The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1876-07-13
Relics. Of, the Mound Builders ON the
5tBE1@Dis Ohio River. HGET19e1

/ Mr.. J. r. Wherry sends the follow
ing to the Mound City (IH) Joarnal: ].
According to premise, L give you be
low a statement of my exploration o.
the "Merriweather Mound. 'rsy This
mounds situated about one mile from
the Ohio River, and nearly. opposite
Mound City on the Kentucky side-and
lis in one corner OF a two hundred acre
tcornfield ON the old Nav estate. 1t is
about 50 feet inheight, fiat. on top, ard
measures at the base about 100 feet IFS
nearly circular, with the sides sloping
so as to give diameter on top of
35 feet. ~ I'll .-.-..'.-T
, We commenced work by running a
trench four feet deep by as many wide
/ from north to south through this fiat
top. In doing so we removed six skel-
etons, which seemed to lhavsnbeeu
placed there regardless of position, ex-
lcept that they were all face up. They
were lying at right angles with each
other, on top. doubled up, and lying
around recklessly generally Each one
had an earthen vessel placed against
the right ear. There was but one ex-
ception TO thisa rule. The skeletons
Were SO far decomposed that we were
only able to carry off two specimens of
crania, and they were only, that por-
tion above horizontal line with the
7 peyes-when placed upright From
measurements taken from the thigh
bones we inferred these people could
not have been more than four feet five
inches in height. The size of thesskull
was much smaller in proportion than
those of persons of the same height of
to-day, and much lower and more
rounding in the forehead, also very
fiat on the back I do not think they
are near so thick as white mans
skull. The pottery vessels spoken of
were of various sizes and designs,
holding from pint up to three pints,
round on the bottom similar to cocoa
nut cup; the openings have lip turned
out equally all around and rudely Orna-
mented with fiutings and small raised
handles. They are made from clay
mixed with pulverized river or sea
shells and fire baked. rtg.rE -aa
After finishing the trench running
north and south we opened another
the same size from east to west. In
this we found four skeletons, with YES
sells as described. On going deeper
some two feet we came upon what ap-
peared to be furnace. 1t was in the
form of an ordinary bath tub, and
lined two inches thick with red clay
baked hard after having been. spread
on. You could see no difference be-
tween this lining material. and the com
mon building-brick in use now. This
furnace was five feet in length by two
feet deep and wide. Charcoal was
found around it in abundance, and
some calcined bones. ...I.E. f..,. l.
We found scattered about in different
places the following articles: One
stone pipe with human face carved
on it; one stone needle four inches
long and the size of sail needle of
that length; a piece of a broken stone
image containing q very fair represent
alton of the human face and a turbaned
head, the knot Immediately in front; n
pottery-ware image of an unfledged
owl, about the size Of your thumb. We
were unable to get out whole more
than two of the earthen vessels spoken
of, on account of the roots of trees hav-
ing crowded them to pieces, and in one
instance we found thread-like root
followed the hollow of a thigh bone
clear through, coming out at the knee
All over the cornfeld spoken of are
found specimens of broken pottery. |
think there Is at least piece for every
hill of corn. We brought away speci-
mems of this ware, and they are as va
rious in their material and manufac-
tare as the same class of wares of to-
day. Some are simply red clay sun
baked, and others of various degrees
of hardness up to an apparent stone
cement. As we made but pal tial ex-
animation of the mound we will give it
further attention at some other time,
expecting that by going deeper we may
strike. something of more interest.