6 Foot Neanderthal Hybrids Uncovered in Nebraska
6 Foot Neanderthal Hybrid Uncovered in Nebraska
Science Magazine, Nov. 16, 1906 EVIDENCE OF MAN IN THE LOESS OF NEBRASKA After careful investigation, the writer stands ready to announce his belief in the occurrence of human remains in the loess of this state, and for this primitive type, he has proposed the name Nebraska loess man. Such importance attaches to the discovery as to warrant a paper devoted to the geological facts connected therewith. Physiographic Features.-North of Omaha for a number of miles the topographic features are bold and abrupt for a prairie country due to the proximity of the Missouri River, the relief being 150 to 200 feet. On all sides landslides are in evidence and must be reckoned with in all fieldwork. Early in October Mr. Robert F. Gilder, of Omaha, opened a mound on Long's hill facing the Missouri River, ten miles north of Omaha or three miles north of Florence, Douglass County, Nebraska. From Florence north to Long's hill there is a continuous section along the roadside for about three miles and from the base of Long's hill to the summit, on which Gilder's mound is situated, there is an unbroken section, hence the geology of the place is well exposed, and being simple is easily interpreted. The public highway, which is about forty feet above the river level, is just upon the top of the Carboniferous, the dark carbonaceous shales of which constitute a distinct geological feature. Upon the shales there rests an average of ten to twenty feet of glacial drift containing occasional Sioux quartzite and granitic boulders. Upon the drift comes 150 feet of bright buff loess such as is conspicuous in and around Omaha and Council Bluffs.
Long's hill stands 200 feet above the river level, and 150 feet above the valley out of which it rises. It is a hill of erosion, and no discoverable land slip has complicated its simple geology. On its summit is Gilder's mound, in the superficial layer of which were found mound-builder remains, and in the deeper layer eight skulls and many bones of a still more primitive type. The writer at once joined Mr. Gilder in a critical investigation of the place, continuing the work from time to time to December 2, 1906, with results leading to the conclusion that two of the skulls are mound builders', in all probability. These were found in the upper layer readily discernible as a mixture of black soil and light buff subsoil such as would result from digging and burying. This layer has a thickness of two and one-half feet. Below it was an undisturbed layer of unmistakable loess and in it numberless fragments of human bones and an occasional animal bone, loess shells and stray angular pebbles. In brief, the conclusion is that in the case of the upper bone layer there was the burial, in the- lower, deposition. Those in the loess doubtless antedate the hill itself while those in the upper layer are subsequent to it. That archaic burial could have taken place in loess without detection is altogether improbable. Of necessity, there would result in a mixture of black with light soil and a breaking up of the lithologic structure. Where these bones occur the loess structure and color is perfectly preserved and it contains characteristic vertical lime-tubes, concretions and shells precisely as is customary. Out of the evidence at hand, the writer concludes that bones of this layer were strictly synchronous with the loess formation in which they were found, in substantiation of which comes the fragmental nature of all of the bones, their water-worn condition, their range of distribution, and disassociation of parts. One would scarcely think of such conditions being possible in the case of human burial; besides it is improbable that a primitive people would dig graves to a depth of twelve feet. Should a people without tools and appliances perform such an improbable feat, would they bury water-worn fragments, would they scatter them so widely as not to exceed five or six pieces to the cubic yard? How could they replace the earth in the grave in such order and regularity that there would be perfect structure and gradation of color from soil to subsoil? Methods of Exploration.-Early in November the writer recognized that the bones in the loess were apparently fossil, and great care was exercised in all subsequent work. On extending the cross trenches which Mr. Gilder had dug, human bones scattered, water-worn, fragmentary and unrelated were found in natural, undisturbed loess at all levels down to six feet. The most interesting single bit found on this occasion was the left half of a frontal bone secured at a depth of four to five feet. Later, at a distance of five feet, the other half was dug up, and the two parts fit together, completing an interesting low-browed frontal. A jaw, which was found in undisturbed loess at a depth of four feet, was that of a youth. The crowns of the teeth were scarcely worn, so old age can not be assigned as the reason for the absence of all teeth save molars Nos. 2 and 3 in the right ramus and No. 2 in the left. Just as the teeth of any water-soaked jaw drop out readily, so it seems to have been with this one. The inference is that they were lost in the process of deposition. A week later work was resumed, the writer being accompanied by Mr. Robert F. Gilder and Dr. George E. Condra, and the attempt was made to be severely critical and careful. All surface material was carefully removed and three wide shafts were sunk on the northern, eastern, and southern points of the mound. Each shovelful of earth was scrutinized, all bone fragments carefully saved and recorded. In all some twenty bits were found, as follows: a fragment from the base of a skull, fragments of ribs, limb bones, scapula, and sacrum; a clavicle, calcaneum, three complete vertebrae, two metapodes and a phalanx. Some of the bits mentioned were but slivers, other bits were two or three inches long. Some were badly etched by water, others gnawed by rodents. As each fragment was unearthed a block of the matrix was kept and as far as possible each fragment was preserved in position in the block.
