Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-11-20

American archaeology Is as yet 6, o.,
infancy, and there are on ever ~
inviting fields IN which intelligent obgo-..
ers may re1p rich haryests. This eyhtti,
deals exclusively with Indian relics m tti,
region. and serves 70 convey "a 80
rect impression Of the location. char
teristics, form Of government. social ~
lations, manufactures, domestic econo,,.
diversions, and customs OF the soutb.r,
Indians. 10 displays the results OF er.
animation OF tumuli. oarthworks. and 10.
rious relics obtained from burial mopnds
gathered amid refuse piles. found lp an
cient graves. and picked up IN cultivated
fields and on the sites Of old villages ana
fishing resorts.
There are pipes OK clay, s0apstone ana
slate from Virginia and North Carolina
For the most part surface finds from tbe
sites OF prehistoric settlements. as fb.
catalogue sets forth, although several
were eXhumcd from graves. among fb.
latter an unique clay pipe modelled In
Initiation of the root OF a cornstalk found
in a grave on Dan river Halifax county.
Va.
The ceremonial stones, or axes. are sur.
face finds from Virginia and North Caro.
lima, made Of greensboro, rtcatito sla+e
and granite. They are supposed % b,
embems OF rank. There Is a collection =
more than one hundred Thousand arrow.
heads, spearheads, and knives OF quartz.
qua-tzite flint, etc, found in Virginia aad
North Carolina.
THE BIRDTOwN MOUND.
An object Of surprising interest In thi,
collection. Is the case containing ~aHcs
from the Birdtown mound. located on the
lands Of Jim Keg, a Cherokee Indian. On
the north bank OF Ocona Luity river
about seven miles above Charleston Swain
county, " @. IL was explored during tho
summer of 1888 by Messrs. b. i. and r.. p
Valentine, for this collection Sir. r.
Valentines description. which ls g.,en
below. appears in the catalogue.
This mound stood in the valley near
the foot OF a hill at a distance OF about
800 yards from the river, was feet h.eh.
Of circular form, with a level top SO f.st
In diameter the sides slipping Uniformly
to base OF 1O7 feet diameter Before De
ginning the exploration the mound with
It's background OF mountains was nhd.0-
graphed its dimensions asclr-liued by
measurements, and a stake driven In The
centre, from which point the distance
and direction OF each object as found
was noted. The surface measurements
| being completed, a trench feet in width
| skirting the mound and penetrating Nh.
| subs0i of the valley, was dlg FOR the
purpose of determining III a paved way
| led from the mound. No evidence n
| the existence Of such was found. bIt ha
| trench served as a receptacle lor tla
earth removed I'm cutting the succeeding
| trench The mound was then taken down
| by encircling trenches Z feet in width
| the earth Of each succeeding circle being
| thrown into the trench OF the previous
| circle until the centre was reached Ey
| this means the exact location OF Oh, OBJ
| jects was determined, and very small
| objects escaping observation iu txca-
| waiting readily seen ON the earth piles IN
| the trenches. The structure of this mound
! was the same as that OF the SaUu0oke
! mound. having a burned clay floor 0r
roof. covered by a layer OF charcoal ana
| ashes. over which was - 10 us inches o,
soil. The soil composing the mound W05
| aIluviaL and similar to that of the sur.
| rounding valley. IN the mound no human
| remains were found. but in the yellow
| sandy subsoil at a depth Of - tae. Doe
| low the base and 35 20 40 feet west on te
! centre. three skeletons We're discovered
lying on their sides. as In the Sa8aorke
mound.
The photograph seen in the case Was
taken Of one Of these, as 10 appeared
when exposed. on the neck was the c0l.l
shell breastplate, upon which is carved
| an owls head. The plate was perforated
| with two holes, and was evidently he
! pendant from a necklace, the conch-shel
| beads Of which surrounded the neck NJ
the skeleton. The second skeleton ts-
| covered had upon its neck beads 90, c9rcl
and small shells and two pin-shaped len-
dants 2 or more inches I'm length made
| h. efa of
| skeleton had upon the neck beads and
| pendants similar to the second llt. Boo
| addition. at the mouth OF the skull there
| was a pipe. No other objects were found
I in close proximity TO these skeletons Tie
| other objects were found at random
| through the mound. and comprise nine
clay and two soapstone pipes. together
! with q number OF fragments Of The slH..
| thirty-nine bone avis, two polished
! hatchets, two stone pendants. seven name
| mer stones, more than seventy d.seo.iaI
| stones, burned straw and wood charcoal.
| burned stones, mussel shells. p'n.s ..
| birds. several bushels OF broken bones o.
| bear and deer, and as great volume o.
| fragments Of pottery. The heart or posi-
| about 21-2 inches IN diameter and
| inches long, standing in vertical l'.''
| ton in hole. was also found The pres
| ence OF fragments OF posts In this s'1s
OF mounds. always in a vertical pos-loA
when taken in connection with the 1l1i-
| ed clay floors upon which charcoal aNI
! ashes have been invariably found W'-1
| Indicate that some structure. perhaps iAe
town house Of the prehistoric settlement
| had stood upon them.
sAWNOOKE AND OTHER MOUNDS.
The sawnooke mound was explored ia
| the year 1882 by Mr.. Edward L. la''''
| tine. and the discoveries there mace a'.
| included in this collection. Iue ih'I'1
| is so called because Of It's location AI."
! lands belonging to Posey Sawl.oAe. '-'
son Of q former chief Of the Che'oN
| These two mounds are upon tH..oNt'
| lands. which have never been in I'D. N.
session Of white people, and DE ifA."''
| now. as when Bartram visited me Ni..-.
| KEGS in 1776, is that the moIn. "..'
| there when their ancestors arrived. '-.
| objects discovered. however
| the same STAGE OF civilization oh-'...'
at the time Of the building Of the m1-.-'
az obtained among the Cherohce' ".s'
first visited by the Europeans. lne CIT.
tents Of the following mounds are '
exhibited: Tuckasegee Mound Jasper 40
len, McCombs. Wells. smotheis, -..,
Stone Pile, Battle or Bell Mound. en-.
or Bell Mound, Koiner Mound, ana "@
gerss Mound.
objects from the site OF a preh-.'.
settlement on the south bound oi 7
ton river, at the cove, HALIFAX N'..t'
are sure 10 claim a large share oi a..
ton They consist chiefly ~ p.
| polished and flake-stone axes anl
/ cts snoar- and arrou-hoqls broken ...