The Russellville Democrat., 1879-11-20
WONDERS OF THE MOUNDS.
Curious Discoveries in the State of Ken
 tnckY.

lucky.
 Dr. F. Stinson writes as follows 10 tho Evansville Journal
 Below give the result of an archao. logical search made during a two weeks rambling through the hills and valleys l of Perry county, Ind, and Breckenridge county, Ky.
 First, found in the bend of what is called Folks bottom and Tobin's point fire-pits, quite number, at an average depth of ten feet below the surface. In these pits were ashes, fre-coals, arrow heads and stone axes.
 In one Mir. Tobin found tanners l fleshing-knife, and two pieces of French silver coin, only dating back little over a hundred years, showing about what date these fire-places were last used, and that ten feet of solid dirt had formed on top of them in less than 100 years. On the surface, above the pits or fire places, there were abundance of signs of camping grounds, covered over with fiints, mussel-shells, etc Great quanti- ties of arrow heads have been found on the surface all over the bend
 next went in company with James J. Wheeler to what is known as Cedar Lick cave, situated four miles north of Rome, Spencer county. Here we found the aborigines had occupied this cave or rock house as dwelling for, perhaps, centuries. for we found ashes and bur 2 earth for three feet deep all over the bot tom of the cave, which was 30 by 40 feet Buried in these ashes had been found human skeletons, arrow heads. aqes and fragments of flint.
 Some 150 yards from this rock house we found two holes drilled in sandstone. 8 inches in diaroe at the top, tapering to the bottom, % inches deep. These are called mortars, and, by-the-by, I learned of seventy-fve of these mortars in Breckenridge county, Ky, all about the same pattern. In some of these mortars were found boulders, but mo- where were pestles found that could have been used for pounding corn in these mortars. next visited a cave sit uated about two miles north of Hardens- burg, Breckenridge county, Ky, on Harden's creek. This cave ar rock house was 40 by 20 feet in diameter
 Mir. II. Clay Jolly dug into this cave in the year 1872, when he found eleven feet of ashes all over the bottom. In the centre and at the bottom was an altar, built on sandstone, based upon a stool of sandstone. The altar was 26 by 23 inches in diam eter, 34 inches high, coneave on the top and filled with ashes and fire-coals. On two sides of this altar lay tier of human skeletons, ten in each row.
 Then on top of each tier lay another one, with some 10 inches of ashes be- tween; until there were 1l3 feet of skel- etons and ashes in depth, covering the top of the altar with ashes some feet supposed to be about 50 skeletons in all, and 400 bushels of ashes.
 Upon or over the cranium of each of these skeletons lay flat rock, each skel- eton showing signs of having been burned about the waist before inter- ment. With the exception of those burned portions the skeletons were re- markedly we'll preserved, ashes and salt petre preserving them, their teeth sound and entire, all of the incisors pointed or serrated. At the lower part of the chest were numerous relics, most of which were ornaments composed of camel coal, shell and stone.
 By the side of each of these skulls was found wisp of hair or queue some F inches long, tied in three places. Then, commingled with the ashes and skele- tons, were found great quantities of rel ics, such as tiints, arrow-heads, axes, scrapers, pelters and knives, some ot which l procured from MT. Jolly and brought home with me.
 This wonderful development in this cave is very peculiar, and as yet without a parallel Hence, it is extremely interesting to the archaologist and scien- tist.
 With the above before me, 1 arrive at the conclusion that the customs and habits of the aborigines of America arc hard to find out, and are calculated to puzzle the brain of the most eminent ar- ch@ologist or ethnologist; that it is very difficult to designate between the so- called mound builders and Indians of the eighteenth century.