READING FOR EVERYBODY. PREHISTORIC BATTLES.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 6132, 19 March 1898, Page 6

READING FOR EVERYBODY. PREHISTORIC BATTLES.

Twenty thousand years ago, according to the announcement of Professor Walters, the archaeologist, in the New York Stirt., « terrible battle was fought on the Arkansas Eiver, in the Indian Territory, between the mournl builders and the Mayas, in -which over 75,000 warriors bit the dust. He has reached this remarkable conclusion on account of his investigations of a pre historic burying ground in the Choctaw Indian country, which he has found to cover thirty acres and to contain fully 75,000 skeletons. His attention was first called to the remarkable number of human skeletons to be found there several months i ago, when the Kansas City, Pittsburg and Gulf Railway was built through the Choctaw country. The workmen, in grading, brought to light tons of human bones and a remarkable .number of implements of savage warfare, and Professor Walters set about investigating the matter scientifically. To his amazement ho found a large tract literally underlaid with these relics of a forgotten race. The skulls were pierced with darts or arrow heads, one specimen containing thirteen moss agate arrow points. This proved that they died in battle. The skeletons were found, buried in sand, and above the sand were two distinct strata formed in geological periods. These facts enabled Professor Walters to compute approximately the period when the battle occurred. He has compared the facts just learned with the result of seventeen years' previous study of the mound builders, and , formed the theory that the battle was on© of a long series of sanguinary encounters between that mysterious race and th.« Mayas, which, lattev race came from Central and South America and sought to gain possession of North j America.