The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1912-09-12
The Stone Age in Maine.
Oldest Graves in America Found in Orland
Interesting Discoveries Around Lake
Alamoosook Paint Common There
in Ages Past, and Plenty of it Lett.
BY WARREN X. MOOREHEAD.
Curator at Andover Academy

Persons who visit our large museums
obtain wrong impression with reference
to the importance of New England In
archaeology. From the nature OF the
exhibits they conclude that the West and
South are of primary Importance IN their
expositions of ancient times IN America.
And they conclude that New England
played a sorry role, an unlmportant part,
in our prehistoric past. They see case
upon case filled with curious stone artl.
Giles from the mounds of the Mississippi
valley or the cliff houses OF the South
west. And they observe, except in the
Peabody Museum at Harvard, a poverty
of prehistoric artifacts from New Eng
land
There are numbers of smaller muse
ums, of the most excellent exhibits in
local archaeology, scattered throughout
New England. | do not refer to these.
The lack of archaeoiogic material from
New England in our large museums is
not because such material does not exist
in quantities, but because the curators
and field men have been concerned with
the greater field of the Middle West and
the South. Massachusetts, Maine and
Connecticut are rich fields in primitive,
storage culture, ard practically, with
few exceptions, unknown. Vermont has
been studied by Professor George Per-
kins of the University at Burlington. The
University collection there is large and
important one This is chiefly due to
Professor Perkins labors.
BIG NEW FIELD.
New Hampshire is unknown arcbaolo-
gically, and not much has been done in
Rhode Island. Taking everything into
consideration, it is no eXaggeratlon to
state that the people of New England
have at home net only new field, but
very important one; a field that, proper
ly worked, may produce some surprising
results, and both present and solve d
number OF archaeological problems.
People ask me-and especially since
we have made these discoveries IN the
State of Maine-why it is that the scien-
lists have neglected this region. 1t must
be borne in mind that outside of the colo
NAL records and the narratives of travel
ers, etc, there was little to attract the
attention of the archaeologists to this
region. There were no great mounds,
no complicated earth-Works, no ruined
buildings. Further, it was easy to Sc
cure money from wealthy people to eX-
plore 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 de-
partment of archaeology at Phillips, An
dover, decided to start an archaeological
survey of Maine, with a possibility of
extending said survey to Connecticut and
Massachusetts,. The trustees kindly APP
propriated sufficient funds to carry on
the work this year. Immediately after
making arrangements for the summer,
sent Mr.. Chas. A. Perkins throughout
the State, looking up Indian camp sites
and burial places. He also visited all the
collectors of archaeological specimens in
the State and secured from them much
valuable information. Mr.. Perkins spent
nearly three months in this service.
About the middle of May, | went to
Moosehead Lake, engaged Frank Capino,
fuil-blooded Indian guide, and visited
the west branch of the Penobscot, Lakes
Chamberlain, Chesuncook, Eagle, and
took the Allagash trip. This was at the
highest stage Of water and we We're en-
abled 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 eight or nine miles per hour. Both
the West Branch and the river We're full
of logs-millions of feet. We used a
twenty-foot canoe and carried about two
hundred and fifty pounds of luggage.
Capino is considered one of the best
canoe men in northern Maine, He ran
the canoe through all the rapids except
Allagash Falls. We We're the first to
take the Allagash trip this year. 1t was
extremely pleasant being no flies
as we'll as exciting. | found some
fifteen camp sites in the lake region, but
very few evidences of Indian occupation
on the Ailagash. At the mouth of the
Allagash and up the st. John there are
more numerous indications Of the Indian
occupation.
FIRST DIGGINGs IN MAINE.
About the middle of June, our expedi-
proper set out for Maine. 1t located
first at Bucksport, and DUG Oh the land
owned by Messrs Fred and Benjamin
Biodgett. Various implements had been
found on this estate in the past and a
gravel knoll overlooking the Penobscot
river had been thoroughly explored by
Mr. C. c. Willioughby, assistant curator
of the Peabody Museum at Harvard.
Mr.. Willioughby also made an eXamina-
ton of a gravel knoll at Orland, and
another at Ellsworth. He has written a
valuable report on his Investigations, and
the exhibits he made of his find may be
seen in the Peabody Museum. M. Will
loughby did the first real scientific work
in Maine archaeology.
When a party of explorers enter a new
territory, they are at a disadvantage.
They must feel their way. They must
depend OH information furnished by resi-
dents. In our case, we were very fortu-
nate. At first we were advised by
those who did not know, who We're con-
tinually saying to US, 10! here, Lo!
there" until we wearied running after
them. Then appeared one man to whom
we are especially indebted for valuable
information and assistance. Mr.. Arthur
E. Marks of Yarmouth, Me-, joined our
expedition shortly after our arrival, and
went with US to Orland. Here we met
Mr.. Ernest 0. Sugden, who is much
interested in the history of Orland and
who in company with Mr.. Marks, indi-
Gated the best known sites. Mr.. Marks
had made large collection of stone i'm
elements during the past twenty years,
and had thus become familiar with many
of the burial places in southern Maine.
RICH REGION.
On arrival at Orland, we found most
interesting region. Orland is at the