Smyrna times., 1932-08-31
ANCIENT CAVE is
FOUND IN WEST
Experts Dig Up Skeletons of
Primitive People in Ozark
Hills, Arkansas
CURIOUS ROCK CARVING


been found in the Ozark hills of
northern Arkansas, it has been an
nounced at the Smithsonian insti-
tuition.
The discovery of traces of an an
cient population, which cannot be
positively identified with any
known aboriginal American people
but has some resemblance to the
so-called Ozark bluff dwellers, was
made by Winslow NJ. Walker, an
thropologist Of the Smithsonian
staff. In the largest Of the hill
caverns he uncovered ten human
burials, the bones probably rep
resenting p persons.
Six were very young children
and infants. The bones of a dog
were found near one of the child
burials in a position which indi-
Gated careful interment with the
forelegs crossed over the hindlegs.
This is interpreted as indicating
that among this primitive people
the dog was kept as a pet.
Beside the children there were
two men, a woman and an adoles-
cent boy.
Numerous artifacts Of stone,
flint. bone, and shell were found,
together with fragments of a crude.
undecorated, fiat-bottomed pottery.
There were no traces of wooden
objects or textiles of any kind, but
spear and javelin heads. knives.
drills, and scrapers were numerous,
all made from native flint and
showing rather crude workmanship.
Shells Used as Spoons.
There were hammers and grind
ers made of waterwOrn stones with
little artificial shaping. Mussel
shells used as spoons were found
inside box turtle shells which had
been scraped out to serve as
bowls. The most unique object
found was part of an antler tip
notched near the end which was
part of an "atlatr' or throwing
stick used for hurling darts. This
is a more primitive weapon than
the bow and arrow.
Nearly three weeks was required
TO clear this cavern of the ash,
charcoal, and dirt which in some
places had accumulated to a depth
of five feet.
At two localities there were true
petroglyphs-pictures and symbols
carved on the surface Of rocks. At
a third site, on wall at the back
of a rock shelter. Walker found
pictures painted with red ochre.
Humans, snakes, tracks, sun, moon,
stars. and unrecognizable forms
were depicted. Pottery, flint. and
bone fragments in a pile Of ashes
and refuse under the rock shelter
indicate strongly that these figures
were the work of Indians.
Some curious rocks bearing petro-
glyphs were found in a field sew
eral miles away. There were SO OF
these rocks with only their fiat
surfaces exposed at the level Of the
ground On these surfaces were
inscribed geometrical figures-cir-
cies, combinations of circles. and
dots within circles. Time and
weather had so nearly obliterated
the carvings that it was necessary
10 dust fine sand into them to bring
them out clearly. In addition TO
purely geOmetric designs there
were realistic Representations of
human hands and footprints and
of tracks of animals. Walker be-
1ieves that they were made with
ceremonial purposes and may con-
stitute the records Of clan or tribal
gatherings.
Curious Rock Carvings.
PetrOglyphs also were found on
the walls of an enormous sandstone
cave. They were carved into the
soft rock as deep as half an inch
In some places. There were real
istic figures Of men and turtles.
birds, and other animals, some geo
metric figures of diamonds, straight
bars and disks, and-most sugges-
tive of all-numerous representa-
tions of cOnventionalized human
beings, and an animal strongly
suggesting horse.
These cave-wall carvings have
been known TO local people for
some years and have given rise to
a legend to the effect that this
cave was visited by Spaniards who
buried some Of their gold there
and left the markings as a cryptic
record. There has been much
fruitless diggings in the floor of
the cave In search Of this hidden
treasure"
The most surprising thing about
these sites Is that although they
are within a hundred miles OF each
other no two of them exhibit the
same type Of figures. The infer
ence is that each was made by a
different tribe and perhaps for a
different purpose. Both the Usage
and the Cherokee are known to
have lived In this region. and some
lipht NAV be thrown on the prob