The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-08-29

COLUMBUS. O. Aug. S1.-The most re-
fnaEAable find OF prehistoric skeletons
Ha1e Tor many years was accomplished
tE EroT- Clarence I.ovebcrry q few days
ago near Ringgold, Pickaway county.
me discovery Of skeletons establishes the
Iact that the mound builders pEacticed
ematien and erected stone creula1orios
20 accomplish the desired result.
Prof. LoyebeFry is the assistant cura-
TOR OF the Ohio State Archaeological and
historical Society. He IS one OF the most
aole or the modern school OF archaeolo-
slsts. and the discovery referred 10 will
oFlng him lasting fame. for il has been
eQaalied only by the famous Hopewell
nnds. Prof LovebeTry relates the story
OF the ind in the following statement
over his OWN signature:
me group upon which I worked for
several weeks before making the discov-
cry OF the skeletons Of the mound build
erS Is located on the farm Of Dildlne
snyder near East Ringgold. in Piekaway
county The group OF mounds is located
on 8 niil over le0 feet In height. command
ms beautiful outlook over the surround
lhs valleys. and consisting OF a stone
mound. circle OF half stone and half
clay and a clay mound. the circle forming
the connecting link between the stone
mound on the west and the earth mound
on the east. The stone mound is twelve
Ieet high and l25 feet in diameter. The
circle is no feet IN diameter and the clay
mound los feet in diameter.
About twenty feet east of the group
IS another circle $50 feet in diameter
Within the wall is a ditch. which sur
rounds large platform, about three feet
lower than the outer bank and perfectly
ieNei on the surface. The hill curves
around, hiding part OF the view. on the
other bank, about 20 yards east of this
circle, II another clay mound twelve feet
hiSh and 80 feet in diameter. North OF
this mound is a third circle $50 feet in
diameter. This circle and mound are gen.
orally considered part OF the snake den
group, though they do not really belong
TO it.
We commenced work first on the
earth mound running trench from east
10 west ten feet ia width. We dug in
ABOUT twenty-five feet. making an exca-
walton about twenty feet square. At the
bottom or the mound we found eight skel-
etons, the skeletons being those of seven
adults and one child. With the childs
skeleton we found handsome bone awl
ana a small piece of graphite. A piece of
pottery and some flint knives and discs
were found with the other bones.
Leaving the earth mound. two of our
pa - SteAAA 10 NuTh on the circle, one
on the west side and one on the south
After some digging on the south side a
layer OF large black stones was removed
below which the workmen found some
haIf dozen concTetions. which are vari-
ous-sized, round-shaped solid stone-like
formations. BY placing two halves OF
these concretions together, a dish-shaped
article was formed. resembling one fnvert-
Ell dish over another. | believe these were
lad a asafas
OF value or sacredness. which could be
thus hidden and preserved.
The entire exploring force then went
TO work on the south part of the circle
After uncovering a large deposit of geol-
ogical and archaeological specimens. to
which VIII refer later, we uncovered
box two feet long by eighteen inches wide.
formed of large fat stones Within this
boX were the remains OF a cremated skele-
ton, some burnt bones and perhaps a
shovelful of ashes-all that remained of
what must have been a great chief among
the mound builders AS Or. orion laugh
ingiy said TO me. he must have been a
great prehistoric geologist.
"A remarkable fact which caught my
attention at once, was that the earth in
and about the box showed no signs what
ever of any action by fire, from which
am forced 10 conclude that the body was
cremaeed before burial. This conclusion
Is we'll borne out by further exploration
or what appears 10 be a large stone Gre
matory within the circle on the west side
found this TO be made up of burnt stones
l looked in vain for wall or traces of
some system regarding the laying Of the
stone, but l found none. The crematory
was twelve feet long. nine feet wide, nine
feet deep on the east side and five feet
deep on the west side. 1t looked TO me as
II the mound builders had given the Gre
matory this slope in order TO make It
draw well and undoubtedly IL was fred
from the east end, as that was near the
center Of the mound, while the west end
came up near the wall
The erematory was formed OF sand
stone, limestone, quartz. granite. etc. and
there were found within il many glacial
boulders, commonly called niger heads
All the stones had evidently been carried
TO the place as none or them would have
proved an excessive burden for a man.
They were burnt all conceivable coIors
black, yellow. red and gray. Some were
melted into a CLASSY lava or cinder, while
others had melted together, forming
conglomerate. Still others were made fri
able by the fire and 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 seemed 10 be ashes.
Of an intense FIRE long continued
we also unearthed on the south part
OF the circle fifty-five concretions rang
ing in size from that Of a common marble
10 specimens a foot IN diameter. in weight
from hair an ounce TO seventy-five pounds
The largest eoncretions were found
toward tho north. With them were found
foTty-seven fossils OF the variety com
monty known as cows horn. two septaria
three fossil plants. one piece II granite.
a specimen of quartz crystal and ffty Pc
culiar formations. Among the geological
specimens were twelve different varieties
Of fossil coral
with these specimens we found the
following relics OF the mound builders.
Six hammer, five pestles. one tube pipe
one unfinished pipe. one large stone bead
one gulf shell bead. three paint grinders.
ten round paint grinders or plumb bobs
one stone punch or awl and one unan-
ished effigy. In tho southern part Of the
collection Of relics / found the most irnpor-
tans and interesting object IN an this val
liable discovery. In "A peculiar musseI-
shell-shaped box 81 stone three and one
half inches IN length and three in width
projected by a separate stone cover Of
similar form. were FIVE nuggets Of silver
Three 81 the latter were coated with some
sort 81 a black paint, while no other two
we're covered with pink ochrej
AS far as - known. this is the only
nugget silver ever found In a burial 4
European archaeologtst. 20 whom the rellc
was shown. said that gold had been found
in some q the archaeological surveys in
Europe. bur. 20 Ear as ne knew. native
silver had never been discovered ia any
u the prehistoric ruins there Too much
importance cannot be attached 70 the
value o. thls unique discovery. which is
certainly a. astonishing as Il IS mysteri-