Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1880-12-23
Relics Of Mound Builders In tho
Shenandoah Valley.

Relics Of Mound Builders In tho
Shenandoah Valley.
PROF. ELMER r. REYNOLDS, Score
AIRY of the Wa .hington AnthropolOgical
Society, has been exploring the Shenan-
doah Valley under the auspices of the
Smithsonian Institution, and examining
the mounds and other relics Of departed
races found there. His researches have
proved beyond question that the Mound
Builders did extend their operations east
of the Allegheny Mountains. Many
mounds were examined. One of them
was thirty feet high by fifty in diameter;
another was seventy feet in length.
They are situated about seven miles
southwest of Luray. The following is
an extract from q paper prepared by
Prof. Reynolds, describing his opera
tons and their results:
In examining one mound we dug q
trench seven feet long, east and west,
and twenty inches wide. The earth
changed in character and degree of
hardness as we descended. Two feet
below the surface we came to q layer of
river-worn powders, crossing the trench
at right angles. As these appea,e,l To
have been placed in position with par
ticular degree of care, we naturally con-
cluded that we were approaching the
sanctuary. After removing the bowl
ders we found that they formed the up
per portion of an arch. Below that came
another stratum of hard clay, which de-
scended between two walls of stone to
the bottom of the sepulchre. Forty-two
inches below the outer surface and
eighteen inches below the arch of the
vault, q stratum of red clay and char
coal appeared. Tho clay was intensely
hard and required considerable effort to
break it up, without injuring the con-
tents of the vault. The first OBJ
ject brought to light in this stratum
was a beautifully finished tablet, of a
bluish-gray stone, three inches in length
by one and half inch in breadth, with
two perforations near the center. In
consequence of crossing the vault at
right angles it became necessary to en-
large the opening by cross section or
continue the excavation by tunneling.
Owing to the hardness Of the soil, pre-
ferred the latter course, which eventually
proved much easier, as the rocks in the
vault were readily dislodged after the
soil had been cut away beneath. After
the opening had been sufficiently en-
larged and the loose earth and stones
removed, continued to dig with small
pocket-knife and carefully examine the
earth as it was taken out. After few
minutes work q large mass of arrows
and knives was uncovered. They were
all placed in the clay, points downward.
Many had become broken and faxed by
"a
There were forty-three arrows, knives
and spears in all. Forty of them were
of black jasper, and three of quartzite.
In size they ranged from one and half
to two inches in length. Some of the
jasper arrows had been turned to light
reddish brown color by the fire. Below
the arrows an unfinished slatestone
tablet was found. This was also about
three inches in length, and plainly
showed the coarse grain of the stone on
which it was ground. The next object
was an oblong grindstone-two and a
half inches in length by one and three
quarters wide. One end had been
broken off, probably by the heat, and
the whole bore strong tokens of the heat
it was subjected to. Two deep and
well-worn grooves on the under side
showed the manner in which it had been
used to sharpen bone avis and other
Of kindred nature.
" Pine charcoal was found somewhat
sparingly, which was a matter of sur
prise, inasmuch as a strong fire was un-
required to carbonize the
bones and other perishable objects.
Three pieces of roughly dressed quartz
tie were next found. They were proba-
bly, intended for ornaments, but never
finished. This stone is not found in the
Poge Valley, and must have been
brought from q long distance by the
savages, who undoubtedly priced it
highly. The fragments weigh from
three to six ounces each. Six pieces of
rock crystal were next I'M
covered. With them no attempt at q
change by grinding or boring seems to
have been made, unless, perhaps, the
cleavage may indicate an attempt at i'm
provement. This feature, however,
may have been due to the action of the
fire. One piece only, hexagon about
an inch long, appears to have been worn
as an ornament: the others were either
designed to be finished or kept as relics.
Several unfinished flakes of jasper were
found among the cinders; four irregular
shaped scrapers of quartz and quartzite
were found in group, and following
these we're three other scrapers, about
two inches in length. One was of jas.
per, one of horn stone, and the third of
Opaque, milky chalcedony, which in
shape was similar to the Absedian knives
of the Aztecs. The next objects were a
made arrow of quartzite,
quartzite spear-head, broken, and Ceit
knife, three and half inches long. All
Of these objects appear to have been
grouped around the head of the defunct
chieftain, for the next find consisted of
four plates of mica, from three to four
inches in length by two or three in
breadth.
"Under these plates was found Sec
ton of q jawbone, the inferior maxil-
larry, with three well worn teeth still in
position. No portions of the skull were
TO be found, nor could determine def
nitely whether any portions of the ver-
tebr@ or ribs had escaped the fire. Fol-
owing the natural position of the body
IN the vault portions of the long bones
could be observed, but, with one excep-