The Prehistoric World; Or, Vanished RacesAllen, Emory Adams
History
The Prehistoric World; Or, Vanished Races
Allen, Emory Adams
Archaeology; Indians; Prehistoric peoples
Since this interesting discovery was made in New Jersey we have
received news of similar discoveries in Minnesota. A lady, Miss
Frank Babbitt, has found in the modified drift of the Mississippi
River, at Little Falls, Minnesota, evidence of the existence of
Paleolithic man. The implements are made of quartz, and not
argillite, but closely resemble implements made of this later
material as described by Dr. Abbott. It is, to say the least, an
interesting coincidence that one of a very few flint implements
found in the Trenton gravel by Dr. Abbott should be identical in
shape with some of the flint implements in Minnesota.55
This point being determined, others at once spring up asking
solution. Among the very first is the question of age. The river
terrace on which Trenton is built is a geological formation, and
if we can determine its age we shall also determine at least one
point in the antiquity of man, for we know the implements are as
old as the gravels. It is not necessary for our purpose to give
more than the results of the careful labors of others in this
direction. We may be sure that this question has been carefully
studied. When the implements were first discovered, the gravels
were considered of glacial origin, and to that period they were
assigned by Dr. Abbott. Subsequently Prof. Lewis, a member of the
Pennsylvania State survey, decided that they were essentially
post-glacial—that is, more recent in time than the Glacial Age.56
Still more recently Prof. Wright, of Oberlin, but also of the
State survey of Pennsylvania, concludes that they are, after all,
a deposit made at the very close of the Glacial Age.57
He thinks the sequence of events were about as follows: When the
ice of the Glacial Age reached its greatest development, and came
to a pause in its southward march, it extended in an unbroken
wall across the northern part of New Jersey, crossing the
Delaware about sixty-five miles above Trenton. In front of it was
accumulated the great terminal morain—a long range of gravelly
hills still marking its former presence.
It is certain that the close of the Glacial Age was comparatively
sudden, and marked by floods far exceeding any thing we are
acquainted with at the present day. For, when the formation of
the ice ceased, we must bear in mind that the country to the
north of the terminal morain was covered with a great glacier, in
some places exceeding a mile in thickness. When glacial
conditions were passing away, and the ice commenced to melt
faster than it was produced, the thaw would naturally go on over
the entire field at an increasing rate, and hence would result
floods in all the rivers.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account