Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-01-11
THE MOUND BUILDERS.
A Belief That They We're the Ancestors Of
the Red Indian.

A Belief That They Were the Ancestors of
the Red Indian.
Sioux FALLS, 8. D., Jan. 10.-F. w. Petit
grew, who has spent much time investigating
the works of the Mound Builders, has reached
the conclusion that they were not a distinct
race, but merely the progenitors of present
races of Indians. Following are interesting ex-
cerpts from a paper read by him before the
State Educational Society:
There are about Sioux Falls numerous indica-
tions of former Indian villages belonging to
that class of aborigines familiarly known as the
Mound Builders. These villages were located
along the Sioux river, covering distance of ID
miles north of Sioux Falls and IL miles north
of prairie overlooking the surrounding country
for many miles.
The most prominent and interesting of these
villages is located ten miles southwest of Sioux
Falls on the west side of the Sioux river. The
river valley at this place is narrow, not more
than half mile wide, and the bluffs on either
side are high. The village was located on a
prairie bench two miles in extent.
At the north and comprising a part of the
embankment is a mound about 30 feet across
and feet high. The mound was opened several
years ago and the skeleton of a man feet in
length was taken out.
To obtain correct diagram of the village
divided the land into squares of loo feet, and
by measurement was able to place the hut
rings and mounds correctly upon the plat.
There were 76 OF the circles and n mounds.
The circles are made of stones, varying from
to feet in diameter and were placed around
the outside of their lodges to hold the skins In
place.
This was a permanent village and contained
many thousand people. Inside and outside of
this plat the houses were built with view to
winter as well as a summer residence. the door
ways facing uniformly to the southeast The
stone forming the rings are now half buried,
the soil having accumulated about them TO the
depth of eight inches. There seems to have
been no great degree of regularity in laying out
the village. The smaller circles indicate the
lodges while the four oblong circles the coun-
ell chambers and places for holding winter
sports.
"Who were the mound bouilders?' is a ques-
tion that has often been asked. 1t has been
generally believed that they were people sup
planted by the present American Indians, who
know nothing of them. Recent investigations
prove the contrary, and the best informed now
believe that they were but the forefathers OF
present races.
1 opened one mound which was 45 feet in
diameter and four feet high. After removing
the north hall, composed of coarse gravel and
clay 1 came upon a human skeleton six feet
two inches in length in good state Of preserVa-
ton.
A list of some of the articles found either on
the village site or in the mounds is as follows;
Three stone axes, three celts, two bufhng
stones made of coarse sandstone, two grooved
sandstone arrow straighteners, three pipes made
of cattinite, two copper serpents, IL copper
beads, one bead of catIinite, one pipestone slab
on which is engraved bird. several small
grooved stones for war clubs and great num-
Der of grinding stones, hammers, fragments OF
pottery, also one bone stiletto, one iron knife,
i've cupped stones called cup holders.
The people of this silent city were peaceful
and depended largely on agricultural pursuits
for livelihood. Selecting their location for a
village with view to natural barriers, placing
their sentinels in the commanding places on
the tops of bluffs, building a fort as place OF
mics Water was evidently carried in earthen
vessels