The States and Union. [volume] (Ashland, Ohio) 1868-1872, 1871-08-02
Ancient Monuments in Ohio.
OHio VALLEY. June. 1871

ONO VALLEY, June, 1871.
Archaeology has a grand field in this
fine valley beyond the mountains
Everywhere, from Red Stone Old
Fort, on the Upper Monongahela, to
Mound City, uear where La Belle Riv-
ierG, as the carly French voyageurs
loved to call the Ohio of the Della
wares, loses itself in the Father of
Waters, marked evidences of pre- his
toric populations exist. All the broad
alluvial. the neighboring hill-tops, the
conspicuous promontories, attest that
man lived-an dwelt here in long an
terror ages. His works everywhere
abound. Mounds, Recommendations,
mural and other works rise up on plain,
valley and hill, while minor remains
of art lie thick over the surface or
buried in geological strata. Whose
works are these! Whence came and
whittier went the people who have
left these evidences of their presence,
power, and spirit of combined action ?
History is mute, and tradition speech
less. A profound mystery envelops the
antiquities of the West 1t is hoped
the impulse given to archaeological TX
plorations will develop something, but
thousands of interesting works have
already been destroyed. 1t is a re-
proach to people and government
that the investigation and preservation
of our ancient monuments have so
long and so persistently been neglec
ted
desire, briefly, to refer to a few of
these interesting works.
At Marietta, Ohio, are extensive
remains, but some more of the remark
able have been removed. A covered
way leading from other works to the
river (Muskingum) has been princi-
pally converted into brick and graded
streets. The walls are about eighteen
feet high. An officer of an Ohio-reg-
iment during the war had his camp
around one of the great elevated
squares" and placed there a durable
fence for the protection of the monu-
ment.
at Grave Creek, above Marietta,
are many mounds, and was the theatre
of extensive works. The great mound
stands conspicuously on an elevated
terrace. 1t is seventy feet in height.
Descending the Ohio similar works
occur throughout the great valley,
Astounding in certain localities-on
Worth's Bottom, above the Kanawha;
on BealPs Farm, below Kanawha;
Green Bottom, near mouth of Sandy;
opposite mouth of Scioto, DC.
TO even name ell would require
more space than could be allotted to
this letter. 1 will hurriedly describe
a few, and some OF the minor vesti
ges of art accomplishing them.
The Ohio Valley mounds are conf
cal, truBcated, square and ellipsoidal.
They vary in height from ten to forty
feet, except in the case of Grave Creek.
They are chiefly of earth; but lithic
streaks are not uncommon. They &C.
cur singly and in groups, often con-
nected with mural works.
The origin and uses of these mounds
find ready hypothesis with every am
bilious writer or thinker. The theor-
les advanced are numberless. My
own opinion, based upon careful in
vestigation, is that all mounds were
primarily designed for places of sepul-
ture- Other and divers uses have
been assigned them, but the one grand
purpose was always maintained.
They were not the sepulchres of the
masses, but of dignitaries, prominent
people, and often, doubtless, are fam
lily sepulchres. Modes of burial va,
ried in different localities. Cremation
was practised TO considerable extent.
Cinerary urns are not of uncommon
occurrence. A boy discovered one
near where 1 write, some months since.
1t was discovered beneath a heavy
shelving road near Big Sandy River.
A long row of mounds is within full
view of my windows. They stretch
along a narrow ridge on the second
river terrace, between the Guyandottc
and Sandy. Some two or three oil
them have been examined, revealing
interesting contents.
In the vicinity of Portsmouth Ohio,
are extensive remains. An anomalous
mode of burial was observed in one on