The Morning herald., 1878-11-02
A skcRfrfcfxE MerNi,
EFT 7 s-----iaGF YergIfo
oTHnR RELICS FxcAvATED At cHLLIco
THE. ILL.,

i y q ID.
oTHHR RELICS rxoAvArED At oHILLIoo-
| THE, ILL.,,
tFrom the Lacon, ILL.,, Home Journal. '-''
The region surrounding Chilocothe Is Pc
culisrly rich In remains Of the strange pso.
pie who once ,inh sbited the country and Ten
jimperishable evidences Of their labors be-
hind, extending from Lake Superior to the
Isthmus, from Ohio to tbs Pacific. OF them
and concerning their history 10 silent. No
record l, known Of their achievements and
progress, no sculptured memorial attests
their skill and greatness, YET all about us ID
proof that o population vastly greater than
now abounds once inhabited these valley
and reared theee mystefious structures! leet
Our houses are built on grounds once ap-
propristed by Others, our cities and towns
occupy the sites of older cities, and our Gem
eteries are sacred to the memory Of ghost
ly people, who, in the event Of a final resur.
;rection, could rise up and claim ownership
prior to the present occupants. Investiga-
tion and research tell US for what purpose
these mounds were made, but frou whence
the builders came, In what age they existed,
I'd the cause of their final disappearance,
We K SOW absolutely nothing, and all is re-
solved to the region Of conjecture. Mounds
are of three kinds, viz observation, wor-
ship, and sepulture or sacri6cial-the two
latter often combined In one. Upon the
former beacon ares were built, and intelli.
gence conveyed from one part of the coun-
try to another They are usually circular,
though many OF the second class initiate the
forms of animals and men. 4 at0 8. 4
On Saturday, parties from Lseon and
elsewhere, with numerous delegation of
ladies and gentlementfr Chillicothe, pro-
ceeded to open, under the guidance of VIM.
Clifford. OF Alta, Pesrfa county,-one of the
ablest palsontologists In the Stste-a large
mound in the Stet1ber pasture, below town.
A survey made showed base of sixty feet,
and a height of some nine or ten. A chan
mel tive feet wide was beguB at the base,
which was designed to run to the centre,
but owing 10 the insufficieDcy of time and /
want of help, was abandoned, and Q partial
excavation made from the top. A previous
exrloratios had resulted 10 the discovery OF
Dumei Gus rem aims, but at three feet below
these well-preserved skeleton was found
lying on its back with head pointing south>
west The form WAS large, the jaws mas
sive, and the teeth perfect. 14 d y. 2,"
At the feet lay the bones of an infant, and
the skeleton when living was probably q
female and mother. A. the excavation
progressed, the shovelers threw out . pecu-
liar, black, closely compacted clay, which
nm nYe mi N O. tim nd ri phnwo1 o1a
of blood. ... l.g.. .rglsa- -f.
Mixed with this was loose, friable soil,
which proved 10 be ashes. Last came q
fore suspected, that we had struck sacri-
fetal mound, and one of the most import
ant yet discovered. The victims, whether
some supposed deity, were slaughtered and
burned, the blood running with the earth
beneath to tell the story untold centuries
later Of the sacrifice. 1Tntermixed with the
soil just above the stones we're found bones
much decayed, but whether they were re-
mains of the victims, or were inferred
there for o purpose, cannot be toldal 10
Possibly there was connected with it |
ceremony similar to one witnessed by Cam
eron among the savage tribes OF A frica, A
cpioi having uioU ah i"ueheo Pis WIS Jug,
the totLom OF which was covered with q
layer of closely-packed1 living women.
Upon these was placed one of the, wives Of
the chief on her hands and knees, and upon
her back the dead chief was laid with his
beads and treasures, supported BY two
other wives al his head and feet. The earth
was then shoveled In, and fltty or one hun
dred Slaves were slaughtered over the
" hole and their bodies thrown upon the
pile ......
With the exception of some ornaments no
other discoveries were made, the latsness of
he hour preventing anything like thor
)ugh ipyeetigation