Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-09-21
THE MOUND BUILDERS
Who Thew We're AqsyKlgsred By the Bureau
Of EtRkaa9qlogy'
Results OF the JASestigations Made
Under the Directi81 of Prof. Thomas
Mans Advent Into America.

Written for The Evening Star.
The bureau of ethnology believes that it
has now solved one at the greatest prob
lens which has ever ftewildered the Amer
lean historian. It has at last come to a
point where 1t can answer the question:
"Who were the mound builders?" This
question has been debated by archaeolo-
gists and ethnologists the world over for
a hundred years or more. Ever since the
latter part of the last century, when the
antiquity Of these mounds was first real
lied. speculation has been rife as to who
were the People able to construct edifces
differing so widely from the modern habi-
tations Of the modern Indians.
DR.. Franklin attributed them to De Soto
and his followers. Savants Of the present
century have said that they were temples
others sacrificial affairs. and still others
burial structures, built by a tribe now lost
in oblivion The Introduction to every his
torical text book devoted to this continent
and taught to the American and foreign
youth. as WELL opens with chapter on
this subject. Almost all of these speak of
the mound builders as a prehistoric race
distinct from the Indians. and who were
driven out by the latter. This has been
the state Of affairs even up to the present
day.
But the opinion Of the bureau of eth
nology is that all these historians have
words. it is now believed that the mound
builders were no more than the ancestors
of the same Indians found by the first
Europeans landed on our shores. Prof.
MCGEE. chief ethnologist of the bureau in
announcing this decision says that its
importance will be felt by the makers and
readers of history In all parts of the
world.
Examination of Mounds.
1t was as early as 1858 when Maj. Powell,
k1A -
examine the mounds of Ohio Since 1881
a systematic line of work has been car
ried on under Professor Cyrus Thomas
and a corps of assistants. who have ex-
anined, possibly, all Of the many hug
dreds of prehistoric mounds to be found
In the whole eastern half Of the continent
This work has now been completed In
considering the opposing opinions OF those
who believe that man first landed on the
Pacific coast and those who think he first
arrived on the Atlantic side, Professor
Thomas splits the difference with them by
concluding that he came to both sides in
two distinct tribes; each afterward occupy
other words. the Indians were two sepa-
rate races Of men.
Very briefly, the. arguments made by
Professor Thomas in behalf of the bureau
are as follows, All the ancient artificial
works known as mounds found east Of
the Rockies are attributed to those tribes
found in possession of this region at the
time of it's discovery. and their ancestors.
between some tribes OF this region and the
early people of Mexico and Central Ameri-
ca, as well as the Pueblo tribes but the
three latter namediraceS must not be given
any credit for building the mounds.
Built by the Indians.
The Indian has been considered unable to
build such structures because of the uni
ar.k
by Europeans he was the same rowing, un-
today The Indian however. has degen-
Grated since the coming Of the white man.
Judging from thei extent of their works.
the mound bulldogs mast have had fixed
villages, and they must have dope aded
upon agriculture rather than the hunt for
food. This has pointed to the supposed
fact that they were not Indians. But latest
Investigation proves that when frst visited
by Europeans; there was scarcely a. tribe III,
between the Atlantic and the prairies but
which had its fixed seat.
But how about the Northmen-I4ief
Ericsson and his band? Did they eventu-
ally spread over the continent. nuiioing
such edifices as the mounds? There Is no
historical evidence that any other race be-
sides the Indians ever occupied this re-
gion before the discovery OF Columbus.
In all probability the Mortimer did dis
cover America long before Columbus, but
they left no people here, nor any perma-
nent abodes in the territory of the mound
builders.
But what were the mounds used for? In
some southern districts 1t was custom
airy to build dwellings on low terraces. APP
parently artificial When deaths occurred
1t seems to have been the practice to bury
the bodies beneath the earthen noors. The
houses were then set on fire and mounds
were heaped over the ruins while still
smoldering. These houses were built by
setting upright sticks In the ground and
joining them by Interviewing twfgs or
canes, then piastering these rtde walls
This is exactly as described by the early
French explorers.
The Supposed Use of These Structures.
The fact that great many mounds have
been found near streams subject to over
flow has led many archaeologists to be-
lieve that they were built for the purpose
of raising the houses above the floods.
Historical records state that Moscoso, who
after De Soto's death succeeded to the
command Of the Spanish soldiers, visited
an Indian town along the Mississippi, when
the river overflowed to the tree tops. The
city was surrounded by a mound of earth,
to be used as a protection against such
floods, and each house was built upon a
mound, in case the dixie should break.
Prof Thomas has also found historical
evidences that some Indians living In the
south when first visited by white men
built mounds for fertilization In warfare.
These he scores as convincing points, for
If one tribe could do it, why couldn't an
other?
But in addition to all this evidence there
are found to have been great similarfties
between the mound builders and Indians,
which convince Prof. Thomas that they
were one and the same people They both
used stone implements, SO similar that 1t
is difficult to tell them apart. Both Gull
tivated maize and relied upon it for food.
r. aN1ya
their pipes were similar in form. There
Is also marked similarity between en-
graved shells. copper articles. stone inn
ages and many other implements found
among both.
Cost of Living in Paris.
From the London Daily Telegraph.
An able statistician has been estimating
the cost Of living in Paris at the present
time, and has compared it with that OF
forty years ago. He SHOWS that in the
Gov, SIryn 4