Millheim Journal. [volume] (Millheim, Pa.) 1876-1984, 1881-08-04
NO. 81.
The Prehistoric American.

The high bluffs and banks of the Mis-
sissippi River near Chicago are dotted
with Indian mounds, and large numbers
of these wonderful sepulchres of the pre-
historic age have been thoroughly ex-
plored, yet nothing has been discovered
by which the scientist can, with any
degree of certainty, arrive at the date of
their erection or the history of the mys-
terious people who engaged in their
structure. These mounds are symme-
trically built. and range from three to
six feet in height and from eight to six
teen feet in breadth at the base. Your
correspondent has assisted in exploring
a dozen or more mounds In this neigh
borhOod, and in almost every instance
pit, parallelogram in shape, has been
found, dug evidently about two and
half feet below the original surface of
the ground, about six feet long, and
four feet wide, with the bottom and sides
of hard baked clay. These pits are filed
with human bones, representing al
ages, buried in most cases in a sitting
posture against the sides with legs ex-
tending to the centre. Over these bones
are found layers of anhydrous earth of
dark color, hard from pressure, but
which easily crlmbled into fine powder.
Above this is stratum of hard baked
clay or cement, on the top of which Is
found layer of ashes mingled with
burnt shells and bones. In several In
stances the first thing struck after re-
moving the earth from the tops of the
mounds were fiat pieces of limestone
joined together as tightly as though
fitted by nature. In one mound un-
earthed on what is called the Portage,
short distance west of Chicago, were
found bones indicating race of gigan
| tic stature. One immense skull was Sc
cured which measured fifteen inches
from the occipital to the frontal bone.
The largest mound In the Portage group
which was explored was found to be
literally filed with bones, and sixteen
skulls, all in a good state of preserva-
ton, were removed from the mess. In
every one was deep indentation on the
left side, little above and behind the
orifce of the ear, as though crushed In
with a blunt instrument. Relics were
found in the shape of copper bodkins,
chisels and wedges, all finely wrought
axes, arrows and spear heads, made of a
species of flint not found in this region
a singular and finely finished pear-shaped
implement of stone, probably used for
skinning animals great numbers of the
large teeth of some carnivorous animal,
supposed to be the bear in some in
stances, large pearls, some of exquisite
lustre, perforated to be strung, and
piece of pottery about twelve inches in
height, urn shaped, round on the bottom
and ornamented
On top of one of the most romantic
bluffs in the Upper Mississippi country,
about eight miles from Chicago, over
looking what is called the Sand Prairie,
1
uniform in size, and ranged in rows of
from eight to ten. They are located
near the edge of the bluff, and one large
mound stands like a sentinel on the very
point of the eminence. Behind this,
and about twenty feet away is a deep
ditch, resembling somewhat the western
sink hole, yet scooped out, undoubtedly,
by the same mysterious hands which
reared the mounds adjacent. Your cor
respondent assisted in opening a half
dozen of these mounds, which contained
nothing but fiat stones, with bones un-
| derneath.
In the township of West Galena, on
the Nickol farm, are to be found lines of
Notifications, built evidently for pur-
poses of defence. They extend along
the brow of a high elevation, skirting
the north side of it completely. Behind
these embankments or Notifications is a
fine level country. A short distance to
the rear and at the middle of the outer
line of the works is a mound in the
shape of house, and at the northwest
extremity of the same line, and about an
equal distance behind it, is another
mound in the shape of a reptile.
The Notifications are about feet in
height, about 8 feet wide at the base,
and fully 30 feet long. One or two of
them have been thoroughly explored,
but nothing has been found, not even
bones.