Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1885-11-20
SHE'LL MOUNDS.
interesting Subject for Archmologists-
OregOnian Hounds.

OEegOnl8n NnOutlO6s
An item which appeared in the Ore
gontum some time since concerning q
shell bed near the Seaside House has
been going the rounds of the papers,
which shows that the subject is of in
terest to the people. The coast OF
Oregon IS dotted with these deposits OF
shells, the only records left of a hume
rous race of people now practically
extinct. They are interesting to the
student, but very little has been written
concerning them.
The traveller is told that they were
formed by the tish-eating Indians. 1t
il probable that the Indians of the
inland valleys made trips to the coast
and toasted on shellfish at certain sea-
sons. There must have been immense
numbers of them, as the she'll deposits
are numerous and many of them ex-
tensive. Some of them are on the very
shore of the ocean, where they are laid
open to view by the wearing away OF
the bank; others are situated along
bays and streams, many hidden by a
covering of soil, and unnoticed until
penetrated by the spade of the laborer
or the pillow of the husbandman.
Near the Seaside House, on Clatsop
Beach, is a very large shell mound,
about half a mile back from the pres
ent shore line. Hundreds of cart loads
of shells have been taken from it to
make roads. 1t is covered with about
a foot of soil. upon which large trees
have grown up, and fallen and decayed.
and other large trees have grown over
them. From it was taken during the
past summer an implement made of
bone, probably from the rib of a whale.
1t is the only implement worthy of the
name, so far as known, that has ever
been found in any of these she'll de-
posts. 1t is shaped like a paddle four
teen inches long including the handle,
is three and a half inches in length and
shaped so as to fit the hand well. The
blade part is three and one-half inches
in width, rounding on one side and
fiat on the other, and half an inch
thick in the center, tapering off to a
sharp edge on each side. 1t appears
to have been intended for a sort of
knife or rather cleaver, and must have
been a very useful tool before stone or
iron knives we're in vogue. Near the
end of the handle is drilled a hole, the
ends of which have been carefully
reamed out tt prevent chafng the
thong inserted to form a loop to hang
it up by.
On each edge, near the handle, are
four notches about an eighth of an
inch in depth, intended to be ornamen-
tai. Some needles of bone and a few
stone hammers have also been found
in the mound, but it appears as if these
fish-eating Indians were not possessed
of many tools.
The sight of these vast deposits
cause the beholder to ponder on the
number of Indians who must have
helped to create them, and the inn
mense amount of shellfish which they
must have consumed. What caused
their extinction? Their remains are
found in many places along the coast,
in some places consisting only of moss
covered skulls, while in others their
skeletons are found, each in his own
canoe, with another inverted as a roof,
waiting for a tidal wave to carry him
Sout on the great cea of eternity.
The she'll mound at Clatsop is one of
the Oldest the writer has seen. Since
it was formed the beach has advanced
about half a mile, and on the extension
vas another large mound near the
present shore line and close to where
Lewis and Clark made. salt when they
were camped on the Plains in 1906.
This mound has been hauled away for
rOad-making purposes. The shells are
principally of the clam, but of a differ
ent species from the. razor clam now
found on the beach there and moro
like those which come from the sound,
large and strong.
Some eight miles south of Tillamook
head at a place called Seal Rocks,
there are a number of shell mounds:
the shells being principally of the mus
sci and rock oyster or fingerpholas, are
mostly decayed. Along the shores of
Yaquina Bay are many of these shell
deposits, some Of which have been laid
open by railroad cuttings. Ten miles
below Yaquina is another "Seal
Rocks and on the shore close by is
an immense shell mound, the most
modern the writer has seen. How eN-
tensive it may have been no one can
tell as it is on the edge of the bluff,
which, in the wearing away, has
brought down a portion of the mound.
There is no layer of soil upon this
deposit, the remainder of which covers
an acre and is four or five feet in depth.
Upon it is a garden where vegetables
and flowers flourish lnxuriantly. 1t is
said that a few Indians were encamped
at this place within the memory of the
present settlers. Among the shells are
great quantities of bones of the elk.
bear, deer. seal and sea lion and circles
of stones showing the action of fire, upon
which the fish and animals were proba-
bly, roasted.-Iort1and Oregonaan.
Skulls the Last Bones to Decay.
I find a statement from sthe Paris
49, - n a 49, b.. ~