The Northern Pacific farmer. [volume] (Wadena, Minn.) 1878-1885, 1881-04-21
A REMARKABLE DISCOVERY.
An Extinct Race With Skulls Three Feet In
Length.


Length.
The Durango Record says: The following ex-
tracts from letter received by Mr. Charles
= Newman, of the wholesale drug house Of New
man, Chestnut & Stevens, of this city, will be
found of great interest. detailing as they do the
discovery of til most remarkable prehistoric
remains ever yet unearthed. That "there were
giants in those days" can no longer be doubted,
a skull measuring three feet in length testify
ing to their existence among the prehistoric
people who once Inhabited the valley of the San
Juan river Mr.. Newman reports the writer Of
the letter, Mr.. Carpenter, to be reliable man,
and he will avail himself of his offer and take
charge Of the remains, which will be removed
to Durango at an early day.
Pennington is situated about fifty miles south
of Durango, at the confluence Of the Animas
and San Juan rivers, and the discovery was
made within three miles of town. The follow
ing is the letter detailing the particulars of the
discovery:
PENNINGTON, N. NJ, March 2, 1881
Charles Newman ESQ.,
found yesterday the tomb Of an Indian, whom
think, by the very thick skull, to have been man
The skull was, by measure three feet long by two
feet wide. It was walled in by mud wall on the
on the other sides. The head of the skeleton was
toward the north. The legs had been doubled up
on the chest. The bones were thick but short, and
80 far decayed that on being tai ken out they crum
bed to pieces except those Of the verbetr@ and the
bones Of the leg In utaxposion with the left side
of the body, opposite the elbow, were two stone
vessels one black, scaly, oblong body, with con-
vex bottom and haring edge, at the mouth, and
highly painted. in fact, artistically finished. mug or
cup, with handle side, though the latter was
broken in The center: otherwise the cup is in good
preservation. It measured inches high, 314 inches
at the top and inches at the base. This cup con-
tanned wheat which. though decaycd and white, is
readily recognized by the most careless observer:
could not find anything else but sand and dirt, with
which it was filled.
After cleaning everything out of the tomb, 1 dug
through the mud wall. which was about eight inches
thick, when l found several flat rocks two of them
being mill stones for grinding grain. They are about
ScE oe se s sv o%a Se oe a
ter uncovering several other fat sand rocks, en-
posed an empty vessel which was sunk down so that
the top would be on level with the dead Indian It
was walled in with mud to the top. which was COW
cred with the fiat rock I Just mentioned. 1t was
probably filled with water, which had evapora;ec
or debris After an hours hard work l succeeded
in extricating it, whenI found it was cracked in
eral places. 1t will hold seven eight gallons This
was on the east side, or rather on the left of the
body. On continuing my explorations through the
mud wallis found anot her vessel of the same kind,
but little smaller. at the head of the body about
quart. It is in color Of whitish brown to dark
brown color, and very light i'll weight This vessel
was cracked and some pieces broken off the top,
I did not take it out. should have mentioned be-
fore that above this was stone hammer not unlike
a miners eght-pound hammer, except that it had
ring cut around the center instead Of an eye; also
close to this was stone ak, sharpened at one end
and round at the other, with ring cut around it,
This completed the Indians outfit, except about a
peck of wheat that was in a layer three or moro
inches deep to the left of the last vessel and cover
ing space two feet wide by three feet long There
was stone wall running east and west Immediately
outside of the last vessel and whe t..
Continuing my work to the east found circular
opening filled with loose dirt and rocks, which
shoveled out, and while doing so found numerous
small bones most Of which were of birds about the
size of hens will state here that in excavatiug
one Of their walled cellars at another place, some
time last month, found the bone Of large turkey
with spur on 1t an inch long.
When down about five feet, In circular hole
found three more mill stones and pot that will
Inches In height, sx and inches across