Eureka daily sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1871-1887, 1878-06-21
THE MOUND BUILDERS.
Explorations Made Among tn
TOmbs OF q Prehistoric Race
Theories and Opinions Advances
by Learned Professors Of Scfen
tile Subjects.


A delegation OF about thirty persons
stsrted from this city yesterday morning
to visit and examine the ancient mounds In
Clay county, about five miles north Of this
city. The delegation included the visiting
members OF the Kansas State Academy oi
Science and many members OF the Kansas
City Scientific Organization.
The mounds were found located upon
the high bluff facing toward the south and
west, and overlooking the Missouri river
bottoms. Three or four Of the largest
mounds were opened and examined. They
all contained the remains Of human bodies,
Inferred therein centuries ago, and with
the exception of one spear-head no imple-
ments OF war or the chase, and no pottery
usually found in these mounds were dis
covered. Several skulls were found in q
good state Of preservation, but the bones
OF the other portions Of the bodies were
mostly decayed and hardly recognizable.
In one mound, at distance OF about
eighteen inches from the top, well-formed
square tomb. built of stone. was found. 1t
was about three feet high and seven feet
long, with an opening or door at the
south end. Three of the bodies appear to
have been buried in q sitting position, and
bne reclining upon the floor Of the tomb,
with the head resting upon stone pillow.
In another mound eight skulls were found
In a stone vault four feet six inches deep,
which bad been covered over with slabs Of
smooth, undressed stone.
The skeletons found were those OF race
Of people of the average size Of the men OF
this age. The shape Of the skulls were
varied, some indicating great animal feroc-
ity and others great intelligence. Pro-
fessor Nudge, of Topeka, expresses the
opinion that the Toltec race which was af-
terwards discovered with the Aztecs in Old
Mexico. once occupied the Ohio, Missis-
sippi and Missouri valleys. He cited proof
to show that this race of people not only
worked the copper mines Of Lake Superior
very extensively, but they worked the mica
beds Of the mountains in Virginia. and the
fisheries on the shores OF the Gulf Of Mex
leo, as mica has been found with marine
shells and the trsks Of marine animals
buried in the mounds in Ohio; copper
from the mines of Lake Superior has been
found in the mounds OF Texas, Arkansas
and Mexico, thus making the line Of mi
grafton Of this extinct race Of people from
the north 10 the southwest. That this ex-
tinct race Of people inhabited the country
centuries before the American Indian APP
peared IN this region seems 10 be evident.
On the top Of one OF these mounds WAS
the stump Of tree falled at least 25 years
ago. The rings in the grain Of this tree
were over three hundred in number, and
rs each ring indicated years growth, the
tree must have been growing upon the
mound more than three hundred years
ago.
Prof. Nudge expresses the opinion that
the Toltec race, found mingled with the
Aztccs of Mexico, when Corzcd led tire
Spaniartls TO the City OF Mexico, once oc-
cupied all Of the Central Stntas and that
they were driven south and southwestward
by disease or by the fiercer Indians from
the northeast and northwest. According
to the estimate Of time these people occu-
pied the land at least one thousand years
ago.