The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1889-03-17
an ANCIENT CEMETERY.
PREH STOflc RELICS UNGARTHEO
IN WEST VIRGINIA.

N|hhA" 49, - - f
OF from the main line by n mill race
This land Is nearly al sand and made
splendid burying place for the aborigine.
Of this country. For a space Of % bl
POO yards there are many graves about
two t. three feet in depth and contain
ing. besides skeletons Of Indians. many
peculiar relics, such as beads. shells
pipes, arrow heads. bones Of animal.
once used for food. pottery, etc.
Two years ago the river ros higher
than it had been known 10 rise for years.
Il washed ont this mill race, and when
the banks caved in there were exposed
to view many skeletons, "A above men.
toned. The farmers and boys Of the
neighbofhood visited the place ont OF
curiosity and carried OF many articles.
40 account was printed at the time. and
no examination Of the place was made
until The World called the attention Of
the Smithsonian men to this find, and a
letter was at once written there 10 the
postmaster. But before q reply came
was well on my way to tho scene OF the
discovery.
DIGGING Up TIE BONES.
Six men were engaged, and the spot
where the graves las was carefully dug
over. It was found that about forty
skeletons had been exhumed 10y the
freshet and carried away by the waters.
Many more remained, some OF which
had been disturbed by the plow. for they
were buried only two feet deep. one Of
these va1 found t. have inferred with
The body stone tips for his arrows, beads
as % necklace, % whole pot Of clay rudclg
fashioned and holding several decaycd
bones Of the deer. This lad been his
cooking vessel. and when inferred with
lhe warrior it was filled with deer joints.
luscious ana juicy," tAc meat Of which
sustained his soul in is march through
the Happy Hunting Grounds.
Another skeleton hal a similar outfit
placed with it. Many of the bodies were
buried in cramped positions. few were
extended as we place orr dead, many
bones were missing and The skulls of
some individuals seemed crushed and
broken. / therefore drew % conclusion
that most of these warriors were killed
in battle. As it was The Indian custom
90 mutilate the bodies Of the slain. in
some instances 20 smash the skulls. the
condition of the skeletons is easily ac-
counted for. In the loose earth thrown
ont of the excavations and everywhere
about the strface we found arrOwp points,
broken pottery. copper beads, glass
shells. parts Of stone tom1hawks
etc. one excavation revealed an oh fire.
place. We took out about five bushcla
II ashes. the bones OF deer, buffalo and
ground hog. The buffalo OF bison bones
lre seldom met with il the east. It is
known that the bison rolmod al over
Ibis country, but the whites found him
west than the Mississippi. There
lore the date of this burial place can be
very far back. Tho presence a.
class and copper beads shows the tribe
had contact with the whites But these
were found on the surface and not
with the bodies.
ANOTHER NDIAN VILLAGE.
After examining this cemetery ! went
miles down the river to another
indian village site. Wish q force OF
even men began work in some high
LAY banks which frontcl the river.
Icrc the bodies had mover been disturbed
nd lay just as the Indians had left them.
Ne took ont nearly twenty entire sEcle-
ons. Tho skulls of q number were pre-
crvod whole, and when anyfe 60 pieces
he fragments were large enough TO adj
Of their being put together. The
.vcrago depth of those graves was three
ect. Nith one we found o copper plate. .
fine dish of clay with Landle3and hold
ne on The inside d sAcl with strange
markings on it. The copper plate was
.Ot Of European manufacture. IL wa
he native Lake Superior copper ham
lered out in q cold state by the Indians.
vas about five inches long, two inches
vide and perforated for suspension asan
rnamcut.
Another body had q nccLlace of sixty
bone beads, while q third hal over
lrec hundred small beads. These had
cen placed in n mass by the left fore
rm. but had not been strlng. \ bone
vi almost as sharp as a needle and
-onlorfully well preserved accompanied
his man. The farmer owning the place
resented me with another copper plate
nd a stone tomahawk, which he had
lowed up not long before. Ialso secured
good clay pipe found with one Of The
,eletons. This pipe was shaped some
hat like our cigar holders, only larger,
nd was made OF hard burned clay, red
color.
The remarkable feature Of all Indian
,ull5 is thcstateof preservation in which
e find their teeth. never. with bat
he or two exceptions, found a truly pre-
skeleton in which the teeth were
ot without sign Of decay. Sometime
hen the bones are almost ready to fall
Ito dust the teeth remain sound.
Ihcther it is due to their diet of meats.
)t having known the use Of any OF our
odern teeth destroying foods and
yectmoats. | leave for the consideration
the dental fraternity. After this place
ID been examined we dug into a large ,
0und Of earth and stone, 80 by 40 feet, ,
feet high. In that we found the skelc-
Of q brave warrior covered with sew
n largo sheets of mica. This may {
sc been used as a looking glass; Sew I
al black flint arrow heads lay by his {
lie. and over his breast lay an ornament {
black slate with two p~erfOrations. |
ornament was highly polished and J
esonted a beautiful appearance. Thus |
.ded the work. \ total Of fifty bodies.
part or entire, was taken out and the :
,icle corroborated. Probably half q .
zen women and eight children COM :
ised the whole number. Warren X. :
oorehead in New York World. ,