Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1869-12-01
The Mound Builders.

/
the following:
Prof William Stimson, connected with
the Chicago Academy of Science, short
time since, while passing Mr. Thatcher's
| farm, just beyond the town of Harlem and
adjoining Haas Park, discovered hillocks
| which he suspected might belong to the
mound d-building period, and might contain
valuable mementoes of past age. A few
| days atterward he obtained permission Of
| the owner of the farm to make an examina-
| ton of the mounds, and last week he, to-
gether with Charles Kennicott, made per-
| sonal examination of the premises, and un-
covered the earth to the depth of about
| three feet. They had dug but short time,
when human bones were discovered, which,
upon examination, proved to be of a race
at present extinct upon the continent of
North America. Persevering efforts of sew
eral days were rewarded with the finding of
several other similar mounds, and the re-
mains of twenty human beings. Two en-
tire skeletons were found, with the excep-
ton that one of them lacked two cervical
bones, and the other a few of the bones Of
the hands and feet. The bones themselves
were very friable, and required the most
careful handling to prevent their falling in
to dust again.
The bones which mark the peculiar char
acters of the beings who once possessed
them are those of the Uranium. It is well
known that the heads of Europeans and all
descendants of the Caucasian race are
usually much greater in length and breadth.
They have what is technically called the
0licho-cephalic skull which the Iroquois
Indians who inhabited America at the
landing of Columbus, possessed square
heads, or skulls which archBologists call
brachy-cephGIgc. The skulls found at
Thatcher's farm are Of the brGchy-cephdIic
type, and this fact stamps them as being at
least as old as the first discovery of Amer
lea. It is said that the influences of civili-
zation have entirely changed the shape of
the Indians skull, so that the present
tribes, no matter how much isolated from
the white man, present no cases of the an
tique Indian head.
Another evidence of the antiquity of
these remains is the position in which they
were found. Prof. Stimson was obliged to
remove large tree which grew on one of
the mounds to reach theskeletons. A cross
section of tree disclosed 81 rings, and
since botanists claim that the evidences of
the first Is years growth of old trees has
been obliterated, it follows that this tree
was at least 100 years old.
The mounds were about two feet above
the surface of the prairie, were oval in
shape, and were about four or five feet
wide, and from 10 to 20 feet in length
They were each surrounded by well de.
fined trench. Before reaching the remains
a layer of hard blue clay was penetrated,
and the bones were found reposing in a bed
of gravel. The remains were found three
feet below the surface.
The tombs of the mound builders as
they are called are supposed to have been
constructed by the ancestors of the ancient
Aztecs, or by the Aztecs themselves. The
remains are usually found arranged in reg
ular order, and accompanied with TOOLS
weapons, and implements, by which their
great antiquity is inferred and, to some ex-
tent, measured. The mounds discovered
last week by Prof Stimson contained no
tools or weapons, or at least none have yet
been discovered, although, as the research
es have not terminated, it is impossible
that these objects may yet be found. The
remains were apparently thrown together
promiscuously, as if the rites of sepulture
had been hurried-perhaps at the close of
of battle.
From all the circumstances it is believed
that when the beings were buried there,
the place was the margin of the lake, and
thus the phenomena are closely connected
with another interesting series of questions
relating TO the lake and its physical condi-
ton and boundaries before the shores we're
discovered by Europeans.
On yesterday, another mound was dis
covered, circular in it's form, and larger
and higher than the others. It has not yet
been investigated so as to determine what
is the character of it's contents.
The subject will belaid before the Acade-
my of Sciences this evening, when. it may
be expected, some new light will be thrown
upon the matter.