Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1885-02-05
The Remains of Great AmeYi-
can People.

In a former article on this inter-
esting subject, we stated at the close,
that the footprints of the Mound
builders along the Ohio river, was
but a part Of the great system erect
ed by these ancient and unknown
peoples, to commemorate some great
events in their history; symbolized
by their men, beasts, birds, and rep
tile-mound representations
The embankments and ramparts
to be seen along the Mississippi riv-
er, are classified as belonging To the
defensive aud religious character, as
probably their religion formed the
handspring OF their government, the
guardians of it, took care to possess,
and exercise the highest authority
among them
The religious enclosures, were us
ually combinations Of geometrieal
figures, in which perfect squares,
and circles, abound. The progress
of the arts Of war were manifestly
as advanced among them as among
the Greeks aud Romans, described
by Homer in the famous epic of the
Illiad
Their mining operations were ex-
tensive and widespread. In the
Lake Superior region they mined
copper and galena. In Mexico they
mined iron, and quarried mica and
porphyry. Their manufactures APP
pear to be various, important aud
considerable. They spun textile
fabrics and woye cloth, After a
rude but effective fashion they pud-
died and cast copper and iron, from
which they made weapons, orna-
ments, and even coined money.
They were SO skilled in wrapping
amuets in silver that tile work
could scarcely be distinguished from
| plating. Articles worked in gold
have been fourd in their works and
mounds, manifesting an advanced
civilization.
Their pottery was regular in form,
and symmetrical in finish ,althoughno
traces of potter's wheel have been
found. Ii was decorated with ami
NAL forms aud arbesques, artistically
inolsed with sharp instruments used
for that purpose. But like our low
ers of the modern meerschanm, the
Moundbuilder bestowed his chief
artistic talent on his pipes.
Some few statuettes and figures
of animals have been lately exhumed
from their mounds, which at first
were supposed TO be idols, All re:
search points to these wanderers as
an icouoclastlc people, devoted IN
high degree to the worship Of the
Sun-God, having priesthood whose
power was paramount over these
fire worshippers. This alone, we
think, points to them As being orig
inally Scythian colony from Asia,
crossing over at Behring'S Straits to
this continent, from being hard
pressed by the more powerful and
despotie Tartar
We have no records of history or
tradition to determine at what peri
cd Of the worlds history this great
event took place, and since we have
no authority to settle it, we conclude
that il must have been at "A very
early period, that this remnant Of
the earth's inhabitants, with their
advanced civilization, made their
| footprints on this continent.
The antiquarian interested in the
yestiges Of forgotten ages, as well
as the gentle reader, in whatever
may be Of curlods and mysterious
import, among a peoples tradition
Of events that traDspired before the
dawn Of history, are alike interested
in the remains Of this great Amer.
lean people
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