Arbitrarily considered, the Northeastern geographical area embraces the Maritime Provinces of Canada, lower Quebec and Ontario (exclusive of the peninsula), and all of New England, New York, Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Obviously such a large territory (some 485,000 square miles) constitutes neither a single physiographical nor cultural province, but in a general way it was the domain, in both historic and prehistoric times, of two far flung ethnic groups: the Algonkian and the Iroquoian.

In several sites on our high western plains, at altitudes of more than 4000 feet above sea level, artifacts have been found in apparently unquestionable association with Pleistocene mammal remains. Since the fossil remains connected with these important finds belong to a very definite geological age, this age becomes a geological problem which can only be solved, to any degree of scientific satisfaction, by following the rules governing conservative, orthodox geological research.

Following a recent recrudescence of interest in the archaeology of Athabascan-speaking peoples in the Southwest, and in Navaho archaeology in particular, numerous students have entered upon various projects in this field. North central New Mexico has seemed to offer the most fertile center for such studies, inasmuch as early historic records place the Navahos in this area and the archaeological remains seem to corroborate this testimony.

When, in November 1793, Vancouver's Discovery, in company with the Chatham and Daedalus, lay off Santa Barbara for eight days, George Goodman Hewett, Surgeon's First Mate, had an opportunity to augment his private ethnographical collections formed during the voyage through the South Seas and along the American west coast. This collection was in private hands until 1891, when it became the property of the British Museum. At this time C. H. Read delivered to the Royal Anthropological Institute (1) a brief historical sketch of the collection and a short description of the more significant items. It is from this paper that we hear first of the Chumash spear-thrower, foreshafted dart with bone barb and flint point, sinew-backed bow, and doublebladed paddle.

The problem of the “plummet-stone” is a general one, as can be seen from its widespread distribution. They are found in New England, the Middle Atlantic States, Florida, West Virginia, Ohio, Illinois, Wisconsin, Iowa, Missouri, Kentucky, Arkansas, Alabama, Louisiana, California, and it would seem that they are likely to occur in other localities in the United States. They also have been recorded for all eastern Canadian provinces as well on the Northwest Coast. In addition, the Eskimo in many cases have “plummet-stones” which in instances are very similar to the bola stones.

That part of Maryland which lies east of the Chesapeake Bay has always, since the founding of the colony (1634), been known as the Eastern Shore; so, too, the Eastern Shore of Virginia. Most of it is a flat country of tidal rivers occupying “drowned valleys” into the heads of which flow sluggish freshwater streams. A low divide, or height of land, separates streams emptying into the Chespeake from streams flowing into the sounds of the Atlantic Ocean, or into Delaware Bay.

In 1936 a monograph appeared dealing with corner-tang artifacts (Bibliography, 1). Although nothing definite is known as yet about the age and associations of these peculiar artifacts, the author believed them to have developed from spear-points and to have been associated with the chase (skinning knives ?). He furthermore concluded from certain indications that these artifacts belonged to an early horizon. Typologically he distinguished six sub-types (Figure 18).

Archaeological reconnaisance work along the ancient shore lines of desiccated Lake Mohave, located south of Death Valley in California, has been interpreted by Mr. and Mrs. Campbell and their associates. Groups of implements were found along the old beach line located above the present playa. These were found at approximately the same vertical elevation. Most geologists, including D. G. Thompson, O. E. Meinzer, and E. Antevs, are concurrent in the belief that the desiccation of this lake took place in late Pleistocene times; although Thompson believes the antiquity to be uncertain. The age of the lake, together with neighboring lake beds which are also desiccated, was interpreted by geologists before archaeologists became interested in the problem; however, it is possible that the groups of implements found exposed in the beaches might be considerably younger than the Pleistocene phase of the lake's existence. The presence of modern camp sites containing materials typologically different than those mentioned above was determined at the southern portion of the lake near existing or recent springs.