The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1867-11-28
MUNIC ITO N s /.
n1- For the Palladium.
A Lost Race-SkeIietons.

rect knowledge of those who have in
habited our country Is query that
impresses itself on my mind, and the
answer to it is left for future develop
ments, and will remain a query, unless
some one can, in searching the musty
records of the past, find q race of men
whose customs were similar to those
whose remains were disinterred q short
time since--a brief account of which is
the subject of my communication. 3niT
We may talk at old settlers meetings,
Of the red man, who roamed the wilds
of this country-the white, whose en-
terprise caused them to make the will
derness bloom and blossom but all
this will give but faint idea of the ra-
ces of men who evidently lived and
died anterior to either the red or white
the real aborigines.
/ During this summer and fall, have
made some discoveries, that may throw
some light OH hequestion. In opening
gravel bank, (for constructing pike
located on high range of upland coun-
try, two and half miles west of the
west fork of Whitewater, and one mile
north east of the south west corner of
this county, the remains of some lost
race of men were very unexpectedly
exhuned. Having advanced some rods
into the bank. and obtained depth of
gravel of about twenty two feet, and to
the depth Of Z to 8 feet from the surface,
ed signs of having been moved or exea
waited and filled. Some places showed
that both square and round holes had
been dug. Upon a careful examination,
] fire Goals were found in almost every
place where the earth appeared to have
been moved. Some places presented
the appearance of a basin, some six feet
in depth, where wood had evidently been
burned, until several inches of coal and
ashes had accumulated at the bottom
Still continuing our examinations, as
the gravel was hauled away, and as it
caved down from the bank, an opportu
nifty was given US to push our researches
fnrther back in the hill. One day dark
looking spot showed itself in the gravel
six feet below the surface. Upon re-
moving the gravel that had this dark
appearance, small pieces of a skull bone
and the entire under jaw of a human be-
ing, with every tooth complete and
sound, were obtained. The jaw bone
appeared to be that of a very large and
old person--the age being indicated by
the teeth beirg worn down--no other
bones of any other part of the frame
were found at this point but in tracing
the gravel upward, which was of a cir
cular form, a limy appearance in the
gravel was plainly perceivable, indica-
ting the entire decomposition of the
other bones.
The next slide Of gravel, and about
ten feet from the place where the remains
of departed humanity were first obtain
ed, exhibited another dark spot in the
gravel, nine feet from the surface.
ladder was obtained, and ascending to
the place, with my hand, l carefully
commenced removing the gravel from
below the discolored earth, which was
composed of fire. Goals, ashes and burnt
human bones. had not proceeded up
ward far, until the top of q human skull
appeared. Gently removing the gravel
from around the head, TO ascertain the
position in which it lay, found TIE nn-
der jaw resting on top of the ssuls, with
the teeth of the upper and .lower jaws
fit ing together almost as neatly as when
this stranger possessed life and all its
physical powers complete. Upon this
head lay the breast, ribs, neck, and back
bones, with the upper and lower bones
Of the arms reclining on and against the
face the hands and finger bones in
about the same position; upon the top
of all these, lay the hip plates and thigh
bones, and still higher up in this grave
were the shin, ancle, feet, and toe bones.
From this grave, which had been dug
in circular form, about thirty inches
in diameter, we exhumed the remains of
four full grown human beings, who had
been buried in this hole or grave, in q
perpendicular position, with their heads
downarard-a position that we have no
historical account of any nation or race
Of men, thus disposing Of their dead,
excepting one in the vast Chinese En-
pire, who believe in the doctrine of the
, resurrection Of the same physical body,
in the epoch of time. Their philosophy
for this mode of burial is, that, when
this time shall arrive, the earth, will be
turned upside down, aed they want their
People to be standing upon their feet,
in the morning of the resurrection!