The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-11-20
PREHISTORIC POTS.
A Smithsonian Expeet Delving IN This
Vicinity.
From be Auqusta Ca chroniele


From tie Augusta (Gd.l Chronicle.
What is described as probably the mos
important and remarkable find among the
remains of the mound builders has recently
been unearthec near Augusta.
1t will cause some people to think when
the statement is made that wi.nil few
miles of them there eve reposed unnoticed
for hundreds Of years quaint, yet perfectly
formed articles made and placed there by
the hands of pre- histor C inha bitants.
The discovery was made By Henry L.
REYNOLDS of the ethnoogical depart nent of
the Smithsonian Institute at Washington.
He was sent out by his department for
the principal purpose of tracing the route
of De S 10. Historians of the adventurous
Standard say that he encountered two ma
tive towns-CultfacniquI and Cliha. Col.
G C. Jones. Jr., in his Antiquities OF
Southern idians. names the probable To-
cation of the former town as Silver Bluff
and of the latter Rome. The whereabout S
If the remains of these two towns Mr.. Roy
nolds was particularly anxious to ascer-
tain.
During one of his trips through the
country he learned thai there were two
mounds on the place of Edward Pierce. on
the Savannah river, near Hollywood Here
was a possible clew, and he determined to
investigate.
Reaching the locality mentioned, Mr.
REYNOLDS found two large mounds one of
them surmounted by a barn. Tney were
evidently of artificial origin, and he decided
20 open one of them, the dimensions of
which we're nine feet in hight and in
diameter.
A considerable force of laborers was put
TO work, and after some of the surface dirt
was removed the archB )logist was not only
delighted but amazed aC what he saw.
The mound, which had been constructed
BY Indians centuries ago, was teeming with
most valuable relics
Mr.. Reynolds is of the opinion that, in
the line of ethnologic science, the discov-
cries are the most remarkable ever recorded
In mound explorations.
He continued the work for nine days and
then came up to Augusta, the distance
being only about ten miles.
In conclusion of his labors, Mr.. Reynolds
shipped to the institute from Augusta three
large boxes of most valuable specimens.
Among the specimens were twenty-three
clay cooking pots, varying from one to
twelve gallons in size, and displaying differ
ent styles of characterization.
There were also specimens of copper
repousse work and cloth made of wooden
fibre
The work was all artistically designed
and skilfully finished. One of the articles
found was water bottle. Its neck was of
beautiful proportion, while the body rested
on a tripod, each foot of which represented
human head
One of the cooking pots was entwined by
two rattlesnakes, the anatomy of eacn
being perfect The heads, fangs rattles,
and the entire body, in fact, were as artist
ically chiseled as if executed by some ex.
pert sculptor of these days.
Mr.. Reynolds found in addition lot OF
shell beads and number of clay and stone
pipes. All of these pipes were of clean,
careful make, representing all sorts OF
figures. Most of them, however, were pat
termed after animal and serpentine figures
One represented an OWLS head, while
another showed a man sitting, his legs
crossed underneath him and the bowl of the
pipe clasped in his arms.
Mr.. Reynolds says the two mounds near
Hollywood are probably the last along the
Savannah river, all the others having been
swept away by freshets.
He left last night for Columbia, and will
continue his researches in the valley of the
Wateree
1t is possible that he may be ordered
back to Augusta for the purpose of opening
the other mound at Hollywood