New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-02-04
A Prehistoric Dungeon.

~
A Dedham, Massachusetts, letter to the
New York Herald says
This old town has lately been consider
ably excited over the unearthing OF an old
cell or tomb. which seems to be OF preh g.
toric origin. The Charles river. after flow
ing by the town, winds through some two
miles of meadow or swamp laud, consisting
nearly entirely of peat, which Is sometimes
fouLd to be twenty or even thirty feet Ia
depth. In this peat arrow beads and stone
hatchets have often been tound, causing
considerable interest to be attached i a
series of singular hillocks, which rise sud
denly from the swamp at intervals. nearly
regular and of symmetrical proportions.
These have often been thought to DO artiti-
cial--indeed, the oldest inhabitants lhave
tradition that they are burial mounds But,
be that as it may, the discovery OF veri-
table tomb of unknown age will certainly
add TO their interest.
On the side of bare hill, opposite one OF
the mounds and some 200 feet from the
river bank, some wolkmen have recently
been engaged in eXcavating for race
course On Thursday last, while grading
for that purpose, their progress was stopped
by peculiar stone, which seems TO %
kind OF tuta, but is certainly not identical
with any rock formation near the spot.
This rock, although come three feet in
diameter, was so light as to be easily lifted
by one man: and on rolling it aside regu-
lar archway was discovered, leading horl-
zontally into the hillside. The mouth OF
the arch was of Roman shape. some two
feet high by three broad; the walls and
floor were evenly and carefully built OF I'M
hewu stone. cemented with a species OF
mud plaster, no lime cement being found IN
the whole structure. The passage way
widened, until after some ten feet OF
length, 1t expanded into wide cell some
ten feet in diameter; one wall OF
this was artificial, the back of natural
rock, and the other side also artificial, but
of irregular shape. The cell was some five
feet Ugh. and carefully floored throughout.
On the floor was a pile OF cha!ky white
dust, which crnmbled, changed color and
hardened on being exposed to the ar. IN
the top Of the pile was soft black sub
stance, which would appear to be pure
lampblack or carbon, as the workmen de-
scribe it as being ''smeary, like soft, black
putty" but, unfortunately, none OF this sub
stance was saved. The cell has now been
exposed to the open air, so that only two OF
the sides and the floor remain intact. Inc
lahorers employed in the work are anx-
iously searching for old coins, bnt no coin,
implement or weapon OF any klnd mas YET
been discovered. Specimens OF the har,
dened white dust, of the mud mortar and OF
the lava-like rock have been sent 10 Cam
bridge for examination
Theories are numerous regarding the
cause of such subterranean structure, but
it's origin is wrapped in mystery. Probably
it was tomb, and the heap of ashes was
all that remains of some early cremation
for surely it was the work of no Anglo
Saxon settlers. The land on which 1t was
found has been waste land ever since the
settlement of the town; besides, the Purl-
tans never built subterranean tombs, never
practiced cremation, and we're far too coed
masons not to know the value of lime NOR
tar in building an archway of round stones.
Was it the Norsemen But if they ever
ventured so far inland, what was their OBJ
iect in building go permanent a structure
The Indians? But they never built stone
tombs, we're totally unacquainted with the
principle of the Keystone, and would have
buried q brave with his pipes and arrows in
order to place him in suitable attire for the
happy hunting grounds. The walled roof
of the tomb was some three feet below the
surface of the ground, which consists of
| gravel. The length of the tomb. including
the entrance, is some eighteen feet, placed
exactly east and west; in the widest part
it is about ten feet in diameter. The yer,
dict of the Cambridge savants IS awaited
with great interest.