The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1923-06-18
FINDS RELICS OF
BLUFF JEWELLERS
Traces of More Modern Pre-
Colonial Indians Also I'm
earthed in Missouri.

Elk Springs, Mo.-Shelters beneath
overhanging limestone bluffs along the
White and CowslEin rivers in the
Ozarks of Missouri and Arkansas are
giving up to science the relics Of
prehistoric race that Inhabited this
section upwards OF thousand years
ago. The work of excavation is being
done near here by an expedition from
the Museum of the American Indian,
Heye foundation.
Buried deep in the dry dust Of CEN
turtles beneath these formations of
shelving rock where the ancients made
their homes, these relics are being IN
earthed with no little difficulty. A
cloud Of poWdery dust arises as the
workers search the deposits for traces
of civilization that Is still unidenti-
fed Use of masks often is necessary.
For the present the ancient people
of the region are being referred to by
NJ. R. Harrington, In charge Of the
expedition as the Ozark bluff dwell
ers. They have not been identified as
the ancestors Of any modern Indian
tribe
Traces of More Modern Race.
In some OF the rock shelters, par
ticularly in the Cowskin and Elk rfv- |
er, the expedition has found near the |
surface traces of different and more
but still pre-colonial, Indian
race.
These Indians, according to Mr.. Har-
rington, probably were the Osages or
some reiatPd tribe. 1t Is estimated
that even these specimens are ut least
,hree or four hundred years old Those
eft by the spear-throwing blur dwell
srs OF the 0zarks. which also have
'een uncovered, are probably up
Yards Of loco years old.
Everything so far found is purely
boriginal, Mr.. Harrington explained,
lot the slightest trace of the white
hans handiwork OF Influence having
zen discovered.
The specimens include basketry,
7oven textiles, wooden articles, Inn
dement's OF stone and bone and even
ieces OF pottery. Some Of the articles
0 doubt were buried by the apcient
wellers for safe keeping. 1t Is be-
eyed by the excavators, while others
imply wore out and were discarded ]
+ lost In the ashes and trash OF gem
rations that has accumulated beneath
lie bluffs. :
At some places the deposits have
cen found SO well protected by the
rock formation that they
re absolutely dry, which has resulted I
remarkable preservation I
It was visit by Mr. Harrington at
: home u Seneca, No. Of pr " 9 e
arnafd, who had one Of the largest
'fvate collections Of Indian relics In t
istence at that time, that resulted In S
e present expedition. That was IN c
e fall of 1914. r
Collection aroused Interest.
;sAmong his specimens" said Mr.. G
arlington, were a number Of PIECES 2
baskets, textile fabrics and wooden n
.ticles which gave every evidence OF
,ing prehistoric Knowing that such !
.rishable articles dating from that
sriod are practically unknown east
Utah and New Mexico, inquired
, to their origin and was surprised
learn that they came from the Q
zarks, especially from the district G
ong the upper White river, where a
ey have been found In dry deposits e
meath oyerhanging bluffs. t;
II then and there planned to ex- a
ore some of these rocky bluffs or g
ock shelters, as they are called by t
but the opportunity did a
It come until May, 1922, when the b
esent expedition set forth from the II
useum."