Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-06-27

PROFESSOR CLARENCE LONEBERl'l
SKELETONS AND FIVE LARGE y
INTERESTING ACCOUNT FOR THIS
Of archaeologists. and the discovery
referred to will bring him lasting fame
for it has been equalled only by the Ia
nous Honeywell finds. Professor Love
berry relates the story Of the fnd In
the following statement over his own
signature:
"The group upon which I worked for
several weeks before making the dls-
coverv Of the skeletons of the mound
builders is located on the farm of Dill
dine SNYDER. near East Rnggold, M
Pickawav county. The group Of mounds
is located on a hill over 80 feet III
height commanding beautiful out
look over the surrounding valleys, ana
consisting of a stone mound, circle OF
half stone and half clay. and clay
mound. the circle forming the connect
ing link between the stone mound on me
west and the earth mound on the east
The stone mound is Y feet high and 10
feet i'm diametor The circle Is ll0 Ieet
I'm diameter, and the cay MOUND Is 10
feet in diameter
"About 20 feet east Of the group is
another circle 80 feet in diameter.
Within. the wall is a ditch which sur
rounds a large platform about feet
lower than the outer bank, and per
fectly level on the surface. The MI
curves around, hiding part OF the view.
ON the other bank, about 2-0 yards east
of this circle. is another clay mound y
feet high and 100 feet in diameter. North
of this mound is third circle $50 rect
i'm diameter. This circle and mound are
generally considered part Of the Snake
den group, though they do not really
belong to it.
1--WE commenced work first on the
earth mound, running a trench from
east to west 10 feet in width. We dug
In about - feet, making an excavation
about % feet square. At the bottom OF
the mound we found skeletons me
skeletons being those of Z adults and j
| child With the chlld's skeleton We
| found \ handsome bone awl and "a small
niece Of graphite. \ piece of pottery
and some flint knives and disks were
found with the other bones.
Leaving the earth mound, two Of our
| marty started to work on the circle one
ON the west side and one on the south.
| After some digging On the south SIDE
a LAYER of larCe black stones was re-
moved below which the worlmen FOUND
| some half dozen cOncreuons, when are
various sized round-shaped, solid stone
| like formations by placing two halNes
I.of these corrections together dlsh-
/ shaped article was formed, resembling
! one inverted dish over another De
lieve these were intended as receptacles
! for small articles of value or sacreuhesa
which could be thus hidden ana pre-
served. -. MN,
] circle
| After uncovering a large deposit Oh geo
LOGICAL and archaeological specimens, 10
/ which | will refer later, We uncovered q
! bov . feet long by IS inches wide, formed
of large. nat stones. Wthn TINS boA
| we're the remains Of a cTemated skeleton
some burned bones. and, perhaps shoVei-
| full of ashes-al that remained OF what
must have been great chief among inc
mound builders. As Doctor Orton iaush-
ingly said to me, he must nave peeh
great prehistoric eeoloslst.
"a remarkable fact which caught my
attention at once was thai the earth III
| and about the box showed no signs Wilat'
| a,,er of any action by fire. from which
an, forced TO conclude that the body was
cremated before burial This condiilon
il well borne out by further exploration
| Of what appears to be a large stone Gre
matorv within the circle on the west side
! found this 10 be made up or burned
stones / looked in vain for wall on
traces of some system regarding the lay
ing OF the stone, but l found none. The
| crernatory was T. feet long. feet wide,
o feet deep on the east side and feet
! deep on the west side. II looked 10 me
/ az If the mound builders had given the
! crematory this slope in order 10 make II
draw wen. and. undoubtedly, it was fred
| from the east end, as that was near the
centre of the mound, while the west end
came up near the wall.
THE crematOry was formed Of SAND
stone. limestone quartz. granite, etc,
and there were found within IL many
glacial bculders commonly called niger
| heads All the stones had evidently
been carried TO the place, as none Of them
would have proved an excessive burden
! for a man. They were burned all con-
celvable colors-blaclS, yellow, red. and
gray. Some were melted into a glass;
| lava. or cinder, while others had melted
together, forming a conglomerete. Still
others were made friable by the fire. an;
| broke into little spalls. showing the grain
/ OF the stone when removed. But little
charcoal and no bones were found in the
oven. although we discovered what seem
} al 10 be ashes. All this must have been