The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1912-08-08
SIGNS OF THE STONE AGE IN THE
STATE Of MAINE
As Written By Warren K. Moorehead, Curator
at Andover Academy

the owner. We took up the floor and
made numerous finds. The removal
of buildings in order that archaeolo-
gical work may be done is common
in the Old World, but rare in America.
We did not entirely complete the
work at Mr.. Hartfords chiefly because
the graves had been disturbed, except
under the barns, and one of these
barns must needs be removed before
the grounds beneath can be explored.
Locating at Lake Alamoosook, we
employed additional help, and with a
/ force varying from II to IA men, cx-
plored in a dozen different places.
Omitting details, the important sites
were MIR. Pierces property (known as
the Emerson place. and Mr.. Mason 5
land Mr.. Pierce's cottage lies on the
point of land overlooking the lake and
fianked by the Narrimissic River. 1t
dian encampment-sand with sloping
shores, and about ID feet above the wa
ter in Indian times.
What strikes one as remarkable in
the graves about Alamoosook is the
great quantity of bright red ochre
paint. Mr.. Willoughby found consid.
cradle of this, and we unearthed lit
orally several bushes during the eX-
animation of our more than one hun
dred graves. We preserved gener-
Gus portion of the brightest paint. An
old letter written in 1923 by Moses
Greenleaf to Rev. DR.. Morse gives the
Indian names of all the places along
the Penobscot from its mouth to Lake
Chesuncook. The Olamman stream IS
given as the place where paint is
found, and we hope to locate the exact
spot later in the season.
Both the Pierce and Mason burial
grounds had been disturbed by pre-
vious excavations, in search of speci-
mems. But we found a number of un-
disturbed graves two or three feet be-
low the surface, and of course we made
Up to the present, we have secured
something like 400 good specimens
from these graves.
cannot enter into a lengthy dis
cussion in the columns of this paper,
but few observations may not be
amiss. We have done considerable
excavating, chiefly because our party
is large, enabling us to work rapidly.
The territory already covered would
indicate that we are unearthing pre-
Algonquin culture. For instance, no
grooved axes occur in the graves The
grooyed axes found on the surface do
not exhibit signs of disintegration.
Many of the grave specimens are al
ready crumbling, and no sane person
will believe that a stone tool will dis
of time. The graves contain prodi-
gious number of egg-shaped plummets,
called by the local collectors ''sinkers."
There are also in these graves the
most beautiful slate spears followed
and futed gouges.
The slate spears are not common on
the surface in New England, even in
this region and almost unknown in
Massachusetts and Connecticut. /
might continue enumerating the pc
culiarites of these old grayes-how
that the stone implements lie in the
brilliant red ochre and are often color
ed either a dark red or a bright Grim
son. Suffice il to say that Maine has
proved to be a unique and remarkable
field, we'll worth our study. Naturally
we have found many objects more or
less alike, and | intend to give the
Maine Historical Society at Portland
a collection TO be preserved in the
State.
One of the most satisfactory things
connected with our expedition has
been the extreme courtesy and kind
ness shown US by the citizens and land
owners. | asked 10 different persons
for permission to explore, and was not
refused in a single instance. Often We
dug on grass knolls, lawns or hay
fields. On the Emerson place we cut
the sod in blocks and put the same
back as carefully as possible. 1t is
unusual to meet with such hearty and
general cooperation.
While the Maine expedition was
working at Alamoosook, | sent several
of my students down to Sargentyille,
to make preliminary observations on
the region. While there, they found