The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1879-10-30

WONDERS OF THE MOUNDS.

the Evansville Journal:
Below / give the result'of an arch
geological search made during two
weeks rambling through the bills
and valleys of Perry county, Indiana
and Breckenridge county, Kentucky:
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 Splits were ashes,
ire>coaIs, arrow heads, and stone
axes. In one Mr.. Tobin found tan
ner's feshing~knife aud two pieces
of French silver coin only:s dating
back little over hundred years,
showing about what date these fires
places were last used, and!, thatS ten
feet of solid dirt had formed on top
of them in less than one hundred
years. On the surface, above the
pits or fire places, there were abun~
dance of signs of camping grounds,
covered over with hints. musselshells
etc. Great quantities of arrow heads
have been found on the surface all
over this bend. next went in COM
pany with James j. Wheeler to what
is known as Cedar Lick cave, situat-
ed four miles north of Rome, Spen>
Ger county. Here we found the abo-
rhymes had occupied this cave or
rock house as a dwelling for perhaps
centuries, for we found ashes and
burnt earth, for some three feet deep
all over the bottom of this cave,
which was thirty by forty feet
Buried in these ashes bad been found
human skeletons, with arrow heads,
axes, and fragments of flint. Some
hundred and Fifty yards from this
rock house we found two holes drills
ed in sandstone, eight inches in
diameter at the top, taperlng to the
bottom, twenty two inches deep -,
These are called mortars, and by
the>by, | learned of some seventy
five of these mortars in Beckinridge
county, Ky, all about the same pat
tern. In some Of these mortars were
found powders, but nowhere we're
pestles found that could have been
used for pounding corn in these NOR
tars next visited cave situated
about two miles north of Hardens~
burg, Breckiuridge county, KY, on
Harden's creek. This cave or rock
house was forty by twenty feet in
diameter.
Mr.. IL. Clay jolly dug into this
cave ia the year 1872, when he
found eleven and half feet of ashes
all over the bottom In the center
and at the bottom was an al er, built
of sandstone, based upon stool of
sandstone. The alter was twenty
six by twenty three inches IN diane
ter at the top, thirty>four inches
high, concave on top, and filled with
ashes and fire Goals. On two sides Of
this alter lay tier of human skele
tons, ten in each row. Then on top
of each tier lay another one, with
some ten inches Of ashes between
them, until there were eleven and
one-half feet of skeletons and ashes
10 depth, covering the top of the all
ter with ashes some seven feet-sup
posed to be abont fifty skeletons in
all and seven thousand four hundred
bushels of ashes,
Upon or over the Uranium of each
of these skeletons lay a flat rock,
each skeleton showing signs Of hav-
ing been burned about the waist be-
fore interment. With the exception
of those burned portions, the skele
tous were remarkably preserved
ashes and ssltpotre preserving them,
the teeth round and entire, all of the
incisors pointed or serrated. At the
lower part of the chest we're numer~
GUS relics most of which we're orna-
ments composed Of camel coal shell
and stone. BY the side of each of
these skulls was frlnd a wisp OF hair
or quene, some twelve inches long
and 10 three places, Then, COM
mingled with the ashes and skele-
tons, were found great quantities of
relics, such as films. arrow heads
axes, scrapers, peters and knives,
some of which l procured from Mr..
Jolly and brought home with me.
This wonderful development in
this cave is very peculiar, and as yet
without a parallel Hence it is very
interesting to the Archaeological and
scientist.
With the above before me, ar
rive at the conclusion that the cus>
toms and habits of the aborigines of
America are hard 10 find out, and
are calculated to puzzle the, brain of
the meet eminent arch@ologist or
ethnologist that it is very difficult
to desinate between the so called !
mound builders and Indians of the |
century.