HUMAN Axmurry. The arclueologists of America, like those of other countries, are in con stant search for evidences of human antiquity, and hundreds of suggestive observations are on record. On generalizing these, it must be said that none of the acceptable observations indicate an antiquity of man on the Western Hemisphere at all comparable to that indicated by appar ently trustworthy observations in Europe and Asia. Briefly, there is a strong presumption that mankind existed in North America about, if not anterior to, the last ice invasion of the Pleistocene, i.e. ten thousand to fifty thou sand years ago: yet positive evidence is far from complete, as indicated by the fact that not a single reported association of human remains with even the latest Pleistocene deposits is un questionably accepted by either anthropologists or geologists.
PRE-CoLummAN DISCOVERIES. There have been many suggestions of discoveries of America an terior to the time of Columbus, by both Euro peans from the East and Asians from the West : some of the latter are particularly striking, and are now under critical examination, partly through an admirable series of expeditions sup ported by Jesup, directed by Putnam, and con ducted by Boas and others. The most striking
indications of pre-Columbian discovery falling clearly within the domain of arelnuology are the cairns, house remains, and stone pavements of eastern which have been described and compared with the Norse structures of Ice land and Scandinavia by Miss Horsford. The ease cannot, perhaps, be considered closed, pend ing inquiries in related lines: but it is important to note that sonic of the works on Charles River —in the Vinland the flood of the Sagas—are unlike those produced by any known native tribe, and are like those of the Norse settlers in Iceland.