New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-11-19
THE MOUND BUILDERS.

ARCHAEOLOGICAL DISCOVERIES NEAR CHICAGO.
A discovery has just been made III the
suburbs OF Chicago which 1t II believed WIN ada m.es
earliest inhabitants Of North America Pl1i' William
sumson, who has long been connected WIN ng OSsks
Academy OF Sciences, short time silce WINE passing
Mr. Thatchers farm. just beyond the town OF haLem.
suspected might belong to the Notwithstanding per'oa
and might contain valuable mementOes oi apast aye
few days aferward he obtained permission 81 the owner
OF the farm 10 make examination "a e a Ass
week, he. together with Charles heHhcoU made
ttbs earth 10 the depth OF about three feet. They
had dug but short time, "heh nuinan
proved 10 be OF at present extinct up
on the continent North America Perseyerug efforts
other similar mounds aDd the remains OF twenty human
beings Two entire skeletons were found, with the ex
the other few OF the bones Of the hands aud feet The
bones themselves very friable and required tue
again The bones which mark the peculiar characters OF
tie beings who possessed them those OF tile era
all descendants OF the Caucasian are usually much
greater ID length breadth They have what Is tech
quois indians who inhabited America at the landing OF
Columbus, possessed square heads, or skulls whic On
and tb1s fact stamps them as being at least az
old as the first discovery Of America IL Is said that the
influences OF civilization have entirely changed Tie shape
OF the Indians skull that tile present tribes no mat
Ter how much from the white man, present no
cases OF the antique Indian head Another evidence Oh
the antiquity these remains Is the position IN which
thew were found Prof Stmson was Obliged To
large which grew on one OF the moud 10 reach the
skeletons section OF this tree disclosed rngA
and since botanists claim evidences Of the hrt
u years growth Of old trees has been oDteraieu IL ION
lows that this tree was least old The mounds
wer ahout two feet above the surface of the prairie,
oval IN shape and were about or rect wlde aho
from 10 TO 20 feet length. They each surrounded
by weEdeined trench. Before reaching the remains.
a layer OF hard blue clay was penetrated, and the
mains were found three feet below the surface The
mounds contained tools weapons or at least mono
have vet been discovered although, as tue researches
have not terminated il not impossible al these oo
jects may yet be found The reinalus we're apparently
thrown together promscuousy, as te tl'eS Oi sep
tnre had been hurredperaps at the close ol Dattie
From all the circumstances Is believed tna ,ss
beings buried there the place was lhe aEin "a ts
lake thus the phenomena are closely eouhecSed vita
another interesting series of questions relating 20 sns
before the shores were discovered by Enropeans
DR. Durham read the following report on these
discoveries before the Chicago Academy OF sciences.
There were i've In number, located near the eastern
Nth Vonng recs and underbrush aud the soil is clay in
srsed with gravel On the farm OF Mr. True, on sectsn
sSa,smeter was discovered The first discovered
an ehptical mound lying near ana pafael 70 tue man
tnn Tins mound feet In circumference and a. In
diameter northwest 20 southwest ahd Is ieet
trench eight feet wide. Upon this mound are several
black stumps. the largest OF which Il nineteen nehes
in diameter with 81 rings. IL has very gentle slope
ana is elevated A. inches above the surrounding ground
Mr.. Kcnncott made an exploratory excavation 10 the
depth OF three and half feet and found the mound cOl
posed OF clayey SOIL very compact Fyt~O feet south
Of ths mound and 10 feet from the bank OF the river was
another elevated To the hight OF 81 Inches, ana sur
rounded By welldehned shallow trenci SIX feet
The measurements are; circumference lOs feet;
long diameter, 81 feet; short diameter, - feet
The ground is covered with hazeLbrush aud
srruh-oaks and there are four small stuups six
inches In diameter An excavation made in this
mound, signs OF qualification of the soil, WHICH
was cayey In character. found But at the depth
OF tnirtysx inches there was found a small bone-s
fragment OF unO-but nothing else The excavation
was continued inches below the surrounding level
and harder clay, with Indications OF removal was
found Fifteen feet distant is remarkable MOUND.
which has some resemblance 10 animal and has Oeeh
ehrlstened The Black Bear The bear lies paraei I'd
the Despiaines River seventy feet southeast OF NO
and body II sixty feet long thirty feet VIDE anu eo
waited three aud half feet. The extrenes art lower
and hatter. The anterior eNtremtes are twenty one
feet In length while the pOsterior portion Is irregular
and longer. To the OF the third MOUND Is weit
marked l02 feet in circumference, elevated Two ieo
Hidden In the underbrush with an old stump on the SUN
init, circular mound, sixty feet IN circuneiSncos
aud elevated feet AZ the depth OF three iee pin5
closely together, foHnd pOrtJns OF Two Skulls a
tured By the SHARP point OF war club" lChcago TriD