Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1890-01-17
The Secrets Of An Ancient Mound.

The Secrets OF An Ancient Mound.
The discoveries made recently in
Sentinel Mound. in CasS county, Mis-
souri,, indicate that the mound-build-
ers who preceded, it is supposed, the
Indians in this country, carried on
commerce with distant regions, and
were organized into communities pos
sessing the rudiments OF civilization.
At the bottom of the mound, which is
400 feet in diameter and 76 feet high,
was found sarcophagus 10 feet long
by feet broad and 4 feet high, com.
posed Of slabs, each weighing u ton.
Within was the skeleton Of "A man in
u sitting posture facing the east-a
great king, we may suppose, in his
day. The interior OF the stone cham
Der was lined with wicker work, which
crulnbled into dust when exposed to
the air. Facing the skeleton were two
large earthen bowls OF good work
manship. They would have been
empty but for bit OF dust, the re-
mains, it is supposed, Of food placed
in them at the time Of the internent
for the use OF the departed in the
spirit world. Between the bowls was
a skillfully carved stone pipe OF va
riety of stone unknown in that locali-
ty. The artistic sense it disclosed
cannot be said, however, to have been
highly developed. The pipe resem-
bled those in use among the Aztecs.
and is wholly unlike those used by our
Indians. Near it, at the feet Of the
skeleton, was ball Of stone, about Al
inches in diameter, perforated for the
insertion, apparently, of a handle. 1t
was probably the war club OF the de-
ceased, but no such weapon has ever
been found before in any OF the
mounds in other parts OF the country.
About it was pile Of arrow and
spear heads, indicating the warlike
nature Of the notability in whose
honor rthisimmense mound was raised.
The arrow-heads were Of flint, agate
and bone, aud were Of good work
manship. Some were OF ribbon ag-
ate, perforated and polished, and had
evidently been used as ornaments.
Perhaps their owner aimed TO be IL
walking arsenal and strung his finest
arrow-heads about his neck for use or
ornament. as the case might be. "One
does not often need a pistol, accord
ing to Texas authority, but when
you do need it, you need it very bad
ly" So it may have been with arrow
heads in the time Of this ancient Mis-
sourian. Lying at his side were sew
eral copper and stone beads, also
small carved bits Of porphyry and sea
shells. These were all perforated,
and had evidently been used TO testi-
fy 10 the wearer's wealth and good
taste. An examination OF his skull
showed him to have been a man of a
higher type intellectually than the
Indian. The frontal bone was high,
and the back Of the head was abnor-
mally expanded. Outside the burial
chamber or sarcophagus was pile OF
ashes and charred wood, a mark, per
haps, OF the performance Of some su-
perstitious rite. As the stone slabs
constituting the chamber had been
brought from distance, it must be
assumed that the mound-builders pos
sessed vehicles OF some value. The
presence Of shells from the sea, por.
phyry from Mexico, copper from Lake
Superior and ribbon agate from Colo
orado is an instructive fact. The dead
king had ruled an empire OF innenst
extent, or, what is more probable, BIZ
people had commercial intercourse
with all parts of our continent.