The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1876-07-15
rselsca o !, emo Past.
4 GREAT MOUND IN sESSsyLvANIA----sREL,
TONS OF ANCIENT PEOPLE.
frro,n the ysNnonssIurg Herald

~ GS s{t'ss TONS OF ANCIENT PEofi.hs
trrorn the cxnonsturg Heram.I
Ss On "Wednesday morning last we made q
visit to an Interesting mound, containing the
remains OF q large number OF human bodies.
This ,Iaound is one Of two situated on the
farm Of Wsilssrl Boon, IN Peters township,
Washsn gsoa county. The mound visited Is
situated on the highest ground ina Geld
near the Boon residence. It has been al
most entirely dug over and its proportions
destroyed ~ 80. 80 i, ~,
stone for some purpose on his farm, re-.
moved The earth at this elevation, and was
surprised at the regularity of position pre-
scented by the stones, It evidently appearing,
that they were placed there in some system
attic order. Another peculiarly also psS~
sented itself, and that was that there were
many kinds OF stone deposited there, some
OF them originaily from distant locallaes.
This led him 10 more closely investigate
the mound, WHEN he found evidences Of an
extensive buriel place. On careful olsserra-
ton it was masifestthat one-half Of thec}eva.
ton had beeniat some remote time disturb
cd. In that ,part of the remainder which
he inspected he found the reinaias Of DIT
least eleven or twelve human! odies. These
remains were very much decayed, even the
best preserved presenting but fragments t0f
the bones. The fat and spongy bones had
alnost uniformly disappeared, and in most
cases theaong bones broke at . touch, show.
ing that the bodies to which they belonged
had been placed there q great many years
ago. In some instances therlbs, 5aw-bones,
and teeth, andethe nhaianges Of lIanas and
{. ieetw passably we'll preserved.
The bones seemed to have been arranged
according to a, very peculiar system. Dir
Boon informed us that he found in each in.
stance the bodies radiating like the gays OF
4 ster from central bowlder, a@ainstWhicf
the head of each body was placed Under.
noath the shoulders Of each he found a. fiat
sheiyy kind Of stone. The remaining stones
used as q wall OF separation, or o covering.
fthis was hard to determine, from the adj
Eaneed stage OF decay were Systematically
placed or built, 80 that they oEeriapped, ant
made Ii difficult to remove them unless tht
keystone could be first found ',t#
With Mr.. Boon's assistance we barred thu
earth from the stones in one place, and saw
something OF their peculiar disposition. II
this case the body had been entirely amalga
mated with the surrounding earth. The
peculiar nature OF the soil andthe shape Of
the body, which could be traced, indicated
the certainty Of this assimilation. We sc
cured some of the best specimens OF TIT
pOIlcS. at1SE 50 ~.sh>4s -
There is every evidence that the persons
whose bones have thus been discovered diet
long since, possibly centuries ago. The sol
containing their remains is elevated and dry
and the surroundings, one would think
favorable to their long preservation, ant
yet, as intimated, in some instances only th'
slightest trace Of their existence could bt
Obtained. Who arc these people! Who
placed their bodies here? Were they OF
prehistoric race? - .----.