National Republican., 1888-04-29
TIE ANCIENT MOUND BUILDERS.
Not u Distinct Race, but Ancestors of
Modern Indians.

Modern Indians.
20. =. Thurston in the Magazine of American
History
In the effort to discover the race or tribal
ailinities of our stone grave builders, eth
nologists have made careful study of
physical structure, aud especially of the
crania found In the graves, but without any
very definite or satisfactory results. They
have not been able TO trace radical ordeinite
characteristics separating them from the
modern Indians, or, indeed, any we'll
defined forms to distinguish them from the
ancient MeXicGns, or Pueblo builders of the
fur west.
The Smithsonian Institution has published
the results of DR.. Joseph Joness faithful
explorations and studies in this depart
mcnt.
The Peabody museum has also published
the very intelligent observations Of its as
sstant curator, Mr. l.ucian Carr, upon some
siXty-seyen cranin carefully taken from the
stone graves and mounds OF Middle Ten
nessce. Careful measurements are given,
comparisons made, results classified, but
they do not Indicate distinct race or an adj
vanced development.
Long skulls and short (the high and low
gradcs) have been found side by side IN the
same mound. Skulls, IN their types and
negro and Caucasian, have been found In
adjoining graves, indicating very ancient
admiXture OF tribes or races--an adniiNturc
so remote, in fact, that the science of
craniology has not been able to dispel the
confusion, or trace its origin, or the lines
Of descent that have united In forming the
sharply defined Indian race Of the Alissis-
sppi valley.
Mr.. Carr states that the crauIa from the
stone graves Of Tennessee, as rule. indi-
cate higher order Of intelligence than the
ancient Peruvian, the native Australian, or
the llottentot, hut he concludes with the
observation that II would be vain effort
to try to coniure up the vision of an cX-
tinct civilization by the study of these
crania.
4 large number OF clay images found IN
our stone graves and idols Of stone from
the mounds and ancient village sites have
been examined with desire to trace race
characteristics In their faces or features, but
they afford very unsatisfactory results.
The types are so varied, aud the native art
SO crude, that they must be generally re-
gardcd as accidental forms. | have, how
ever, In my collection at least one excellent
specimen of as pure and well defined II
modern Indian type rs the face and features
OF Sitting Bull or Black Hawk.
a genuine red Indian was undoubtedly In
the mind Of the native artist or sat as the
model for this unique image In clay. A
few of the images also are so marked and
I '"idual In their expression that they seem
| iud,, We been efforts at portraiture The
to ba\ uapoose on its hanging board is
little clay. Ndern red Indian type of the
certainly n ma, "us, when the whole field
Flathead tribe. H.. 'ohclusl9n must De
reached thai Il has hcen 'uct and adj
the mound builders as dist y the an
vanced race They were evident Hthlng
cestOrs Of the modern lndians--n.
more. This is the simplest solution Of tn,
problem as tO their nationality. Any other
theory regarding them must be mainly mere
conjecture.