The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1876-02-20
INrEursrINe Discovery.
Relics 81 an Ancient cay In Now Ma.
drId County, Missouri,
lsL Louis Republican,

lst Louis Republican,
Captain Whitley has lately returned
from New Mudll county with over
one hundred more specimens Of pot
terry aud relies Of The prehistoric res,
idents Of Missouri, which will be- elias
sllied and added 10 the Centennial coll
lection. Captain Whitley aud the
party who accompanied him have
traced the remains OF a former eXteu.
slvo city, which show the evidences
Of its having been densely populated
The city was surrounded by tortlilca.
lions, the embankmenls with covered
ways connecting the outworks of
which have been traced for several
miles. The remains OF mounds, serv-
Ing either for OutloOks 10 watch nm
enemy, or rs cemeteries for the burial
OF the dead, In which are found skel.
elons, associated with drinking vessels,
nre also found distributed around the
area Of this ancient encampment. The
lndubitable traces of the dwell
lings, streets and avenues, were also
traced over large portions Of the
grounds, the proper survey of which
would doubtless tend to throw new
light on the origin Of these people
The houses were quite small, from
eight TO twelve feet In diameter, and
located about ten feet apart They ok,
listed in regular rows, with streets and
avenues running through the city at
right angles and at proper distance
apart. The foundations Of the dwell
ings, II not the entire structure, were
made OF kind OF adobe brick, of u red
color like modern brick, but of cOarser
material, The Trick, spt clmens of
which were brought US here by Cap
tain Whitley, have transverse holes
passing through, supposed by some to
act as ventilatOrs TO the dwellings, as
the brings being laid llatwise In the
wall, the sides Of the house would be
thereby pierced with multitude of
holes for the admission of the outside
air.
Another and more probable theory
Is that the bricks in malleable state
were pierced with round sticks for the
more readily handling aud burning,
and the sticks having burned out leave
the impression OF their form in the
shape Of hole. The sites of these am
cient habitations are plainly observed
by sunken depression of several feet
in the ground, leaving evidence like
that seen in the sites of demolished
hahilations frequently met with in the
country in modern times. AT first
sight of these habitations the observer
might be led to believe that these an
cient people lived in cellars aud built
their houses under ground, but this inn
preston will Danish on rejecting that
the accumulated debris of ages has en-.
these dwellings beneath the
surface. Beside, on one side of the
ancient city there is still lake or
marsh, which Mt some remote period
may have overlooked its banks, sub.
portions of the site of the an
cient city long after its extinction, and
added its deposits to the accommodating
debris. The site of the city is
now covered with trees, mostly oak, of
an ancient growth, showing that thou
sands of years have rolled round, be-
fore the handiwork of those early Mis-
sourians WAS eXhumed for exhibition
at the Centennial. The pottery brought
up here this time by the indefatigable
antiquarian, some of which was taken
out on Saturday last, consists large
ly of drinking cups, culinary utensils
and bottles, of gourd shape. There
are also trowels aud tools used for FASH
ioning and ornamenting the pottery,
and whet-stones for sharpening the
stone axes and other instruments in
use. But the fantastic character of the
oruamentation of the vessels is what
strikes every one with surprise. There
are very accurate figures of fish, frogs,
and such animals as existed
Mt the time, besides among the feath-
cred tribes are the goose, duck, owls,
hawk, aud probably the rooster from
his comb.
There are miniature busts of male
heads carved out of clay, representing
. type of face more resembling the
ancient Aztec race than the modern
American Indian; but further and
more careful inquiry is necessary before
coming to any conclusion on this point
which would tend to settle the origin
of these early builders and taxpayers
of the State.