Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 22.djvu/469

Rh Quantities of shells, of species of the genus Unio, "fresh-water oysters," are found. They go to show that shell-fish formed an article of diet of the race. And not only did they eat the animal, but they made good use of many of the shells. Many of them have been ground off at the edge, and were used as spoons or ladles, while others have holes punched in the valves, and were probably used for hoes in their agricultural operations. An examination of many of these shells shows no difference between them and individuals of the same species now found in the river. Still, a change could hardly be expected in the inhabitants of any locality, without a change in the conditions of life, and there is no evidence of a change in conditions since the shells were taken from the river.

The flint pieces, of various shapes, are quite numerous, and many of them beautifully worked. In Fig. 16 are shown some of the war arrow-points, and they are so abundant that one is almost inclined to believe the people who made them were not so peaceable as has been supposed. In Fig. 17 is shown one of the "leaf-shaped" flints, some of which are beautifully worked; while, in Fig. 18 are some of the drills used in boring holes in bones or shells. There is one thing to be noticed among the flint pieces. It is said that, in war, arrows like those in Fig. 16 were exclusively used, while, in hunting, points which were notched at the broad or lower end were used. Now, the peculiarity noticed is the scarcity of points of the latter character. For, out of 316 worked flints, selected from some thousands, there are but four which are notched at the lower ends. One of two things is to be inferred. Either that the race was more warlike than agricultural,