. Bulletin. Ethnology. Fig. 23. -Cross section of Fort Deposit Cave at 18 feet. 2&3 In the lower portion were mingled a few shells, pebbles, and specks of charcoal, as if it had been thrown there. Across the upper portion of the deposit extended fire beds, burned earth, ashes, shells, broken pottery, and occasionally a frag- ment of bone. (See fig. 25.) At 24 feet it was found that what had been taken for a solid floor in the last section represented was only a large flat rock which had fallen into the crevice and wedged tightly. A\^ien this was passed the 3'ellow earth reappeared, at a sl
. Bulletin. Ethnology. Fig. 23. -Cross section of Fort Deposit Cave at 18 feet. 2&3 In the lower portion were mingled a few shells, pebbles, and specks of charcoal, as if it had been thrown there. Across the upper portion of the deposit extended fire beds, burned earth, ashes, shells, broken pottery, and occasionally a frag- ment of bone. (See fig. 25.) At 24 feet it was found that what had been taken for a solid floor in the last section represented was only a large flat rock which had fallen into the crevice and wedged tightly. A\^ien this was passed the 3'ellow earth reappeared, at a slightly lower level. At 26 feet the yellow earth became mixed with red. It was ex- cavated to a depth of 5 feet in the endeavor to discover the reason for this. As there was not the slightest trace of ashes or charcoal, the red admixture must be a natural result of staining by iron in some form and not due to heat. Above the yellow was the usual stratum of dark earth, containing culinary debris. In the central por- tion of this was a mass, sufficient to fill a wheelbarrow, of angular, un- burnt fragments of limestone from 3 to 15 pounds in weight. On the surface of the dark earth were some ten or twelve fire beds, reaching from wall to wall, the edges overlapping and interlacing in so con- fusing a manner that the exact number could not be made out. (See fig. 26.) At this stage it appeared that the crevice, or at least its upper part, had been filled by river floods and a slight ridge of sand thrown across the mouth of the cave. The Indians, it seems, occu- pied both this ridge and the lower area behind it, throwing debris to the rear to fill up the depression in- stead of carrying it all to the outside. It is equalh^ possible, however, that this waste was brought from points farther back and thrown here to fill and level the floor. These heavy fire beds came to an end at about 28 feet on the right and 29 feet on the left. A section at 28 feet is given in figure 27. At their inn
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, booksubjectethnolo, bookyear1901
