The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-04-01
RELICS OF INDIANS. ARE UNEARTHED IN OZARK MOUNTAIN
Prehistoric. Races Believed to Have Inhabited Region
 Thousand Years Ago

ELK SPRINGS. Mo. March 9l-- GS Associated Press 1-Shelrers beneath overhanging limestone hIuffs along the White and CowslSiu rivers In the Ozarks of Missouri and Ar kansas are today giving up to science the relics of a 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 Founda- ton.
 Buried deep in the dry dust of cen turies beneath these formations of shelving rock where the apelents made their homes. these relics are being unearthed with no little dif- ficulty. X cloud of powdery dust arises as the workers search the deposits for traces of q civilization that is still unidentified. Use of masks often is necessary. For the present. the ancient people of the reigon are being referred to by M. k. Harrington, in charge of the cNpcdt- tion. as the ozark bluff -dwcllers. They have not been identified as the ancestors of any modern Indian tribe.
 In some Of the rociS-sheitcrs, par ticularr on that Cowskin or Elk river, the expedition has found near the surface traces If a different and more modern, but still pre- -VVlonial. Indian race These Indians. accord in to MT. Harring on. probably were tho Osages or some related tribe. It is estimated that eNep these speci- mems are at l asst three or four hun- dred years old Those i6ft by the spear throwing bluff-dwellers of the Ozarks, which also hayo been un- covered. arc probably upwards of A thousand years old
 All Aboriginal.
 Everything so far found is purely aboriginal, Mir Harrington cN laiped. not the slightest trace of the white mans handi ork or influence having been discovered The specimens in- clude basketry, woven textiles. wooden articles implements of stone and bone and even pieces of pottery. Some of tho articles no doubt were buried by the ancient dwellers for safe keeping, it Is believed by tho eXeaxators, while others simply wore out and were discarded or lost in the ashes and trash of generations that has accumulated benea tEc bluffs. A some places the deposits have been found so well protected by the overhanging rock formation that they are absolutely dry. which has resulted in remarkable preservation.
 It was NiSlt by Mf Harrington at the home in Seneca, Mo. of Dr. w. C. Barnard, who had one of the largest private collections of Indian relies in existence at that timc that resulted In the present expedition. That was in tho fail of i9iA.
 Among his specimens said Mir. IL. rrington, were 4 number of pieces of basket, textile fabrics i1d wooden articles which gave every evidence of being prehistoric. Knowing that such perishable articles dating from that period are practically unknown east of Utah and New Mexico. l inquired as te their origin and was surprised to leari tn they came from the Ozarks, especially frof1 the district along the upper White river, where they had been found In dry deposits beneath oyerhanging bluffs. 1 then and there planned to explore some of these rocky bluffs pr rock shell ters' as they are called by archeol- ogists, bat the opportunity did not come until Mly, 1929. when tho present expedition set forth om the museum
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 Three In Party.
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