New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1851-04-30

demonstrate IN the 1OlONlDs Pd5tB- " COnhl0rf-
ing in succession the walls and bitches, the
rounds and graves and lastly the i'm plemen,s Of
the srcient Americans AZ compared with
those Of ancient Europeans, and By show
nc the affinity they bear 10 each other. We
MIL speak also OF the intercourse OF the ancient
Americans with Europe and OF their physical
chsrActeiistics and will close with presenting
our views 20 the nation 70 which the primitive
coloni.t. Of America belonged. ga also respecting
the period at which the colonization took place
and the causes that produced It.
fall This be accomplished in a limited and con-
,sop.ntlv upsatis .actory manner, hope 20 fad
nv excuse in the defective nature Of the materiss
on which nv investig atoms and conclusions are
based; for nese, uDhappily. one principal source
Of the knowledge Of former times-a literature o.
those times-is wanting.
Asto the enclosures, some Of them surround iso
lated natural uillocks, while others are CARED
around the edges Of the elevated penlnsuss
formed by the junction OF two streams, and resem-
bic the fortified places ii Germany mentioned by
Preuskers Ksiina Won Jathenstein4 and keier-
STEM They consist Of wallo combined VIII 4
ditch : ard sometimes of two walls. TINS asst
kind Of fertilization also has its German counter
parts in Grotspburg near Detmold, IN Steinbug
near R5mhid in the duchy Of Meinigen- Hid
burghausen sc. The shape OF these inclosure.
is for the most part determined by the nature oil
the LOCALITY, ana - falADN9'
Where freedom Of choice is left, they usually
form figures with obtuse angles, and resemble
the stone walls on the Schasfberg near L05Au IN
the kingdom Of SaxoDy, and the wall near Back-
owetz in Bohemia In America the round and
angular Enclosures are very often found in con-
nexion with long walls IL is well known that
such works are still seen in Germany and often
long walls with bitches lLsndwehren)I without
ipclosed works. If works Of this sort are nov
less frequently met with in Germany, 1t Is prob
ably TO be attributed for the most part to the de-
str1c.ion necessarily caused by agriculture.
In America are found a multitude Of circular
works. consisting of wall with ditch on the
inside sometimes one wall includes another"
A corresponding structure presents ltsel! IN the
fourfold wall in the vicinity OF Nlenourg on the
Saale in the Duchy Of Anhalti3 Single walls
of this kind are seen in Reideburg, near Halle In
skolen, near Lutzeeni and both are found IN the
province OF Sachsen, il the kingdom OF Prussia =
The Reideburg walls resemble those Of America
in so far that they formerly inclosed Artificial
mounds like the circular embankment In Green
up county, Kentucky The hills surround
ed by watertrenches near Skeudltz, In the prov
ipce of SachSen, kingdom Of Prussia, may also be
likened to the American circular structures
Lastly, there are found in America many semi
circular entertainments with ditch on the inside 70
They resemble the earth works known In Ger.
many by the name Of Pagan Forts (Heidenschan
zen), and are Of very frequent occurrence; they
differ from the latter, however in having no artl-
fcially or naturally elevated base but rise above
the surrounding plain only 10 the hight OF the
embankment Mounds in the form Of the Heiden-
schanzen have not az yet been found in America.
Along with the larger circles there occur IN
America multitude of small circles formed Of l0D
embankments II They are regarded as the foun.
dations Of dwellings Of the people who constructed
the earthworks, and oy some less correctly as the
bases Of unfinished mounds, suppostion which
is contradcted by their number and the regularity
Of their forms These circles have their counter
parts in the circular hollows surrounded by low
walls of earth, frequently met with In the basin
OF the B attic and German Ocean, usually from ten
to twelve feet, and sometimes one hundred ieet in
diameter, and from three 70 four feet deep which
are supposed to be the foundations OF dwellings
such as the natives of Eastern Siberia still make
use of in the winter. They are met with In many
parts OF Germany, France, and England and are
called in France mardelles or margelles, and in
England penn-pits.is
We pass over the other American earth. works
in the form Of animals, described by Squier and
Davis as existing in Wisconsin; because none
like them are found in Europe.
The material of which these embankments are
constructed is taken for the most part from the
surface of the ground in which they stand accord.
ingly il consists chiefly of earth, but sometimes
also Of stone in masses Of various size.
The artificial mounds occurring j. America, as
well as those in Europe, are found " rave been
erected, some as look.outs or watch posts' and
some as sepulchral tumuli. The watch.posts are
mounds thrown up singly on elevated points and
also in the midst OF Enclosures; in both hemls'
pheres they contain nothing peculiar, aud from
their nature are of course very similar. IL Is other
wise with the mounds of sePuture on the pecu'
liar construction Of which the religion, manners,
and customs Of the people must necessarily have
exercised q great influence Hence while the
agreement in the form and position OF the mounds
OF observ alton in different countries is matter oil
no importance, the similarity and even lden'
tity Of the burial mounds OF different countries
naturally leads us to infer the similarity or identity
Of the builders OF these tombs.
The burial-mounds of America are Of two kinds.
The first kind contain skeleton on q level with
the base Of the mound, placed usually in the mid
die OF it, either on layer Of wood or stone Ia the
naked earth, or in & square chest formed OF tn
pie tier Of unhewn logs laid one above the other.
These mounds consist Of earth taken from the vi
cinity Of the place where they are erected, some
OF them being based on a course OF stone, and
Others being covered with layer of gravel. They
bear the most unmistakable similarity 70 the bar
rows of the Orkney islands, in which the skele-
tons are likewise deposited in chests; and to the
graves Of Germany, in which as at Nienburs on
the SAale in the dutchy of AnhAlt, stone chambers
are found
The second kind Of burial mounds contain Ia
the center ard resting on the original surface Of the
ground, followed, trough shaped hearth Of clay
or stones Of various dimensions and hight In
these mounds are found urns with the remains Of
burnt corpsesh These buriAlmoundS likewise
consist Of the earth Of the vicinity, but are so con-
structed that two or three layers Of sand half an
inch thick alternate with thick layers Of earth,
and the surface is covered with coating OF grav.
ell. Mounds of sculpture Of this kind are also
found in Europe, with perhaps the sole exception
Of the layers of sand, which have not TO my
knowledge been met with. In Altranstadt, in
the province ,of SaehIen. Kingdom Of Prussia, q
tumulus Of this Kind was dug open in the year
ls49 IL consisted Of earth from the vicn.y +,
had resting on the inal surface hearth Of
clay, which material ia not found in the neighbor
hood, and consequently must have beeA brought
from distance and, concealed about foot be.
low the surface, an urn of excellent workman.
ship, glass With long foot, the remains Of a
kr5f nd Of n COrnh and tha Of ha