Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1868-08-10

NalteS.
MOUNDS ON THE AMERICAN BOTTOM.
MIR. w. DeHsas writes to the 81. Louis
Democrat:
"The mounds on the American Bot
tom, in Illinois, are comprised in two
separate groups, constituting one grand
and imposing system. They number
nearly two hundred, including those on
tie adjacent bluff. They are OF various
sizes and shapes, rising from the scarcely
distinguishabie elevation to the imposing
structure OF over ninety feet. They are
conical, ellipsoidal, truncatedi square and
tetrogonal. They are entirely OF earth,
and raised with as much regularity and
symmetry as q potter would mould a
model in clay. They have all been form
ed from material taken from the adjacent
plain or bluff-vegetable mould, clay and
soil, and present n arked notified ap-
pearsncs, identical with the mounds IN
the Ohio valley. Every mound has been
elevated by human labor, and he who
denies this seif-evident fact, simply ae-
knowIedges himself ignorant of the sub
ject. Tue evidence, externally and in
ternally, position, structure character
and contents clearly, positively and IN
mistGksbly prove this.
GThe tumuli under consideration were
probably all erected by the same people.
we cannot here, as in the case of the
ancient Britons, determine from the
character of the mounds the type Of race
they cover. There, the long, or elliptical
barrow contains the long or dotichoce-
3lhdlic head; and per contra, the round
or coaieal barrow contains the round or
6rachycep b0Gic head. Here, We have
the long and round mounds, but not hu-
man crania of corresponding type con-
fiued to these forms. We have here the
semi-prognathous and pyrsmidal heads,
but not confined to any particular form
of mounds.
"The fctilia from these western
mounds consists of distinct qualities.
One is fine, compact, grained, kiln
burned, painted and tastefuliy OrnA-
mented, moulded for breccia composed
of clay. and proved much skill. The
other is coarse, rude, of irregular thick
ness. sun-dried, Commemorative without
taste, and composed OF clay and small
rbomb oidsl fragments of white epathic
carbonate of lime, and some of simple
clay. Some Of the finer quality occa-
sionally shows a polishing or glazing,
leaving minute stre, as if done with
TUT OF grass dipped into 5Gr6Otte.
SIN making some excavations on the
nIsiD. a short distance west of the large
mound. | discovered large quantities of
pottery in connection with human re-
mains. Some of them were rude and
quite heavy. One was clearly cinirary
urn.
"The implements, ornaments and
weapons in stole indicate two classes
one representing the paldcOtethic, or I'M
dressed stone age; the other the ReOtitistc,
or polished stone age, OF Sir John Lub-
book. Some of the specimens OF the
finer quality are Of exquisite skill and
workmanship, They are of pOrphyry,
horneblede, granite, serpentine, nephrite,
and the hSrdest varieties OF ampnRbolic
rcek.
lone Of the most interesting classes is
agricultural. They are unlike Sny i'm
plements or utensils in store, found in
the OHIO valley, or any other part OF the
couhtry. They were undoubtedly used
in tiiiing the soil. One represents the
modern hoe, and our domestic imple-
neut il but little improvement on that
OF the mound builders. A specimen be-
fore me is Of limpir quartz, of fsultless
workmanship. Their smaller quartz
weapons are very fine-ranging from
the common horn stone up through
all the varieties to the present
chalcedony. The celts or axes rep
resent an extensive class, and
are Of almost every style and finish.
Some are very large, weighing over ten
pounds. A granite implement far sur
passes these in size, some weighing over
twenty-five pounds. The use Of this was
prObn bly, to dress hides or crush corn.
Their mortars and pestles have been re-
covered, their pipes, discs and pOrphrytie
rings for games.
'fThe household gOods-IGFes and pen
utgs Of q people forever lOst-are among
the contents Of mounds added to the fine
collection of early art which have made
in this interesting region.
"The ornaments with which they dec
GRATED their persons, the weapons with
which they fought, the implements with
which they fought, the implements with
which they slew their game, and the
vessels with which their dom estic board
was served with visnds, have all been
recovered, with a large number Of mis-
cellaneOus articles in stone, which consti-
tUte, with those from other antiquarian
localities, one Of the most extensive and
valuable collections Of early American
art yet made.
zone object sought in these researches
is to make full collection Of aneient
art, representing the archie 1lngy of the
northern division Of the western con
sinent.n