Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1868-11-02
Mound Builders Of Tennessee.
From the Nashville Press. October %. J

From the NASHVILLE fress, OctoDer zZ.J
DR.. Joseph Jones, of our city, delivered
at Masonic Hall last night, before large
and intelligent assemblage of our citi-
zens, q most instructive and interesting
lecture upon the mound-builders of Ten
uessee. In almost all portions of our
State are found large artificial mounds,
the product of a race of people very diff
ferens from the savages who were familiar
10 the early settlers. These relics have
often excited the curiosity of those who
saw and examined them. During the
war, when the State was in the hands of
the Federal forces, the excavations made
at Chattanooga, Knoxville, Murfreesboro
and Nashville revealed great many
curious remains, which were carried away
to the North. Previous to the labors of
DR.. Jones, however, no systematical
efforts had been entered into to collect
and classify the antiquities and remains
of the people who constructed the mounds
and built the graves which are so nume-
rous all over. Tennessee. The Doctor
commenced last year series of explora.
tions, which be continued with unabated
ardor up to within few weeks ago. The
result Of his labors in the antiquarian
Geld has been most gratifying. He has
succeeded in collecting q finer array
of relics and remains than ever was
secured of any other extinct American
race. The rostrum of the hall last night
was covered with large number of inn
plements, human remains, vases, orna-
ments, idols, etc., which had been ex-
humed under his supervision from the
mounds of our State. The Doctor gave
an account of his researches into large
mound in Giles county. Here, in the
center of the pyramid, he discovered the
remains of great chief, buried with nu-
merous relics, and around him the skel-
etons of some of his subjects Drifting
into the sides Of the artificial mounds,
ashes, bits of pottery, and bones of both
human beings and animals were found,
mixed up in one incongruous conglome.
ration, often with beautiful specimens of
vases and she'll ornaments. Specimens
| of the burned crust of these mounds, be-
meath the present soil, we're exhibited.
Two large stone idols were shown, carved
out of q dark irou-colored rock, the
largest some thirteen inches in hight,
and the others perhaps four inches less
| in stature. 0ue represented female,
and has the hair gathered up behind un-
der diminutive sort Of waterfall.
while in the longer specimen, that OF
male, the hair was represented twisted
into sort Of cue, not unlike the style OF
our forefathers in the Revolutionary
times. The lecturer, to please the lady
hearers, gave a short description of the
tout ensemble of one Of the female
mound-builders. With hair gathered in
graceful knot behind ears pierced and
filed with huge rings Of she'll or bone,
nose likewise ornamented with an enor-
nous balancing weight, she must have
been an enchanting creature. Two cop
per crosses we're exhibited, together with
three vases, the outsides Of which were
divided into three regular compart-
menis, having three crosses and three
crowns, symbolic, the Doctor claimed, Of
the Christian religion, the Trinity and the
Virgin Mary. The signs Of the Catholicr re-
lieion, he stated, were wonderfully promi-
nent in a great many Of the relics thus far
brought to light On the great mound near
Franklin, two hundred and thirty feet in
diameter, evidently stood gigantic tenn
pie ofthe sun. Religious symbols we're
plentiful there. Two remarkable vases
we're exbumed, one not unlike child
foot, with the opening at the heel, and
the other surmonnted with 4 carved head
With helmet. having q remarkable re-
semblance 10 that Of q Spanish cavalier
The speaker inferred from this that the
extinct people we're not unfamiliar With
the hsuehiy race whose conlnests IN
Mexico and Peru read almost Ike re-
nance Of the widest character Here
be found, too, the skeleton Of child, the
face OF which vas covered With e earious