Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1885-08-13
INDIAN MOUNDS,
some Recent Explorations Among the
Remains of an Unknown Race.


Some Recent Explorations Among the
Remains of an Unknown Race.
The explorations of Indian mounds
| under the auspices of Prof. Cyrus
Thomas, formerly of Illinois, saws the
Washington correspondent of the Corr
ter-JohHot, have been very successful
this year, as they were also last wear.
At least five thousand specimens are
added to tie collection of the bureau of
ethnology, of which Maj lowell is the
director, each year
One of the very interesting Indian
mounds opened this year is situated IN
East Tennessee. This is 220 feet lone.
lo5 feet wide, and feet high. Ninety
one human skeletons were found in il
at all depths from foot and half to
eight feet below the surface of the top
of The mound. Quantities of beads
were found in this receptacle, and
among the coarSer varieties were some
genuine pearls fashioned into beads
In this were also found the best CHS
el-shaped stone instruments, polished
celt, ever discovered in a mound. The
best specimen of a polished bone insiru-
ment Prof. Thomas has ever seen
NOAhS 1iOih luOUiiO WIS III THIS eOittG-
ton. 1t is fashioned into a small awl,
and is so fine and delicate that Prot.
Thomas thinks twas probably used by
women in sewing buekslin articles.
There was also human bone, part
OF the forearm, fashioned into an impc-
ment or ornament. 1t looks as though
1t might have been used to scoop ND
dry food or something of that kind
Ono OF the most curious discoveries
ever made in mound was made in
this one-four round, hollow cop
per balls, with beads inside, which
are wonderfully like sleigh bells.
and tinkie like them when sha-
ken. Among other articles found
in the same place were buffalo teeth,
sea shells artiticially cut into various
shapes for use or ornament, masks Of
stone, highly polished biscuit-shapcd
stones. about the size of the biscuit
eaten in Kentucky, which stones. il IS
conjectured, were used in PLAYING
galnei pottery, one curious specimen
being made to simulate Il moccasin.
and one in the shape of a duck, with
head and body quite we'll defined. fol-
lowing the natural shape, but having
four web-leet very distinctly made.
This has puzzled the learned Prof.
Baird, who had never before seen any
such creature in nature or art as a
four-footed duck. The collections OF
pottery from mounds, ii may be re-
marked, were especially fine in 1884,
and promise 10 be equally SO this year
from the articles already secured.
a mound in Ohio has been opened
this year, and large quantity OF char
rcd corn was found at the bottom of it,
which is thought a curious discovery.
Prof. Thomas himself opened a sin
guar mound in PENNSYLVANIA this
year, the other end of which was open-
ed sixty years ago by man who is
still living, and who has talked with
Prof. Thomas about his attempts to cl-
plore it. He says when he found the
human skeletons he got frightened aud
retreated, and never resumed his work.
Many skeletons were found in that
mound; and Prof. Thomas tells with
great interest of one he discovered ut
the very bottom of the mound in the
bottom of stone vault in mass OF
charcoal. This human skeleton had
close by it cane of split reed, eyidenf-
ly OF Southern growth. which cane was
wrapped in bark and plastered clay.
When exhumed the cane was found 10
have twined around it silver foil as
thin as paper, evidently native silver.
which has been examined and has
proved to be purer than coin silver.
Near the top of mound in the same
field four skeletons were found which
had evidently once been inclosed in
wooden collins. In the same mound
was brass kettle with an iron handle.
but below that burials evidently an-
cient had occurred. In this exact To-
cality once lived Corn Planter and his
Seneca Indians.
Among the other treasures found in
1888 in mounds is part of stone bust
evidently representing n woman's neck
and the front part OF her head. The
contour of the face is beautiful, the
shape being 4 perfect oval. The front
of the throat and neck is perfect, show
ing that the original copied must have
had plump, full form. This year, in
a mound near where this was discover
ed in Georgia. there was found the
part of the head evidently broken from
this. When put together the parts
fitted exactly, and the material Of
W
precisely the same.
In mound in West Virginia some
copper plates and ornaments were
found which were evidently native cop
per, hammered by the aborigines with
tools fashioned by themselves. 4
skeleton was found in mound in that
State, which mound was thirty-iivo
feet in height. The skeleton was in
vault made of wood, and had on each
arm six copper bangles, and also wore
on his neck a shell gorget.
A very remarkable pipe Of polished
soap-stone of precisely the same Kind
that Beverley and other chroniclers of
Virginia have described as used by the
Cherokees has been found in mound
in that State. 1t smells as strong of
tobacco as if only used yesterday.
East of St. Louis wonderful speci-
men of pottery was last year found in
a mound. This is 4 large bowl, on
which appears in relief a human head,
life size, with all the features distinctly
marked. The face and even the teeth
are painted, the latter being red
Strange 10 say, the cast of the features
more resemble those OF mulatto than
those of any type Of Indian known to
this continent.
Just about year ago mound was
opened near CartervilIe! Ga, which is
one of group which Prof. Thomas
thinks was visited by De Soto in 1910.
because the largest one in the group.
which is sixty feet high. corresponds in
many particulars with the one descrb-
ed in the history of Florida, written by
Garsilaso de la Vega, lneal descend
ant of the Incas of Peru, and first
printed in the sixteenth century.
The oldest mounds are now believed
to be those in Ohio and Arkansas.
Specimens were in 1884 brought from
mounds in Georgia, Virginia. West
Virginia, Iowa, Tennessee, and Mis-
souri,.