Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1953-12-10

prehistoric one at that, as was
later proven; an Indian who had
lived in this section possibly a
couple of centuries before Column
bus ever set foot on the New
World! Therefore, while it is his
torically true that the writer gets
the credit for finding this pre-
historic camp site, the decided
honor and credit of locating the
first burial Ian almost incredible
feat considering the vast area over
which the search was conducted)
must, perforce, go to his brother
Nick, without whose optimism, I'M
eiring efforts and almost ceaseless
energy, the startling and spectacu-
lar prehistoric burial grounds of
the aborigines, 20 miles away from
the nearest tidewater, would most
certainly have never been brought
to light.
But-now you ask-why hadn't
the bones completely disintegrated
after all these years? Why??? I,
too, asked this very pertinent ques-
ton, and learned from the Smith
sonian's anthropologists that river
bottom soil has an acid content
that tends to preserve bone struc-
ture. For truly, very little decom-
position had set Uneven infants
skeletal remains were almost in
tact, and in just about as good
condition as those of the matured
Indians. One, six foot-two inch
brave (all skeletons were carefully
measured as well as photographer
had given up the ghost apparently
from a cloven skull, the blow hav-
ing been delivered by an assail-
ants celt, or tomahawk. Several
triangular, serrated war darts,
were found Embedded in vertebrae;
it was apparent, after careful
study, that these particular In
dams had lived here in perfect
peace and equanimity as far as
other tribes were CONCERNED, fight
ing only among themselves as was
their wont.
The discovery of one skeleton
led to the discovery of another and
another, for they were buried fair
ly close together, in fact the entire
camp and burial area was scarcely
larger than an acre. In all, sew
enty-two (72) skeletons were dis
inferred. AS many as four were
found in a mass grave. This is
called an "Ossuary." Quite a num-
Der had died during virulent yell
low fever outbreak-some small
poX had existed-infuenza had TAX
en- a heavy toll (anthropologists
can, somehow. after a study of the
bones, ascertain exactly the cause
of death.) 1t was also deduced that
the Indians had definitely operated
charnel house, a hut where the
dead were placed Especially dur
ing an epidemic) and allowed to
decompose. At this point, the
squaws picked the rotted flesh
from the bones, later on burying
the bones.
All graves were alongside fire.
pits. Charcoal layers were dug
through as thick as six feet, mute
testimony of the camps permanent
existence, and completely disprov-
ing forever the accepted fact that
the Eastern Indian always lived
on or near tidewater.
This amazing find was as I'M
precedented as it was mysterious.
The Smithsonian's sleuths, after
exhaustive study, came to the con-
clusion that the skeletons found
were q remnant Of the Algonquin
tribe, the Piscataways, who, being
threatened with extinction by the
warlike Susquehannoughs of Penn
sylvania, and the Wanted Iroquois
of New York, had fled before their
wrath up the Potomac, there to
find sanctuary and certain
amount of peace in the swamp
lands which were, centuries later,
to become known as Sycamore
Landing. The canny Indian pitch
ed his tent in what is today the
finest fish, game and fowl section
of Montgomery County. What a
paradise it must have been then,
what with that days -abund-
ance of deer, elk, caribou, buffalo
and bear, to say nothing of the
enormous quantities of small game
which certainly must have abound
ed. There can be little or no ques-
ton but that at that time the Po-
tomac River was full of fish; that
condition is as true today as it
must have been then.
The village, today known in the
Smithsonian's files as the Hughes
| Site'-the owner of the land at
that time being Mr.. Fred ]. Hughes
of Chevy Chase, Maryland, was
laid out in the form of a horse
shoe with the open end toward the
swamp. the swamp itself almost
precluding danger of attack from
that direction. In the center of the
village were found three single
graves, probably those of the chief
and his family. There is little
doubt but that all of the inhabi-