The DeSmet leader. (DeSmet, Kingsbury Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1890-08-16
IN THE MISTY PAST,
Relies Of ~ Former Race i'm the
Jim Riyer valIey--work of
An ArchROlOgist.
The Fine Group of Earth Works
Near Montpelier, North
Dakota.
Convincing Evidences That
These Vast Prairies Were In
habited Many Years Ago.

Prof. T. II. Lewis, the we'll known
arCh@ologist of st. Paul, has been
making jamestown, North Dakota,
his Headquarters during q portion oi
the past summer, while exploring tn.
adjacent country for the mounds and
other earth works Of the prehistoric
mound builders. Thus far, says the
JutIfUopU"n s..~. o., - .--.
successful, having surveyed over 200
mounds along the bluffs bordering the
valley, and some 35 around Spirit
| wood lake,
The finest group Of earth works in
the region is located on the bluff
about two miles southwest of Mont
pelier, on the south side Of Beaver
creek and west OF the river The work
is paralIelogram in ground plan and
enclOses some 20 acres. At the north
east corner there il conieal mound
2 feet high. At the southeast corner
there is q trunCated mound eight feet
high, and at the northwest corner
there is another of the same height
These three corners are connected to-
gether by ambankments that average
some two feet III height. From
the northwest mound there Is another
embankment of about the same height
running in a southerly direction to the
head of ravne, forming the third
side. The north bank of the ravine is
very steep and defends the south side
SO that a wall IL unnecessary. The
walls on the three sides were probably
palasaded, and there is an opening or
gateway on the north and another on
the west side. 1t is very evident that
the mounds were built first as monu-
ments and contain many human skel-
etOns. Alta late period the earthwOrks
We're built and the mounds were util-
lied to form a part Of the enclosure,
thus saving "a large amount of labor.
There are l3 mounds in addition to
the walls forming the enclosure and
the earth in all Of them was carried
from distance, there being no evi.
dence III the vicinity to show where
the dirt was obtained.
Some years hence Prof Lewis will
publish series of volumes on the
mound builders of the two Dakotas
and Minnesota, illustrating tho groups
and forms of earthworks found in
the region mentioned, and also the
different forms of utensils and weapons
obtained from the mounds and on the
ancient village sites.
Many have noticed the circles com
posed OF half buried bouIders that
abound on the submits of many OF
the buttes and eminences in the Jim
river valley. These extend over a
vast area of the Northwest, from Man.
itoba to the northern Iowa line and
from st. Paul to Great Falls, Mont
They are particularly abouhdant
along the Missouri, Big Sioux and Jim
river valleys and nearly always found
near a lake or water course. The
present Indian tribes of the Dakotas
know nothing of their origin. Gabri-
ellie Renvielle, the old chief
of the Sissetons, says no tradi-
ton of the Dakotas accounts
for them, and the Dakotas never
bothered with stone work. They eth
er buried the dead like the whites or
placed the body on scaffolds or in
trees. Neither do the Mandans know
anything about them. These rings of
boulders show great antiquity. The
comparatively rainless region is pecu-
liarly adapted for preserving them,
and hundreds OF years must elapSe be-
fore large boulders are covered, by
the ordinary process of nature. Yet
in many Of the circles on high gravity
points the boulders are just visible on
the surface, while excavation shows
that many are buried out of sight en-
tirely. These remains are not always
in the form of circle, There are
boulder outlines, some Of them 30 feet
long and six feet wide, running across
the crest OF bluff. There are bould-
er pavements around the circles, where
the stones have been placed so thick
ly together as to touch each other
Some of the circles have open
ings others not. The explana-
ton of their origin, rs being used to
and not the correct one. The rings
will average about l6 feet diameter,
although there are many only two or
three feet across. Some Of them are
as large as 40 feet across, Others are
divided by rows of boulders into four
parts. There are squares, parallelo-
grams and triangles. One large circle
discovered near this place has a thick
ly set stone pavement two feet wide
bordering the circle with another cir
Gle of large bould-rs around tine out
side OF the pavement. In addition to
these circles there are stone heaps and
mounds undoubtedly used as burial
places. Between jamestown and La
Moure Prof. Lewis estimates that
there are 500 of these stone heaps.
What was the use or object OF the cir
cles and squares, with their peculiar
construction, il yet a matter of rys-
terry. They are certainly y not the work
of the present Dakota Indians or OF
their immediate ancestors. Prof.
Lewis is one of the opinion that they
have been left by race succeed
ing the original mound builders,
whose works are 40 common i'm this
locality.
Evidences OF mound builders are
found in every truncated cone. Near
Montpelier there have been discovered
copper hatchet and chisel. The
earth works and embankInents show
an advanced knowledge in architec-
ture, while the precision with which the
walls are constructed show great i'm
telligence and care. These fortifica-
tions are composed Of different kinds
of earth carried TO the spot, showing
construction in different periods by
different tribes. II the builders had
been in hurry a trench would have
been dug. Buried mounds have been
combined with the forts. I'm some
cases there are intrusive graves on the
top of the older mounds and embank-
ments, showing the work oflate tribes.
I'm excavating, the round mounds are
not as prolific in specimens, bones,
ect., but wherever a tr,illcated mound