| Show finds relics of bluff dwellers traces of more modern indians also unearthed in missouri elk spring springs mo shelters beneath overhanging limestone bluff bluffs along the alte chite and rivers in the ozarks of missouri and arkansas are giving up to science the relics relies of a prehistoric race that inhabited this section upwards of a thousand years ago the work of excavation Is being done near here by an elpe expedition from the museum of the american here foundation burled deep in the dry dust of cen aurles beneath these formations of shelving hel ving rock where the ancients made their homes these relies are being on un with no little difficulty A cloud of powdery jest allew it ss as the workers search the deposits for traces of a civilization that Is still fled use of masks often Is necessary for the present the ancient people of the region are eln referred to by 31 II 11 harrington in charge of the expedition as the ozark bluff dwell ers they hae not been as the ancestor ancestors of any modem indian tribe trace traces of c more modem rice race in some of the rock ehilt ere par ticul arly in the and elk river the expedition hae has found near the surface traces of a different and more modern but still pro pre colonel indian race ram these indians according to sir mr liar rington arington ring ton probably were the usages or some related tribe it is estimated that een eien these specimens are at least three or four hundred year years old those left by the spear throwing bluff dwellers of the ozarks which also have been unco uncovered ered are probably upwards m of I 1 1000 OW years old everything so far found Is purely aboriginal mr 11 arring ton explained not the fligh lightest test trace of the white roans mans handiwork or influence having been discovered the specimens include basketry woven textiles wooden articles iro IM ts of stone and bone and cen een pieces of pottery of the articles no doubt were buried by th the e ancient di dwellers ellers for safe keeping it la Is believed by the excavators while hile others simply wore out and were discarded or lost in the abbes obbes and trash of gen that has accumulate beneath the bluffs at some places the deposits have been found so well protected by he the oer overhanging banging rock formation thit th it they are absolutely dry which has resulted in remarkable preservation it was a visit by ur mr at the home la in mo of dr IV C barnard who had one of the largest private collections 0 of indian relics in existence at that time that resulted in the present expedition that was in the fall of 1014 collection aroused interest Int erett i among his specimens said sir harrington arrington II were a number of pieces of baskets textile fabrics and ani articles which gave every evert evidence of being prehistoric knowing that such perishable art article icis ici s dating doting from that period arlod are practically un unknown knoD east of utah and new mexico I 1 inquired as to their origin and was surprised to learn that they came from the ozarks especially from the district vette aler here along the upper they have bem bet n found in dry deposits bene beneath atil mer overlia hangIng nging bluffs 1 I then and there planned to ex bluffs or alore some of these rock shelters as they an am called by archaeologists but the opportunity did not come until 31 slay a y 19 1022 nhen hen the set forth from the present pre expedition museum |
