Wheeling times and advertiser. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1839-1849, 1846-09-28
THE MOUNDS AND RELICS OF THE AN
CIkNI NAIIONS OLE AMERlCA.


Extract Of a Leiier from Pref. d. SiHiatau.
1 of NeT Har6H, 10 Or. u. 4. liunteH, OF
! London.
AT special meeting Of The Connecticut
Academy OF Arts and Sciences. July Z. SO
various interesting facts relating to lie mound,
OF the Ohio and Scioto valley. and specimen,
from them, illustrating their objects and the
habits ct their builders, were laid before the
Academy, by MIR l.. Geo. Squ'cr Thcse
structures OF the West are either enclosures
some evidently intended a. iortihcations. or
mounds of various forms aud sizes. Th-
gentleman, IN connection with DR. Davis, OF
Chhhcolhe, ONO, has opened eighty OF the
mounds aud has attended personally at the
excavation OF more than sixty. The devel-
opponents are wonderful, and our explorer
has satisfied himself that of the mounds. Ist
Many are sepulchtdl; -. Others sacrifCiaI; "a.
Others Tor lookouts aud alarm posts.
In The scpulchTl, are found human bones
generally much dcCaycd, 30 that no skcle tons
and rarely perfect bone can be cxticatcd-
so ancient ore they; aud often th. mounds OF
all descriptions are covered with gigantic for
est Trees. la one instance a section of a tree
gave 600annual rings. The sacrihcial mound,
cover affairs sometimes ot large size aud con
struCted OF baked earth hardened like bricks
! or tiles, aud more rarely OF stone These al
tars coutnin calcincd human bones. charcoal
aud other proofs of the mediation Of FIRE
+ The merely scpuiChml piles are earth mounds
/ thrown up at random without arrangement al
the materials; those covering affairs are artiit.
Cially stTatiiied-iayef over LAYER of alterus.
ting beds ct gravel, earth and sand but iol
lowing common curvature, like = series ~
caps drawn over the same head; this siatih
cation, when heretofore named but not tall,
and accurately reported, induced Prof Hitch
t.fNf tn sim hot q d..
vial; hut their form and the inferred altar
! with their relics dispTovc that opinion. al
though wc know not why the alters were GOV
cred with 50 much care, or why covered a
all; probably thc proceeding was intcrNoyeI
Wiih Their religious notions. ~ both kind
oil mounds, but more specially in the mound
I OF sacrifice, are found very rrparktblc Nyofk
oi art wrought IN stone Among them wcr
limoges OF mauy OF the animals aud birds a
that period; they were often wrought int
pipes OF varons iuuCiiul shapes. am otter AL
fish 10 It's mouth hawk tearing bi "a ii
pieces; owls, cogles bears, Sc. aud man
human head, and idr,s giving doubles th
crmology and physognomy 81 the pcopla-
besides many things not exactly obvious a
10 their import There are many stone arrow
and spearheads beautifully chipprd out ,
hOJnsiOne OF various Coiors or formed irof
. obsidian, or limpd quartz: and among the rel
les ore much white mica 500 flakes vessels ,
n pottery, and pipestoue similar 90 that of Pa.
l. re du Chen Described iu the American JouI
, nal, Vol. XXxyii, p. 30. The minerals pro,
ped IN these mounds came often from reruo
4 regions, aud tbus furnish proof of c1trp.i,
migrauons, or friendly or wafikc trtveIIit
or commerce. There are strings of beads
> ivory, probably from The mastolon or III
phds pTtmtgcH.us, which were cotemaor,t
!, M ihis county stuugs also at pear,.-Iouh
10 less from Use fresh water molIti-fs. and na
- sihly from the Gull OF Mexico: an, fbsr,. 80.
(. al.o fossil teeth of .haIks, and other Tee.
! probably cctacean. Besides There ar. rhi-.
aud axes Of native copper, and articles uI a
IL yer. Tie copper doubtless came from ial
4 superior. where 10 D. now found abundant
j., and az this moment thousands are cxpIouf
y there for 81 OH botI Doe American and B1ti.
site OF the Lake. Tie great mass v,iabil
from three t1 hour ihYusini p1Iud.. l..a +
urr. Jour. iIt 2ui) now iIes ia doe ,nu
j. yard OF the WA oHic. 90 Washington auI
J. piece weighing $50 pounds almost in,is,
% az ihe vsnoow iSsm which am within
- lhe doof}ob of u.y 'U #1 3D. FaT.-. sI...
'i' hh a.lit u..a p.iI.HI ttu.o..f is.l
.i ui'- efiui u. CO... Wt.I uafIfe .I.v.fa.I.rt.
.- To them, are imm ..e latt Superb, COM
Ihe elrgmplHe m.ul. CSC. ai r.,,,l T.
ranges at convenient #i.r..... .., -
3 leagues sd tlI, OBJ. Gu- LuI..l a.... ~.
/, would uye clI,g uuI oH.DuI u5.i .... E.
s. I approach oi nu su.Iut. H- I.r...h. .......
, CON in England DID, 4H.u-, l.I-.s ,f.
r Ndpoieuus INVASION vt. ,tu,l.rI
Ihc cHcin.ate- -rI,iua s- rt...l t.-,. q
''ieh't5 "ti' Itil.a.3 500. V.#Y. a..,l