Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1920-07-19
CANN|bALS IN
TEXAS once On
Uncarth Evidence That
State was Occupied by
Prehistoric People
Years Ago.
FIND !: SKELETONS
Strange Implements Found
in Mounds Which Were
Examined.

that Texas was inhabited by prehis-
toric people different from the Indian
who roamed the plains when the first
white men came has been unearthed
10y James +. Pcarce, professor OF an
chronology of the University of Texas.
The early inhabitants, he said. lived a
nomad-like existence, roaming from
one part of the wilderness to another
and killing, with rude stone weapons,
animals and even humans for food.
In cooperation with the Smithsonian
Institute Bureau of Ethnolosy, Prof.
pcarce has been investigating the
mounds for more than a year. he re-
ported.
1.-THE life history of these people
have been read from the records they
left in their burnedrock mounds or
Kitchen middens,' the professor said.
"Thesc mounds are piles of broken and
cllarred bits of limestone three or four
feet high and sometimes as long as 100
feet. They are made up of the Kitchen
refuse of these prehistoric peoples who
had regular camp sites at frequent III
tervals along the Edwards Plateau. eX-
Tending from Austin westward to New
Mexico.
',rhesc people evidently were adj
vanced to the stage OF plleol1tn1c
I, i,l, of tha 4 american
Indians belonged. These early Texas
inhabitants had arrows and spears tip
ned with flint points, Clipped but not
polished. They did not polish their
stone weapons. nor did they engage III
any form of agriculture. They were,
however. skiIful skin drcsscrs for we
have found skin scrapins tools made
Of flint.
"The kitchen middcns which we dis
covered nre the ONLY thing Of their kind
in America. so far as | know. although
they have been found in other parts OF
the world. At these sites, camps were
located with a great fire place in the
center over which hugh slabs OF lime
stone were placed as sort OF primitive
stove upon which to cook the meat the
inhabitants killed.
I'VE know these people were canlli-
balls for among the refuse heaps have
been found human bones split apart i'll
order to get at the marrow.
."The soft limestone slabs, being eX-
posed to the weather. broke from time
to time and were cast aside nearby
to be replaced by new ones.
Examine Mounds.
..Iu the course of our investigations
we have completely examined some
fifteen of these mounds and III them
have found thousands of splendid
secimcns of Clipped arrow and spear
heads. as well as scraping tools ana
other implements. Bones OF the deer
which were prevalent IN this region are
found in profllsion. Indication that tli'S
was the principal article Of diet.
prof. Pcarcc said he was assisted
in his researches by DR.. j. Waiter
Fewkes. head of the Smithsonian bu-
reau of ethnOlosy, and that the report
of the investigation is to be published
by the Smithsonian Institute. The
University of Texas will retain pos
session of Il collection of material I'M
carthcd. This will form, Prof. Pearcc
said, the nucleus for museum in an
thrOpology.
When the present investigation ON
the Edwards plateau has been conclude
work will he started upon the funeral
mounds" in East Texas, which are the
work of an, entirely different race oil
people. according to Prof. Pearcc.
These people. he said, lived i'll a later
period. Their pottery and polished
weapons have been found III the
mounds.