OCR Text |
Show FIND ANCIENT CAVE HOMES IN ARKANSAS Expert Digs Up Skeletons of Primitive People. Washington. Remains of a primitive primi-tive cave-dwelling population have been found in the Ozark hills of northern north-ern Arkansas, it has been announced at the Smithsonian institute. The discovery of traces of an ancient 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 M. Walker, anthropologist of the Smithsonian staff. In the largest of the hill caverns he uncovered uncov-ered ten human burials, the bones probably representing 12 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 indicated careful Interment with the forelegs crossed over the hindlegs. This is interpreted interpret-ed as indicating that among this primitive prim-itive people the dog was kept as a pet Beside the children there were two men, a woman and an adolescent boy. Numerous artifacts of stone, flint, bone, and shell were found, together with fragments of a crude, undec-orated, undec-orated, flat-bottomed pottery. There were no traces of wooden objects or textiles of any kind, but spear and javelin heads, knives, drills, and scrapers scrap-ers were numerous, all made from native flint and showing rather crude workmanship. There were hammers and grinders made of waterworn stones with little artificial shaping. Mussel shells used as spoons were found inside box turtle tur-tle 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 "atlatl" or throwing-stlck 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, char-coal, and dirt which in some places had accumulated to a depth of 5 feet At two localities there were true petroglyphs pictures and symbols carved on the surface of rocks. At a third site, on a 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. In-dians. Some curious rocks bearing petroglyphs petro-glyphs were found in a field several miles away. There were 33 of these rocks with only their flat surfaces . exposed at the level of the ground. On these surfaces were inscribed geometrical geo-metrical figures circles, combinations of circles, and dots within circles. Time and weather had so nearly obliterated ob-literated the carvings that it was necessary to dust fine sand into them to bring them out clearly. In addition addi-tion to purely geometric designs there were realistic representations of human hu-man hands and footprints and of tracks of animals. Walker believes that they were made with a ceremonial ceremo-nial purpose and may constitute the records of clan or tribal gatherings. 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 realistic figures of men and turtles, birds, and other animals, some geometric figures of diamonds, straight bars and disks, and most suggestive sug-gestive of all numerous representations representa-tions of conventionalized human beings, be-ings, and an animal strongly suggesting suggest-ing a 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 markinga 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 ar within a hundred miles of each othet no two of them exhibit the same type of figures. The inference is that each was made by a different tribe and perhaps for a different purpose. Both the Osage and the Cherokee are known to have lived in this region, and some light may be thrown on the problem by determining whether or not they made rock pictures. |