NUMBER 48
115
-£.~
5cm
FIGURE 85.—Handaxes (left and middle) [catalog number 377982] and discoid (right) [catalog number 377981]
from Klippies Pan, South Africa. [McGregor Museum accession (accession 141245).]
tion (46:43^45) with the letter. He also provided a summation
of the context of the finds in relation to two published plates:
It has occurred to Mr. Chandler and myself that some illustrations of the gravels in which these implements are found may be of some interest in relation to the specimens from Swanscombe. To illustrate the brief report of one of our Field Meetings (Geologists' Association) I took two photographs which show (1) the gravel in a section transverse to the original bed of the channel i.e. showing the base rising on the side of the valley (2) a front-face view of the gravel. I have pencilled on the rough plan the two positions of the camera. By the aid of these views and the side notes you will I think have no difficulty in understanding the conditions of the site. The Woodrich and Reading Beds and the Thanet Sand are our lowest Eocene. These High Terrace gravels lie in a channel cut in Thanet Sand down to and sometimes even below its base so that the gravel in places, in other pits at Swanscombe, rest directly on the Chalk all the Thanet Sand having been eroded completely away before the gravel deposit began to be laid down.
The lowest part of the base of this gravel formerly called High, or 100 ft, (be- cause approximately 100 feet above Ordnance datum Terrace)—not often cor- related with the Boyn Hill Terrace of the Thames valley several miles above London, lies about 95 O.D. to 100 O.D. and it rises (as Plate 3 Fig. A was spe- cially taken to show) to about 120 O.D. The rough sketch shows the relation of the gravels (two terraces) to the Chalk and Eocene formations before the side of the valleys were altered by the enormous workings for gravel and for Chalk workings so great that vast areas of the gravels have been entirely destroyed.
We hope these illustrations of the Barnfield Pit (called 'Milton Street pit' in old accounts of this district) will be of some service. Rixon's Farm pit is in the same High Terrace gravel, Vi mile or so from Barnfield pit: there the gravel rests on the Chalk. Mr. Chandler has been able to spare three copies of the re- port and on his behalf I have much pleasure in forwarding them to you.
In a letter dated 2 August 1935, Wetmore acknowledged Leach's letter and requested photographs of the two views re- produced as plate 3 in Chandler's paper. On 19 September, Leach sent the two photographs.
McGregor Museum (ace. 141245)
In 1936, an exchange was made with the McGregor Memo- rial Museum, in Kimberley, South Africa, for a collection of
stone implements from various localities in Cape Province, South Africa. The accession was arranged by Miss M. Wilman, director of the museum, and was assisted by W.C. Abbott, who had previously provided other South African artifacts to the Smithsonian. In a letter of 14 February 1923, Wilman wrote to thank Hough for the Native American artifacts. In return, Wil- man offered and sent "Paleolithic implements," "perforated stones," and "Bushman implements." Among the Paleolithic artifacts were those of Klippies Pan (Figure 85). In a letter to Wilman dated 24 October 1936, Associate Director Graf ac- knowledged the receipt of the collection.
Swan (ace. 150659)
In 1938, a collection of stone implements from South Africa was donated to the U.S. National Museum by James Swan, of Kimberley, South Africa, through W.C. Abbott, who had previ- ously acted as a liaison for other accessions. The accession file contains no correspondence from Swan. The only information available is a letter of 23 August 1938, in which Abbott men- tioned to Judd that Swan would send the material. Graf ac- knowledged the gift in a letter dated 23 December.
Franssen (ace. 159728)
In 1941, an exchange was made with Dr. C. Franssen for a
collection of archaeological material from Java. In a letter of 30
September 1940, Franssen proposed the exchange: "I have
done considerable original research work in West Java, and
have been fortunate in collecting numbers of entirely new spec-
imens, most of which have as yet not been published. I also
have a number of the palaeolithic specimens as published by
[G.H.R.] von Koenigswald in the Bulletin of Raffles Museum,
Singapore (Serie B no 1 pp. 25-60, 1936)." Associate Director
NUMBER 48 117
FIGURE 86.—Worked stone [catalog numbers 383075 (left), 383076 (right)]
from Patjitan, Java. [Franssen accession (accession 159728).]
John E. Graf, replied to Franssen on 6 November 1940, ex- pressing interest in receiving Paleolithic collections as those described by von Koeningswald. On 13 January 1941, Frans- sen sent a variety of material from Java, including material identified as Paleolithic from the site of Patjitan (Figure 86). In exchange, the Smithsonian sent Franssen collections from Mid- dle and South America.
Reeves (ace. 170049)
In 1945, artifacts from England were donated to the U.S. Na- tional Museum by Colonel Dache M. Reeves, of Alexandria, Virginia. A memorandum indicates that the artifacts had been given to Reeves during "his 1944 sojourn in England." The ar- tifacts consisted of a Chellean handaxe from an unknown pro- venience and a Chellean handaxe marked "Woodgreen" (Mid- dlesex or Berkshire). Associate Director Graf sent a letter of acknowledgment on 19 April 1945.
Bruce Hughes Fund (ace. 177782)
In 1952, a collection from Jordan was donated to the mu- seum by the Bruce Hughes Fund of the Smithsonian Institu- tion. The accession was acquired from a well-known Biblical archaeologist, Dr. Nelson Glueck, at Hebrew Union College.
The materials were collected by the American Schools of Ori- ental Research, during a surface survey led by Glueck. On 31 December 1946, Glueck informed Secretary Wetmore that a shipment had been sent. Smithsonian anthropologist Frank Set- zler wrote to Glueck on 3 October 1947, indicating that the col- lection had been received. On 15 October, Glueck responded that provenience information would be provided during his personal visit to the National Museum and with the publication of his forthcoming book, Explorations in Eastern Palestine.
Glueck visited the museum in April of 1949, as indicated in a letter from director Remington Kellogg, dated 15 April 1949.
Glueck wrote to Wetmore on 3 April 1951 to inform Wetmore
that he was sending the monograph: "These two volumes will demonstrate to you, I trust, that I have tried to follow your ex- ample and continue my scientific work despite administrative obligations." Wetmore replied on 12 April, acknowledging the publication, adding: "I compliment you definitely on your ac- complishment in the production of this valuable work in the midst of your administrative responsibilities. It is an outstand- ing contribution and one that will have permanent value."
Glueck (1951) described the Jordanian collections in his Explo- rations in Eastern Palestine.
Wymer (ace. 197463)
In 1953, a collection of implements from England was do- nated to the U.S. National Museum by Bertram O. Wymer of England. In a letter to W. Wedel, a curator in Anthropology, on 8 December 1952, Wymer indicated the provenience of the ar- tifacts: "I am enclosing a diagramatic section of the Drift gravel from which the Boyn Hill, Maidenhead palaeolithic im- plements was excavated [100 foot terrace of the Thames]. The Clactonian flake implements from Grays Thurrock, are from the Thames Lower gravel of Boyn Hill age [75 foot terrace].
The Warren Hill, Icklingham Acheulian ovate is from the grav- els of the River Lark." Director Kellogg sent a formal letter of acknowledgment to Wymer on 11 March 1953.
Vass (ace. 197993)
In 1953, a collection of artifacts from the Lulua River, Kasai District, Belgian Congo, was donated to the U.S. National Mu- seum by Mrs. Lachlan C. Vass, Jr., of the American Presbyte- rian Congo Mission, Luebo. In a letter dated 29 November
1952, Vass described how the artifacts had been discovered:
My husband and I are missionaries of the Presbyterian Church in the Belgian Congo. As a hobby I have collected prehistoric stone implements which I have found on the banks of the Lulua river in the Kasai district. I have Chellean and Solutrean axe heads, spear heads, throwing stones and knives. It is a very small collection, only about twenty pieces, but if you are interested in them, I'll be glad to send them to you. The colonial government was installing a big cement ramp as an approach to the ferry for the cars. These pieces are the best of those I found where the river bank excavations were made, anywhere from two to ten feet under the surface.
Setzler replied on 14 December 1952: "Since our African ar- cheological materials are very limited in scope and quantity, we are always interested in the possibility of expanding them with specimens that will be suitable for exhibit purposes and scientific interest." Director Kellogg acknowledged the gift on 28 April 1953.
Bordes (ace. 213032)
In 1956, a collection of archaeological and experimental flint artifacts was donated to the U.S. National Museum by Dr.
Francois Bordes of the University of Bordeaux, France, through Dr. Ralph Solecki, who was a curator at the U.S. Na-
FIGURE 87.—Francois Bordes replicating stone-tool manufacture. [Photograph taken by Ralph Solecki. Solecki collection, National Anthropological Archives (MS 7091), NMNH (no. 94-11096).]
tional Museum. The Paleolithic specimens consisted of objects collected by Solecki from the Dordogne.
Bordes was a leader in lithic typological studies and was one of the few scientists of the time capable of replicating Pale- olithic tools (Figure 87). The collection produced by Bordes consisted of 34 flint tools plus an 8-inch hammer stick of box- wood that was used to make the tools. On 8 September 1956, Solecki wrote to Setzler, indicating the circumstances of his ac- cession of the material: "We have been in the Dordogne area for about two weeks, studying the classic palaeolithic sites and collections, as well as helping Bordes excavate his Mousterian site of Combe Grenelle. All this experience is a wonderful background for Shanidar because all the literature refers to the classic French sites in palaeolithic studies, and it is good to be on familiar terms with the stuff." Solecki indicated how the ex- perimental materials were produced: "I watched Bordes make the flints. He used a simple stone pebble and a piece of box- wood as his tools, scaling the flakes off by percussion only.
The method is very effective, and the flints are the exact dupli- cates of the authentic things. It will make a good study collec- tion." Solecki also noted that Bordes was one of the few people who could make a Levallois flake. Solecki photographed Bor- des during his experimental work, noting that the specimens were manufactured at Bordes summer home in Carsac (Dor- dogne). The experimental objects consisted of burins, hand-
axes, a hammerstone, points, backed blades, scrapers, Levallois flakes, Levallois cores and associated flakes, and an exhausted core on a flake. Director Remington Kellogg acknowledged the gift on 13 December 1956.
Paige (ace. 214613)
In 1957, a collection of Paleolithic artifacts from an estate near Tongres, Province of Limburg, Belgium, was donated to the U.S. National Museum by Mr. Jason Paige, Jr., of Virginia.
In a letter to Setzler, dated 17 February 1957, Paige described the circumstances of his acquisition of the collection and their provenience:
The tools were obtained from an antiquities dealer in Brussels, M. Jean With- ofs, 10 rue Ernest Allard. He stated that he had received them from an estate near Tongres, in the province of Limbourg, Belgium. They were described as surface finds which had been picked up over a period of time on the estate.
While I was at the University Museum in Philadelphia last spring I had an op- portunity to show the whole collection of tools to John d'A. Waechter of the British Museum who was spending some time at the Peabody Museum in Bos- ton on a project for Dr. Movius. Waechter, whom Carleton Coon considers one of the very best on flint tools, stated that the Belgium tools were of a type with which he was familiar, and that they were contemporary with the Thames Pick Industry in England. It is my understanding that they would be of the Me- solithic period for that particular area. According to Waechter, one large flake might be a Levallois Flake tool, but he could not tell by examining it out of context.
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