Jeffersonian Republican. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1840-1853, 1845-11-13
From the Cincinnati Chronicle
The Romance of History.
THE ANCIENTS OF AMERICA
Mound Ercouofions,

Chillco'he is not only the sile of a modern
American Town, fourishing and slightly, bu,
was once The very seat and centre of The an.
cien Indian population. Dense with people
as the fields with standing corn, was once The
ancient Chilicolhe; and more dense than the
modern 'ombs, were the sepuchres there erect
ed to mark The cities of The dead On every
road. and in almost every field, in the great al
uyial plain around The junction of the Sciolo
and Paint Greek, are seen the Mounds, where
not only one, but many dead bodies, were en-
lombed together.
Recently DR.. Davis, OF ChiIicohe, and ano.
iher gentleman. have been engaged in excava-
ung these ancient Iomhs--compariug one with
anolher, and drawing, if possible. some concIn
sions from The results. In all they have found
iwen'y-three. and accumulated articles. insiru-
menls and remains enough to make quite Mu-
scum of disen,ombed relics. We have been
kindly permitted TO examine these articles, aud
10 enter the excava,ed Mounds The conclu-
sions we have come 10 are more satisfactory
than any we have previously arrived at, and in
regard 10 general principles seem to us impreg-
nable
/. The ancient Mounds of this country are
Tom6s, and only tom5s, although ii is not al all
improbable they may have been occasionally so
placed as TO answer The purpose of Iook-ou,
post or tower. But their original purpose was
that of tombs. This is absolutely established
by the fact, that nearly every one probably he
whole) contains the remains of human bodies
The articles found with Ihese-such as crock
cry ware, ha,cheis, arrows, &c, were unques-
tionably deposited, on The present aboriginal
principle Of burying with the body the weapons.
instruments and ornaments possessed by the
warrior while alive. The articles found are all
Of this description.
Q. The iaterments IN these mounds hore bern
made at different end distant intervals of time
This may very naturally have taken place bile
The same race inhabited The counlry-as i, did
in the iombs of Egyp', and as il does in The cal
acombs OF Paris. There is incon'royerible ey-
idence that this was The fact in The mounds
In one Of The circular parapels found round
Chiicoihe. there are no less than ihreen
mounds. These have all been opened, and all
show the same results. They show indispula-
bly,, that there have been al least two distinct
sets of burials, and that these have been at diff
fave fota pf In tho nj
The mound for example, are frequently found
bones nearly entire The skulls and bones of
The thigh and arm are found. With these are
found arrow beads, and crockery ware such as
il is well known the Indians had in their saw
age state. and which they buried with their
warriors. In one of them was a Silver Cross
and circle. undoubtedly belonging TO Catholic
Indians The date of these burials cannot be
reasonably placed beyond two hundred years.
The manner in which The recent relics have
been placed in. at the top Of the mound, and
distinct from these, for the burial Of which The
mound was erected, is one important and char
| acterislic fact.
Atihe bottom Of the mound, about on the lev
ell with the natural ground, occurs Vi hat are OBJ
viousIy the most ancient remains, and 10 which
is attached the only real mystery belonging 10
these ,ombs. The first thing TO be observed
about these is. iha. they are accompanied by
an hearth, or altar, on which the human re-
mains. as well as the domestic articles which
accompanied them. were burned. This Sacri-
| fetal Al,ar however rude, is very important
fact in the analysis of these lumuIi. The fact
of the existence of This altar is amply proved
by The eye. Il is composed very rudely, OF
Two parts. The lower is a sorl 0 rough brick,
or clay, dried and burnt. On The Top OF This,
and about Two inches lhick,is plaster, or lime
coaling. This artificial pan is an oval shape,
from three 10 six fee, IN diameter. The olJee'
OF ii as 10 burn, or sacrifice the bodies and
things buried. The proof of This fact IS !
The bones are very seldom discovered here,
and when ,hey are, (sueh as The thigh bons)