New London, Ohio.
PLANT REMAINS FROM THE BAUM VILLAGE SITE.
W. C. Mills.
During the year 1900 the Ohio Archaeological and Historical Society procured from the ash pits of the Baum Village Site, situated near Bournville, Ross county, Ohio, a number of grains and seeds, which were submitted to Prof. J. H. Schaffner for identification. The following is the list:
Corn, Zea mays L.
Great quantities of the eight rowed variety were found. The cobs were usually about one-half inch in diameter. Also a variety with more than eight rows, usually ten rows was found. This variety had a much thicker cob. The grains and cob were in a good state of preservation, having been charred. In several instances the charred remains of a woven fabric were found intermingled with the cobs and grains, showing that the corn had evidently been wrapped in this cloth. In other instances the grains and cobs were found in large pieces of broken pottery and were well preserved. Finding the corn in so many of the pits shows that it largely supplied the food of the camp.
Quantities of charred papaw seeds, Asimina triloba, (L.) Dunal, and the wild Hazelnut, Corylus americana Walt. were found in a number of pits showing that these were largely used for food.
Quite a quantity of the seeds of the wild red plum, Prunus americana Marsh. was also taken from the pits. These were, in a number of instances, associated with papaw seeds and the shells of the chestnut, Castanea dentata (Marsh.) Borkh.
Great quantities of the broken shells of the butternut, Juglans cinerea L. and the black walnut, Juglans nigra L. were discovered. These were usually found associated together, but in several instances they were found separated, the butternuts being more abundant than the walnuts.
Three species of hickory nuts were procured but none of these were in such quantities as the butternut and black walnut. The three species found were as follows: Hicoria minima (Marsh.) Britt., Hicoria ovata (Mill.) Britt., Hicoria laciniosa (Mx.) Britt.