Douglas daily dispatch., 1926-10-30
CUMMINGS Thinks
MAN LIVED NEARBY.
YEARS AGO. c !

Convincing evidence that man lived
in the Sulphur Springs valley during
the pleistocene age was discovered
Friday by the parry of archaeologlsts
who are engaged in excavating the
skull of a mammoth, discovered seVeral
DAYS ago, 16 miles north of Douglas
according to the statement of Dr. BY
ron Cummings, curator of the Arizona
state museum at the University of Ari-
zona.
While engaged in excavating about
the remains of the prehistoric animal,
the workers unearthed several stone
Implements which Dr. Cummings said
bore unmistakable signs of human use.
The implements were found in strata
of gravel below the strata in which
the mammoth was discovered, CIR
cumstance which DR.. Cummings pe-
lieves to be convincing evidence of man
having Inhabited the valley during the
plestocene age. in view of the fact
that the mammoths became extinct at
the close of that period.
The giant prehistoric animal was
discovered several days ago by school
boy who happened to wander along the
bank of the Whitewater wash, near
the Double Adobe school. He saw
something exposed in the perpendicular
wall of the wash and broke OF a
piece. believing It to be petrified wood.
| The specimen was given to his school
teacher, who in turn forwarded it to
| the University of Arizona for exam
ination.
DR.. Cummings, upon examination or
! the specimen, believed it to be fossil
! lied bone, and on Monday brought a
party including f. w. Harwig, E. III.
/ Wilson and Lindon Hargrave, all stu
dents of archaeology, to the scene OF
| the find. A hasty examination verified
| DR.. Cummings belief as to the nature
! of the find and the party pitched camp
/ and set to work excavating the re-
| mains of what turned out to be a nam
moth, a prehistoric species of giant
| elephant which is believed to have
1 been extinct more than 10000 years
The animal was coeval with prehistoric
man.
i THE clay, lime and earth which COW
J cred the remains has been carefully
j removed and by Friday afternoon the
entire head of the prehistoric anima
had been exposed.
Il The mammoth, as described by DR.
j Cummings, was a gigantic animal re
u semblng the elephant, and stood abou
12 feet in heighth, with two huge, long
!, upward curving tusks protruding iron
its mouth. In clearing away the de
: bfis from about the skull found nea
Douglas, one of the tusks completel.
| disintegrated, but large portion o
l the other tusk is in good condition ant
: in many places the smooth ivory finisl
e is still unmarried.
g The tusk measures 21 inches in cir
J, cumference and is estimated to hav
S been between six and seven feet /
0 length. Apparently the tusk wa
e broken away from the jaw and tn
s outer end of the long curling tusk ha
disintegrated.
i protective covering of clay ha
g been left on the giant skull, but j
: many places the skull bone can b
e plainly seen. One of the eye socket
e is easily distinguishable.
: The most remarkable part of til
n head is the large mouth, in which II
= two teeth, measuring 4x10 inches eac
II are in state of perfect preservaIio
EThe teeth contain a large number
le symmetrical corrugations, almost r'
De sembling an assembly of small teet
$ The enamel of these corrugations
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