The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1890-05-31

tion. Five hundred feet north-north-
east was another mound about nine feet
in height, circular in shape and with a
fat surface. The mound at Third and
Main streets, which was the first OF the
Cincinnati mounds to be explored, was
eight feet in height, with fat surface,
and an ellipsis in shape. being 100 feet
long and sixty feet wide, these diameters
lying almost exactly in the direction of
the points of the compass. 1t was al
most obliterated in grading for Main
street, and its destruction completed In
preparing the foundations OF the first
buildings erected on that site. The first
artificial layer in the construction was
of gravel raised in the middle; the next
was of large pebbles, of uniform thick
ness; the last was of loan and soil
All the relics found in the mound had
been deposited beneath the natural
stratum of the ground and the mound
built above them. These relics consist
ed of pieces of jasper, rock crystal, stones
cylindrical at the extremes and swelled
in the middle, with an annular groove
near one end; circular piece of camel
coal, with a large opening in the center
and number of pcrforations disposed in
four equidistant lines which run from
the circumference toward the center; or
namented bones; sculptural repre-
sentation OF the head and beak of bird,
much like an eagle: masses of lead ore,
isinglass, sheet copper, great quantity
of bone beads, several large sea shells
cut into shapes appropriate for domestic
,,to i1c. nrti
consisting of two sets OF circular con-
cave-convex plates, the interior one of
each set connected with the other by a
hollow axis around which had been
wound some lint, the relic being grasped
in the hand of q skeleton. They were
of pure copper without any embellish-
mont. There were also found human
bones of different sizes, as though be-
longing to many different persons.
Sometimes the skeleton was found rude
ly built around with stones in the shape
of coffin, but oftener they were found
blended with the earth surrounded by
ashes and charcoal. About thirty skel-
etons, or their remains, we're taken out
of this mound. The general result of
the exploration was similar to the re-
suits attending the opening of like
mounds in various parts of the great
valley.
The mound at Sixth and Mound streets
was cut down many years later-about
1S45. In it were found skeletons and
various relics Of personal and household
use and adornment Out of this mound
were also taken two small pieces of
stone that have since excited tho curl
osity of antiquarians in all parts of the
world, and much has been written in at
tempted Interpretation of their uses and
purposes. Both of these are now in the
possession of the Society of Natural
History. One is shaped like the half of
an ellipsis, so cut that the whole of one
curved end is upon each side of the
diameter. The straight side is exactly
nine inches long, and the carved side
exactly twelve inches, and the complete
ellipsis is the exact counterpart as to
proportions of the mound in which it
was found. This has led arch@ologists
to argue that it was an instrument of
measurement used in laying out the
mound, and by intent or purpose buried
in it. 1t is also used as the basis of the
the same or a similar system of meas
urement to that now in use. Not far
from this relic was found the other one
referred to. 1t is known as the "Gest
Tablet" small fiat stone, shaped like
parallelogram with concave sides and
ends, and its surface delicately carved
with strange design, but supposed to
have some reference to the division and
of time. One of the rep
reservations is that of fntus at the
fourth period of CESSATION. Elaborate
accounts have been written of this tab
let, in connection with the Richardson
tablet found in n mound near Whining
ton, o., in 1872 and the Clarke tablet,
found on the farm OF Abraham Cutlip,
near Waverly, O., and now owned by
Robert Clarke, of Cincinnati. They
have all been interpreted as showing
that these ancient people were not with
out knowledge of the science of life, of
its formation and development. These
last mentioned relics are quite as mys-
terious and full of hidden history as the
very recent find in Idaho of the Nampa
image, which IS supposed to indicate |
Ile tAlSJtHCc Oil JHlS continent VI |
people older than the Biblical date of |
creation.
There is well authenticated report |
that when General Anthony Wayne took |
charge of the military station of Fort |
he found evidences here of |
the existence of n great city, with well |
defined traces of streets or passageways |
between the houses. 1t is not known
that these things received much atten-
ton from this early soldiery, but the |
fact was afterward recalled when the |
quest that has since de-
veloped with ripe scholarship began.
In connection with this fact is that
other of the existence at the mouth of
5he Great Miami river of an ancient
Tortitication, which some think to be tl.o
'emains of n sort of citadel that may
nave guarded the river approach to the
Cincinnati, or given the pro-
.ectiop to n village in the broad valley
1t it's base, as intimated by General w.
II. Harrison, who explored the works
shortly before his election to the Presi
lency. The ancient work occupies the
summit of a steep, isolated hill, around
yhe brow of which wall was built with
IN opening toward the west. General Har-
'ison wrote of it as follows: "The work at
he mouth of the Great Miami was n cit
Idel, more elevated than the Ac-opolis,
# Athens. although easier of access, as
I was not, like the latter, 4 solid rock,
,ut upon three sides as is nearly perpen-