we uncovered q ancient
graves. These were in the estate Of
Captain S. N. Hartford, which lies or
the edge of Orland village. The graves
varied from eight inches to two fee
in depth, and many of them have beer
disturbed by the plough. Consequent
". our observations could not be as
complete as we wished to make them
We found no trace of human bones
o-o,,o, boipu Gu old thot aUarV VastipG