, 1878-07-05
The "SkeletOn in Armor."

The "Skele:on in Armor," unearthed
at Fall River some forty five years or
more ago, continues to be y topic OF
speculatian and discussion among anti
quaries, among those especially who have
desired to persuade themselves that it
was not the skeleton of Norsemun.
Many of the present generation, probably,
have never seen description OF it. 1t
was found in the year 1888, or earlier, by
men who were digging down a hill and
making excavations.
In 1887 it was described in a paper
published in the american Magazine,
Boston. The displacement of Il large
mass of earth brought to view the top of
human skull which proved to have be-
longed to body that was buried there
, in sitting posture. The following de-
scription of il is taken from the american
Magazine
"The surrounding earth was carefully
removed, and the body found to be en-
veloped in covering of coarse bark of a
dark color. Within this envelope were
found the remains Of another of coarse
CLOTH, made of fine bark, and about the
texture of Manila cotfee-bag. On the
breast was plate Of brass, thirteen
inches long, six broad at the upper end,
and five at the lower. This plate appears
to have been cast, and is from ne.eighth
to three thirty-seconds of an inch in
thickness. 1t is 50 much corroded that
whether or not anything was engraved
upon it has not yet been ascertained. 1t
is oval in form, the edges being irregular,
apparently made so by corrosion. Below
the breastplaie, and entirely encircling
the body, was belt composed of brass
tubes, each four and half inches in
lecgth, and three-sixteenths of an inch in
diameter, arranged longitudinally and
close together, the length of tube being
the width Of the belt, The tubes are OF
thin brass cast upon hollow reeds, and
were fastened together by pieces of
sinew. Near the right knee was quiver
of arrows. The arrows are of brass, thin,
fiat, and triangular in shape, with round
hole cut through near the base. The
shaft was fastened to the head by insert
ing the latter ii an opening at the end
of the wood, and then tying with q
sinew through the round hole--a mode of
constructing the weapon never practiced
by the Indians, not even with their ar.
rows Of thin shell. Parts of the shaft
still remain on some of them. When
first discovered the arrows were in q sort
of culver of bark, which fell to pieces
when exposed to the air."
The attempts to explain this skeleton
in armDr" are numerous. Various theo-
ries lave been devised. Tue writer in
the american Nagasiae suggested several
explanations, but inclined most strongly
to the belief that the skeleton was that OF
Ph9nician from some Phenician vessel
which had been driven to this coast by
stress Of weather, which, not being very
reasonable, has not found favor. 1t ap.
pears to be true that the Basques were
accustomed to visit the North American
fshing-grounds long before the time of
Columbus, and that they had communi.
cation With the Indians along the coast !;
but they were fishermen, and not war.
riors and nobody mas ventured to sug.
gest that one OF the old Basques was
buried at Fall River.
LoDgfellow's ballad on the skeleton
makes it say: ~ was u Viking old"
and gives an imaginative history Of this
old Viking. Many others believe that
the man buried in armor at Fall River
was Norseman, aud that the burial took
place at some time after the year 900,
A. D., during the period OF the Morse
trading aud numbering settlements in
Massachusetts, and Rhode Island, which
existed more than three hundred years,
beginning early in the eleventh century
and ending near the middle of the four.
teenth. This theory has more supporters
than any other, and it is not improbable.
Danish autiquaries think the unearthed
skeleton was that of Thorwald Erikson,
the only great Morse chief known to have
been buried in Vinand lie was killed
there by Indians, in the year 1905.