Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1871-03-04
ANCIENT MOUNDS, ETC. IN THE
WEST.

| therein, could be shut up and remain pre-
served thousand years, it would afford an
interesting problem to the antiquary. Turn
ing over the spinning wheels, examining the
looms, cradles, presses &C., he would say at
once all these things so strange and useless to
us, were plainl, the Inventions and useful inn
plements of people who lived centuries ago.
His problem would be to discover their use,
and the life of the people of which they re-
main the hieroglyphical history.
An antiquarian problem somewhat of this
States in the ancient mounds, the weapons and
implements found among them. No history,
no tradition even, comes down to of these
strange relics of forgotten people who once
inhabited this land. Whence came they?
| What was their civilization, the cause of their
extinction? The Indian tribes, the sole pos
SCISSORS of this land at the time of discovery
and early settlement possessed no traditions
of any more civilized people before them, yet
plainly such people did dwell around the
great western lakes and in the Mississippi val
ley, thousand or more years ago. The i'm
plements and weapons found in these strange
mounds and enclosures in many of the west
ern States, are similar to those found in the
Swiss-Lake dwellings, save in material.
Copper was most commonly used for the
manufacture of axes knives, &c. This they
seem to have worked into shape in cold
state, by continued chipping and hammering
Around Lake Superior are extensive excava-
tons in copper beds, showing that this forgot
ten people understood mining. There are
trees now growing on the mounds thrown up
| from these beds three or four hundred years
| old. These excavations in the copper beds
are sometimes thirty or forty feet deep, extend
ing over many square miles. There are found
in these beds big stone mauls and chises
with which evidently the copper was broken
off and cut out. Who and where the people
that used them? The art of pottery was well
known at the time. Well fashioned utensils
are found made from clay and pounded quartz,
many of them beautifully ornamented.
OF the enclosures that seem to have been
for defense, some of the most wonderful are
found in Brownsville, Ohio. One of these is
on the summit of hill, four hundred feet
high. This wall extends around the hill a
little below the brow, enclosing about one
hundred and forty acres, the wall being two
and one fourth miles long. 1t is now much
tumbled down. Originally it must have been
about eight feet high, and ten feet wide. Trees
five and six hundred years old have been
found growing on the wall and embankment,
with the stumps and decaying trunks of still
older ones beneath and around them, showing
that the wall has been in its present condition
at least thousand years. We might believe
| that this wall once enclosed town, were it
| not on the summit of the hill evidently it was
| for defence-a place of retreat for many
| thousands-in case of attack from enemies.
| How numerous must have been the people to
construct such wall, and need such an en-
| closure for defense.
The so called sacred enclosures are the
| most numerous. These occupy the plains and
| lower ground. They are most always found
| in groups-one large one in the centre, with
| smaller ones around it. From this larger to
the smaller are generally connecting avenues,
| walled in. Some of these cirular walls
enclose from one hundred and fifty to two hun
| dred acres. The smaller enclosures are from
| one to two hundred feet in diameter.
The most remarkable of these is near New
ark, Sciota Valley. 1t covers an area of four
square miles. The centre is an octagon of
| fifty acres surrounded by a wall somewhat
thrown down. 1t is now about twelve feet
| high, with base OF fifty feet Near some of
the entrances the wall is still sixteen feet high
Around this octagon are many enclosed
| squares and circles connected with the centre
! by walled-in streets. What were those en-
closures for? From their form and structure
they were plainly the work Of people, nu-
merous and possessing considerable degree
of civilization, who lived more than thou
sand years ago.
| Within these enclosures are some mounds.
| One has been discovered seven hundred feet
long, five hundred feet wide and ninety feet
high. Might it not be the elevated site of the
residence Of some king or chief-may be the
site of temple?
There are also almost innumerable, what
seem to be, sepulchral mounds, from six 70
eight feet high, covering single skeleton.
With these skeletons are found buried, in
many cases, implements of stone and metal,
bracelets, beads, &c. These skeletons are ia
sitting posture, as if awaiting call to new
life. What strange history we might learn,
if only we could call back the soul that once
lived in one of those skeleton houses.
There is another kind of mound, from two
to forty feet in diameter. They are raised
but little above the surface. The top is little
concave of burnt clay or stone. On these are
found relics of weapons, pottery, arrows
heads, and pipes. Nothing like these is found
among the Indian tribes yet.
Archaologists have generally concluded
they are the remains of sacrifcial mounds
wherson this extinct people offered up burnt
sacrifices to their gods
-. Il.