of the river. The Samwel cave is situated just below a terrace 35 0 feet above the McCloud. The lowest chamber of this cave opens at a point not more than 200 feet above the river. Both caverns were evidently formed at a time when McCloud river was near the level of the terraces above them. Both received their principal deposits when the river was a short distance below them, and it is evident that the time which has elapsed since the formation of the deposits in Potter Creek cave is much greater than that since the formation of similar beds in the Samwel cave. The evidence of physiography apparently corroborates that obtained from the study of the fauna.

The fauna of Potter Creek cave is considered by Dr Sinclair to represent the middle or later Quaternary. The fauna of Samwel cave is certainly Quaternary, but is evidently later than that of Potter Creek. The age of Potter Creek cave is, according to commonly accepted correlations, not far from that of the earliest deposits containing human remains in Europe. Though a reasonable doubt might arise as to whether man could have reached America as early as the date of the Potter Creek deposits, the age of Samwel cave appears to be within the period of man's existence in the old world.

From the evidence at hand it seems that both Mercer's cave and Stone Man cave were in existence in Quaternary time, and in all probability some of the deposits in both caverns were formed in that period.

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA,

BERKELEY.

EVIDENCE OF THE WORK OF MAN ON OBJECTS FROM QUATERNARY CAVES IN CALIFORNIA'

By F. W. PUTNAM

In the investigations of the Quaternary caves of California which have been carried on by the Department of Anthropology of the University of California during the last few years, there have been discovered a considerable number of bone and several stone fragments apparently indicating the work of man. If these specimens are actually the evidence of man's work, it is of the utmost importance to have the facts brought out, as the objects in question have been found associated with a fauna which represents an epoch considerably antedating the end of the Quaternary period, and would indicate human occupancy of this portion of the continent at a very remote period.2

The specimens that seem to exhibit evidence of human handiwork of the Quaternary period include a number of polished and pointed bone fragments in most respects similar to the rougher instruments from the shell-mounds, and several other fragments with perforations of such a character that it seems impossible to explain their presence excepting by the agency of man. With these more definite evidences of man's presence there are found in the same strata large numbers of splintered bones, such as elsewhere form a considerable part of the deposits in caves or in shellmounds that have served as places of human habitation in prehistoric time.

Another class of objects from the caves, which must be considered in connection with the bone specimens, consists of stone fragments exhibiting the undoubted work of man and showing some evidence of having been buried in strata containing the remains of extinct animals.

1 Read at the meeting of the American Anthropological Association, San Francisco, August 29, 1905.

2 For a description of these caves and a discussion of their geological age, see the preceding paper by Dr J. C. Merriam.

Of the first class of objects three are figured by Dr Sinclair in his paper on the exploration of Potter Creek cave. Two figures of one of these bones are reproduced here (pl. xvII, figs. 1, 2). This specimen (no. 3894) exhibits quite remarkable oblique beveled edges. The inner side of the specimen shows this very clearly, while the sharp edge produced is shown in the outer view. It is difficult to understand how, by any natural process, beveling and smoothing of this character could have been produced, working from two edges to a terminal point. Moreover, the beveling extends from the softer inner portion of the bone to the denser outer layers, producing the sharp edge where it is most useful. At the end opposite to the beveled portion of this specimen is a distinct notch, quite different from the ordinary reëntrant angles in flaked or broken bone. Its appearance on the same fragment with the extraordinary bevel-edge point, giving evidence of the action of two quite different influences on the bone, makes both the beveled end and the notch appear all the more remarkable.2

Of the fragments showing perforations there are two that have been made the subject of special study. The first of these, no. 3959 (pl. xv, figs. 1-4; pl. xvI, figs. 3, 4), is a thick fragment of bone showing several notches or perforations that do not appear to have been formed in any natural way. It was found by Mr Sinclair between 70 and 80 inches below the surface in section 7 of the deposits in Potter Creek cave. Possible explanations of the occurrence of the foramina in this specimen are that they are natural; that they have been formed by the gnawing of rodents or the boring of insects; or that they have been produced by heavy, angular bodies falling upon them, the rough edges afterward being smoothed by water action. In order to test these suggestions as carefully as possible, every effort has been made to determine the particular bone

1 University of California Publications, American Archæology and Ethnology, vol. 2, no. I.

2 The plate in Mr Sinclair's paper contains for comparison the figures of two unquestionable bone implements from the ancient shell-heap at Emeryville, and any one familiar with the pointed and cutting implements made of splinters of bone, which are so abundant in shell-heaps and other accumulations of human debris, will readily accept these pointed and perforated bone splinters from the caves as implements of the same character.

BONE FRAGMENT FROM POTTER CREEK CAVE

(Department of Anthropology, University of Ca'ifornia, No. 3959. Natural size)

1, Outer surface, showing semicircular notch near the pointed end. 2, Outer showing circular perforation and probable cutting at ends. 3, 4, Inner surface. bristle passes through the small hole at the edge of the bone.)

surface, left side, (In figure 4 the