New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1848-09-14
American Antiquities.

publishers behalf of the Authors are McssTs BAsI
LIFT WELFoRp New York and }. A 4 L. ?. JAMES
Cincinnati. From the lew sheet. Of the work whic
are before U.s. we take the following passages which
viii BE- interesting relating 10 subject attract
ins much attention IN this country and in Europe:
THE GREAT SERPENT, ADAMS COUNTY. OHo.-Prob
ably the most extraordinary esrthwork thus tar dscov
cred the West IS the Great serpent OF which faith
iul deineaton is given in the Plate. Ii is situated
I Brush Creek. at point known az Three Forks or
Entry Ola, near the north line 81 Adams County Ohio
No plan description has hitherto been published
does the fact OF It's existence appear % beer
known beyond the secluded vicinity which il occurs
The notice first received by the authors OF these re
searches exceedingly vague and indefinite, and led
10 the conclusion that IL work OF defence with
bas0ns az regular Intervals feature extraordinary
70 induce visit, which resulted in the discovery
here presented. The true character Of the work wa.
. apparent the fret inspection.
L situated upon high. crescenttorm hill or spur
of land rising $50 above the level Of Brush Greek
which washes ts base. The side OF the bill next the
stream presents a perpendicular wall Of rock. while
the other subsidies rapidly though II Is not steep
preclude cultivation The top Of the hill is not level
but slightly convex and presents very surface,
10 feet wide by Loo long measuring from It's extrcm
y To the point where II connects with the table land
Conforming to the curve of the hill and occupying its
very summit Is the serpent its head resting near the
point and It's body winding back for zoo feet in
gl undua,iOns terminating in triple coil at the tail
The entire length II extended would be not less than
loo feet. The accompanying plan, laid down from
accurate survey alone give adequate conception
of the outline OF the work which is clearly and boldly
defined the embankmcnt being upward of feet in
hight by 80 feet base the center of the body dmin
ishng somewhat toward the head and tail The neck
the serpent is stretched out and slightly curved and
ts mouth opened wide, as If in the act OF swallowing
OF ejectng oval figure which rests partially within
the distcnded Jaws This Oval IS formed By an EN-
bankment OF earth, without any perceptble opening,
four feet in hight and Is perfectly regular In outline
its and cOnjugate dameters being 100 and
and rg-uecfigry The ground within the oval
is slightly elevated small circular elevation OF large
stones much burned once existed in its center but
they have been thrown down and scattered by some
ignorant vister under the prevailing impression prob
ably that gold hidden beneath them. The point Of
the hill within which this egg shaped figure rests
have been srticially cut TO conform to iis
outline leaving a smooth PLATFORM 10 feet wide and
somewhat incining inward, all around il.
Upon either side of the serpents head extend TWO
small triangular elevations ten or twelve feet over
They not high and although too distinct to he over
looked are yet much Obiteraed 10 be satisfactorily
traced. Besides platform level oval terrace, and
large mound in the center OF the isthmus connecting
the hill with the table land beyond there other
remains, excepting few mounds, within six or eight
MILESTONE perhaps, nearer than the entrenched hill
IN Highland County thirteen miles distant There are
a number of works lower down on Brush Creek, to-
ward It's but their character is not known The
point which this efigy occurs commands an extern
sive prospect overlooking the bottoms at the junction
Of the three principal tributaries OF the creek The al
uyia terraces are here quite extensive and it is mat
%
The serpent separate in combination with the
circle egg, globe, has been predominant symbol
among many primitive nations II prevailed in Egypt
Greece and Assyria and entered widely into the super
stitions of the Cells the HindOOs and the Chinese IL
even penetrated into America and was conspicuous in
the mythology OF the ancient Mexicans, among whom
lis significance does not seem to have differed ma
terially from that which II possessed in the Old World
The fact that the ancient Cells and perhaps other
tons of the old continent erected temple structures In
the form of the serpent Is one OF high interest OF this
description is the great temple OF Abury IN England
in many respects the most imposing ancient monument
of the British Islands
til impossible in this connection, TO trace the snalo
gies which the Ohio structure exhibits To the serpent
temples OF England or to point out the extent TO which
the symbol was applied in Amerca-an investigation
raught with the greatest interest both III respect TO the
light which II reflects upon the primitive supersttions
OF remotely separated people and especially upon the
origin OF the American race.
ANIMAL SHAPED MOUNDS or WIscoNSrN-Ihey
consist OF elevations of earth OF diversified outline and
various size Tor the most part constituting efgies OF
beasts birds reptiles and of the human form but often
circular auadrangulsr aud of obong shape. The cir
cular or cOnca umu differ from those scattered over
the whole country in no outward respect, excepting
that they are much smaller IN their average dmen
sous the largest seldom exceeding iteen feet an night
Those in the form of paraleograms sometimes up
ward OF 500 feet ia length seldom less than 100 but in
hight they bear proportion To their otherwise great
dimensions and may probably be better designated a.
walls entertainments, or terraces than mounds. These
works are seldom isolated but generally occur in
groups or ranges sometimes though not always placed
with apparent design in respect TO each other IN these
groups may be observed every variety OF orthe cir
cular Quadrangular and annalshaped structures oc-
curing in such connection with each other as to fully
justify the belief that they are OF contemporeneous ORR
gin At first glance these remains said 10 resemble
the sites or ground plans and iOundaonnes of build
ings and it ia until their entire outline Is taken into
view that the impression Of efgy becomes decided
This is not surprising in view of the fact that they are
usually Of uncomfortable hight varying from one to
four feet in few however sing az high az SIX
feet Their outlines are, nevertheless, represented 10
be distinctly defined in all cases where they occupy IA
yorable positions. Their small altitude should cause
no doubt of the fidelity Of the representations which
have been made OF these figures since regular ele
walton Of six inches be readily traced upon the
level praires and " botom.lands OF the West espe
cally when covered with turf.
GEOGRAPHICAL Distribution or THE ANCIENT
EARrII-woRKs-AlthOugh possessing throughout Ger
tain general points OF resemblance, going 10 establish
kindred origin these works nevertheless, resolve them
selves into three grand geographical divisions when
present In many respects striking contrasts yet SO
gradually merge into each other that Is Impossible TO
determine where series terminates and the other
begins In the rel ion bordering the Upper Lakes, TO
certain extent in Michigan Iowa and Missouri but par
tcularly in Wisconsin mad succession oil remains
entirely singular their FORM and presenting out sgnt
analogy 10 any others OF which we nave any account IN
any portion of the globe. The larger proportion Of
these are structures Of earth, bearing the forms OF
beasts birds reptiles and even OF men they are Ire
aueny OF gigantic dimensions, constituting huge alto
rtlfcrOs upon the lace OF tnc lucy Wy
numerous and IN most occur IN long and appa-
reutlv dependent ranges In cOnnexion with them are
found many conica mounds and occasional short lines
of embankment in rare instances forming Enclosures
The animal eff gies mainly confined to Wisconsin,
and extend across that Territory from Fond du Lac IN
south western direction ascending the Fox River and
following the general Of the Rock and Nlscon
sin Rivers 10 the Mississippi They may be much more
extensively disseminated il here only that they
have been observed In considerable numbers In nilcn
ran as also in Iowa and Missouri similar elevations,
OF more or less regular outline said 10 occur Ihey
are represented dispersed in ranges Ike the ouiid
ngs OF a modern city and covering sometimes an area
Of many acres.
Farther to the southwark, IN the region watered BY
the Ohio and It's tributaries ind ancient works oil
greater magnitude and more manifest design among
them are few animal shaped structures' but they
have been erected different principles and TOR on
fereat purpose from those just noticed Here we hnd
urnberess mounds most Of them conical out many
pyrsmidsl in FORM and often OF great dimensions The
nvrarnfa structures are always truncated, sometimes
terrsced and generally have graded accents 70 tneir
SUBMITS They bear close resemblance 10 tne leo
calls of Mexico and the known uses Of the latter are
suggestive OF the probable purposes to wn.cn tney were
applied Accompany these and in some instances sus-
tanning an intimate relation 10 them. are numerous en-
closures of earth and stone frequently OF vast SIZE and
often of regular outline. These By far the most
imposing class Of aboriginal remains, and impress
ps most sensiby with the numbers and the power Oh
the ueoule who built thern The purposes OF many OF