Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1926-08-11
STONE AGE PERIOD ON MAINE
COAST.

for the housing of its already re-
| markable and growing collection of
Indian and other relics, Is one upon
| which work has been done in the
past two years, and now one of the
most important aspects Of that work
is contained in the following inter-
view with DR.. Robert Able of New
York, for more than forty years a
summer resident of Bar Harbor.
In DR.. Abbe's home, "Brookend, :"
in Eden street, the collection, which
will one day be a great public pos
session, is now kept, and the public
may visit it at any time. DR.. Able,
associated with Supt. George B. Dorr
of Lafayette National Park, since it's
beginning, has been, especially In
the last few years, interested In the
movement for museum for the
park, simple and appropriate
building to be preferably of stone
wherein such a museum may receive
safe housing.
DR.. Able has written an article In
reference to this which will be OF
interest not only to Mount Desert
Island people but to Maine people
generally. 1t follows:
Reviewing History.
The story of mans life on our
planet has it's roots far back IN
history.
Early myths, speculation, and ma
tional legends of various branches OF
the human race-useful as the foun-
dations of their religioAs-are rap
idly giving way to study OF EVIL
dences found on every side, inter-
preted scientifically. !.
AS we come upon the history OF
the French occupation of the Maine
coast. we find that the tribes OF
Indians in Champlain's day (loo4?
were of the Algonquin race wnlcn
snread far southwark on the Allan
tic coast. each tribe taking the name
from local rivers or other geographic
boundaries, like the Penobscots, Ken
nebecs, Abenakies, etc. With recent
Indian life, however, we Will no'
concern ourselves.
There was an earlier clvlllzatlon
which spread widely over the worlo
and is known as the stone age.
Archeologists divide this into Paleo-
lithis (ancient and crude) and Neo-
lithic (new). Both have left traces
in burial graves and shell heaps OF
stone implements of war and agrl-
culture.
The Neolithic show finer sharp
edged tools, axes, spearheads' ar
rowpoints and pottery. 1t Is the lat-
ter group only which will interest,"
us Speaking with moderation we
might say there are thousands OF
such stone age implements buried
under our feet in and about Lafay-
cite National Park-mute evidence
Of a vanished race.
The two main sources OF museum
collections are: first, the graves OF
buried chieftains, and, second, the
vast number of she'll heaps.
The former are come upon by &C
cident. These ancient people usual
ly had no common burial grounds.
The "shell heaps however are the
rich storehouses Of fragments from
which scientific workers have bullt
up the stored history, by patiently
fitting broken fragments.
These shell heaps are found in all
parts of the world where oysters
were food of primitive peoples ana
where fresh water streams pour lnto
the salt ocean to make brackish wa
ter, in which they thrive best.
There are hundreds of such shell
heaps on the shores and inlets OF our
Maine coast, many on our very Is
land. but some larger ones In otner
places, notably an enormous one at
Damariscotta, some miles south OF
Rockland which is 800 feet long and
sixteen feet deep. Some parts OF
this have yielded rich findings, put
nriyate ownership and buildings pre-
vent further search. All smell heaps
have ancient turf, one or TWO lee'
thick over them, but one may US
cover them at the waters euee
where erosion by tide and wave are
wearing them slowly away. Even So
if the student knows what 10 LOOK
for he can find among the stones
along the shore typical stone axes
and implements, usually Clipped by
storm tossings, but still providing
excellent museum material.
Collections.
The most fascinating and we'll ar
ranged collection gathered from
many states of our union Is ~" CA
hibited in the new Government mu-
scum in Washington. 1t will well
repay a visitors study. Other nota-
BILE collections are: One in the Pea
body Museum in Boston; one at
Cambridge under the mastery man
agement of Charles c. Willoughby;
Others in the Natural History Muse
UNI: and the Heye Museum OF the
American Indian, in New YORK:
Apart from these, scores OF small
local collections have been made.
r The Lafayette Park Collector.
Our own Lafayette Park collec-
ton will be of particular value to
thousands who visit the park and
whose imaginations will be awak-
ened by these evidences of the ex-
NJ Drinko