THE MOUND BUILDERS.

Grey River Argus, Volume XXIII, Issue 3612, 23 March 1880, Page 2

THE MOUND BUILDERS.

Important archseologicl . discoveries have, according to a late Home paper, been made within the last fBW weeks in the United States among the mounds of the Little Miami Valley, in the State of Ohio. Near the town of Madisonville an extensive aboriginal cemetery has been explored, which has disclossd many interesting facts in relation to the prehistoric mound-building race of that Bection. Thus far the' excavations have extended only over a limited portion of the burial-ground. Two hundred skeletons havd bseu taken from the graves already opened, of which number, how*

ever, not more than 40 or 60 crania could be preserved sufficiently well for measure- . ment. There appeared to be no constant orientation #f the, bodies, though many of them- were laid in horizontal position, with the heads directed towards the east or south-east. Some of the skeletons were found lying at right angles to these but it is worthy of note that all of the remains which were associated with the finer yaseß, pipes, and other choice objects had their heads placed towards the east with Blight variations. Anexamination of the human bones revealed traces of rachitis and syphilis. One bone had imbedded in it a small triangular stone arrow-head, which bad evidently occasioned death. Accompanying many of the remains of children, various toys or ornaments of perforated bone and shell and diminutive earthen vessels were found. vA large number of the latter were „ exhumed, .varying in capa^ty^rqnij a gill j: to over a gallon. This wrre is, iri some v instances, elaborately ornamented with scroll h work, . handles in the .forms of ; lizards, human head's, ,<s?c,, a^.i^ajl&pst 1 invariably provided witli.fpj^, Wiri^les^, placed at equal distances around the circumference. >: One . i interesting: , speci- . >' \ men is furnished with eight 'handles, arrayed in., tWjO hprjzontal (li powß r(l tihe,^ vessel being two storied or formedjof, t^O,™ separate pots placed one above the other with the bottom of tne^HijJper j: crae' removedi The number of < these' vessels thus ■■ far discovered is upwards of 99ji/.the; majority of them being found with valves of tbe'itnid' ( ic¥ J fresh' i; w r a f tiE{r mussel; in them, which had evidently served as spoons'." -The' 'Vases were usually placed around or near the h^ads^rjf the bodies. Over 1 tiie surface.' ■» of > it-he^ i ground , i vast]. • . ; quantities of broken pottery .ooeared^ . indicating the immense amount of earthenware which. had} toeßoorigiiurily,/: buried with occupants, jof^ the , graves. j Q addition to these objects large numbers I of stone dies, axes, chisels,, flint knives, arrow-heads, i ornaments • and : implements j. of bone,' 12 stone! tobacco-pipes, and two ■ f tubes of rolled copper were exhumed. ;1 ' One of . most inhere, sting, ajttd .unique features brought; to jigh^ byjihese ' ex- 4 , , cavations is the existenceiof large numbers x: - of deposits which may ba> designated n ashpits; ;Ot these more.,, than j 50, have been opened, averaging 3ft .jto^jf-t , ; 'in. : ,-, diameter and 4ft to, 6f|;<4n r <depth. They are composed of layers of leafmould and sandy clay, burnt earth and ...charcoal, white ashes, sand, and ; unto shells. Throughout' 1 the* tfelposits write . scattered fragments of pottery, stone implements, ornaments of shell and storje, and bones of wild animals. That th%se_<" graves date back to a remote antiquilyrnay be proved by the fact that no .objects of European introduction ha ve>bee.a found in them.-'* In some instances the skeletons were..' found directly'Hjene^t^,,^ar^'treWiariil" ' occasionally imbedded In a, network of rbots.' One oik' tree, Wh^Be'/lrcwftr had.-- -' penetrated the skuH of p^e'^tlieVskffißA l^ tons, measured' 6ff 2in in diameter, 'and i!i other giants which belong to the , original forest that still- covers the i; sii;e of ' the cemetery measure 'io^fand^fSft in circumference. It will be difficult to determine tq what^particulat race , or , time the people of these graves belonged until further ; investigations shall, have , „ prosecuted. Excavations are still being " made, and .not more than a quarter^ of the cemetery has as yet been examined.