The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1891-06-12
THE MeuNo-eUILoERs.
ArcheoIOgIst Lewis Finding Wonderful
Things In Dakota,

ArcheoIOgIst Lewis Finding Wonderful
Things In Dakota,
Prof. T. II. Lewis, the archmologisi
of St Paul, has been exploring the
country around jamestown, n. D., for
relics of the rnound-builders. He has
surveyed over 200 mounds among the
bluffs bordering the valley and some
thirty-flye around Spirit Wood Lake.
The finest group of earthworks In that
region Is on the bluff about two miles
southwest of Montpelier on the south
side OF Beaver Creek and west of the
river. The work Is O parallelogram In
ground plan, and incloses snme twenty
acres At the northeast corner there is
q conical mound, twelve feet high. At
the sou theast corner there Is O truDcated
mound eight feet high, and at the north
west corner there is another OF the same
height
These three corners are protected by
entertainments that average two feet in
height From the northwest mound
there Is another embankment Of about
the same height running In q sogtherly
direction TO the head Of & rRYipe form
ing the third side. The north bank OF
the rsvine Is steep and defends the
south side. SO that o wall Is unnecessary.
The walls on the three sides were prob
ably palisaded. and there is an opening
or gateway on the north and another on
the west side. It Is evident that the
mounds were built first as monuments.
There are thirteen mounds In addition
TO the walls forming the inclosure. and
the earth in all Of them was carried
from q distance.
Circles compo ed Of half-buried bowl
ders, abound over vast area Of the
Northwest. from Manitoba to the north.
ern Iowa line, and from St Paul to
Great Falls, Mont. They are particu-
larly abundant along the Missouri. Big
Sioux and James River Valleys, and
nearly always are found near o lake or
watercourse. The present Indian tribes
of the Dakotas know nothing Of their
origin. These rings of powders show
great antiquity. The comparatively
rainless region is peculiarly adapted for
preserving them. and hundreds of years
must elapSe before largo powders are
covered by the ordinary forces of nature.
Yet in many of the circles, on high
gravity points. the powders are just Wis
ible on the surface, while excavation
shows that many are buried out OF
sight entirely. One large circle discov-
cred near Jamestown has tbickly set
stone pavement two feet wide bordering
the circle, with another circle of large
powders around the outside of the
pavement
In addition to these circles, there
are stone heaps and mounds undoubt-
edly used as large burial places. Be-
tween jamestown and Lamoure Prof
Lewis estimates that there are five hun
dred of these stone heaps. He is of the
opinion that they have been left by
race succeeding the original mound
builders, whose works are so common
In that locality. Evidences of mound
builders are found In every truncated
cone. Near Montpelier there have been
discovered q copper Ratchet and chisel
The earthworks and embankments show
an advanced knowledge in architecture,
while the precision with which the walls
arc constructed shows great intelligence
and care. In excavating, the round
mounds are not as prolific in specimens
of bones, etc, but wherever q truncated
mound is found anywhere across its top, |
within a depth OF two or three feet, |
abundant specimens may be had. Most |
Of these mounds are filed with bones,
allowing the immense number of people |
that lived on these prairies. concerning |
which history and tradition give NO
Leadar