The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1868-11-05
Nashville Correspondent Cincinnati Titles.
ANTIQUITIES IN TENNESSEE.
Relics Of the Mound Builders--Irterestin

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Discoveries.
The State is probably as rich in the an
tiquities of the ancient people who inhab
tied our country as any other in the Union
Mounds Notifications, the ruins of ancient
temples, tombs, sculptures, pottery anG
human relics are found very plentiful in
many portions of the State. Joseph Jones
! NJ. d., one of our learned citizens, and one
who takes great interest in antiquarian
researches, has been during the last year
and a half making extensive explorations,
and the result of his labors have been ex-
tremely satisfactory.
He has dug with careful perseverance
into most of the artificial mounds Of Ten
nessee, which give evidence Of having
i been she work of our predecessors, and
has unearthed and brought to light q
magnificent array of relics, throwing light
upon the habits and ways of life Of the
now extinct race of people who once in
habited the hills and valleys Of Tennes-
see. Beautifully fashioned vases with the
signs of the cross and crown upon them,
culinary vessels, water jugs, clay and stone
images, Warlike and domestic utensils of
almost every sort, shell ornaments, copper
crosses and human remains were eXhumed
in rich profusion under the Doctors super
intenGence. He succeeded in securing
about twenty-five skulls or craatn, of the
OF the extinct race of mound builders and
careful examinations show them to have
belonged to race superior inintelligence
to the American Indians. All the skulls
however, are unshapen, and show eyiden-
ces of having been tiattened by artificial
means.
The mound builders of Tennessee buried
their dead without much care, often in
stone sepulchres In one of these was
found Uranium 104 cubic inches in ca
pacity, while the largest heretofore dis
covered of any Of the extinct Indian tribes
gives capacity Of only 100 cubic inches
lhe individual in question was probably
great chief or sachem Of his people, as
he was inferred with more than usual
marks of respect. IN his grave was found
vases, she'll ornaments, and small copper
cross
That Tennessee, in common with other
portions Of the great Mississippi valley,
was once Inhabited by numerous race,
who dwell ia towns and practiced to a,
considerable extent the art Of husbandry,
there can be but little doubt. The dis
covery Of the sites of fortified towns, and
the existence of large cemeteries of the
dead, is conclusive evidence in the sup
port Of this belief A considerable por-
ton Of the city of Nashville is built upon
the location Of an extensive cemetery of
these ancient people, while there are
strong evidences that the hill now occu-
pied by the capitol building was the site
Of a large temple of the sun, where, per-
haps, human sacrifices were inundated to
the luminary which was worshipped by 4
this strange people,
These ancient people have ICfJ paintings
upon the rocks along the Tennessee, Cum
berIand, Big Efarpeth and Duck rivers, !
which are still visible They appear to
be mostly emblems of the sun and moon, !
and were probably first carved and then
covered with ochre.
Without doubt one Of the most singular
aboriginal remains in Tennessee is on !
Duck river, not far from Manchester. til
has received the name of the Stone Fort. !
The walls are constructed OF loose rock |
taken, doubtless, from the bed OF the |
stream, and are still in very good preser-
walton. The ratification ihcloses beau
tiful mound six hundred feet in circumfer-
ence and forty feet in height. THIS IS not
the largest of the mounds, however, for
there are others which cover an acre or
two Of ground, and attain an elevation of
seventy feet.
It is not likely that all the earth was
deposited by artificial means, in case of
the larger mounds, but the aborigines pro-
badly selected small hills, and then pared |
them down to suit their purpose.
Bones, stone arrow heads and clay uten-
sils, together with bones of animals, have
been found in several caves of considera- !
bic extent, which are situated in the east
ern part of the State These, however, are
probably remains Of the original aborig-
ines.
The doctor concludes that the race of
people who constructed the mounds and |
fortifcations Of Tennessee was existingan |
active at the time ofthe discovery ofAmer-
lea by Columbus, and perhaps as late as
the exploration ofDe Soto. This decision,
which is at variance with the theories pro
pounded by various ethnologists of Europe |
and America, who assign considerable
period to the extinction of the mound |
builders, he claims is sustained by the re-
markable discovery, made during the pro-
gress of his investigations, OF the cross,
emblems of the Christian religion, and es-
pecially of the Trinity, Saviour and Vir-
gin Mary in the mounds Of Tennessee.
The Doctor supposes the extinct race to
have acquired knowledge Of the symbols
of Christianity through the Spanish colony
of st. Augustine, planted i'll Florida, and
which established numerous missions
among the natives of the country, even
penetrating, with religion. zeal, far inland !
The subject is, indeed, one of deep inter
est, and it has fallen to the lot of Or. James
to secure, at the cost however, of much
money and labor, finer collection Of rel
les of the ancient people Of our State than
has ever heretofore been obtained Of any
of the extinct races of our country. We
are glad to learn that the Smithsonian
Institute, approaching the Doctors re
searches in the antiquarian and etbn9iDgi
cal fields, will soon publish work from
his pen on the antiquities of Tennessee.
1t will prove valuable contribution toI
this species Of literature.
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WHAT THEY ATE AT SARAToGA.-Con-
oress Hail. Saratoga, accommodated dur