The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1877-03-10
PREHISTORIC RELICS.
Interesting Archaeological Treasures
Unearthcd in IoWn,

Cooks point, on the river bank lust
west of the city, bids fair to become re-
nowned as the depository of the most
remarkable archaeological treasures ever
discovered in the Mississippi Valley
and the Davenport Academy of Sciences
will soon have extensive fame in con-
nection herewith. 1t is only some two
years ago that that earnest acadcmician
Rev. j. E. Gass, pastor of the First Ger
man Lutheran Church, made the grand
discovery of copper axes and hatchets-
some ofthem cloth-bound-with pottery
and human remains, in one Of the
mounds on the Cook property; and now
the same gentleman has another streak
of prehistoric luck, in 'find" that will
create q sensation among scientists who
are dclving after a knowledge of the
prehistoric man-that is if the articles
prove to be of no later origin than the
ones lately found of that mysterious yet
numerous individual.
As Mr.. Gass and Mr.. l.. Ii. Wilrodt
were exploring mound, they came
upon some small slabs of dark shale, the
surfaces of which were covered with
yellow clay. These were found near
some human bones. On removing the
clay, what was their astonishment to
find that they had secured pictured
rocks of great value. The largest was
12x9 inches, and 1-2 inches thick. In
rubbing the clay, this slab split in two
and one face of each of the plates of
shale were covered with etchings-or
rather deep scratches with some metal
instrument. One picture represents a
scene of sacrifice, evidently. A fire
blazing, in the center is q ring; on one
side of the blaze is PROSTATE human
figure, and on the other side are two
more beings, all bound, and around the
fire and bodies fourteen persons are
dancing. In an upper corner is the sun,
with long and short rays, opposite is the
moon. We are sorry to state that, since
this slab has been exposed to the public
gaze, persons have tested the shale by
scratching it, and thus what was we'll
formed face in the moon has been most
wholly obscured by scratches. The 9TH
err represents animals of various kinds
some creeping, some walking, and all
much as little child might draw on a
slate. One of the animals is three
legged monstrosity with a body shaped
like mushroom-it couldn't have been
intended for turtle, as its legs are too
long for that. Then there are various
circles, with peculiar marks inside.
There is picture Of hunter with bow
in hand, he having just shot a deer
which lies near him. So it seems the
prehistoric man killed deer with bow
and arrow, as do the Indians. of our era.
Another slab, six inches square, shows
a series of circles, with twelve figures
between each circle-while outside OF
the outer circle are twelve peculiar fig.
ures that are neither human nor animal
The distances between the figures is ex-
actly the same in the margin as it is be-
tween the rings. In the center is 6
small ring from which are marks point
ing to the outer signs. This is supposed
to be a sort of zodiacal record. Mem
bers of the academy who have examined
antiquity-in fact the best posted fee
convinced that tbev are of the same age
mounds which surrounded this one
from which these stone tablets were
taken. And we ought to have said be
fore that some of the bones found in tht
mound are copper-stained, and nea
them small pieces ofcopper were found
1t is believed that these tablets will bt
deposited in their proper receptacle, tn,
cabinet prehistoric relicc in tho Acad
emy of Science. Another thing, the,
ought TO be Immediately placed wher
they may be viewed and not handled
for the shale ''chips off" easily. May
hap some skilled person in deciphering
hieroglyphics will come along and tran
slate these strange pictures. But the,
ought not to be taken away from her
for that purpose.