The Savannah morning news., 1900-09-16
IN A MIcnIGAN MOUND.
Archaeological Treasures Discover
ed Near the Town of Wyman.

from ANf Nov 10TH " AtAAs
wyman, Mich. Sept "a table, craven
in an unknown language with what aP-
pear 70 be- the Ten Commandments Is che
most interesting Of many extraordinary
antiquities dug from mound north OF
this village. and now lying about in farm
houses and barns.
other curiosities from che mound are
sarcophagi containing what appear 10 be
burned human remains. flint spear heads
scratched with rude pictures Suggesting
Noahs food. pottery. ornaments ana
weapons
Arc these things relics Of the mysterious
civilization that dominated This land be-
fore the Indian arose 10 trample 10 under
foot? only an archacologist can answer
the question. That the curiosities were no.
planted by some practical Joker IS prov
81 by the fact thas great pine trees some
centuries old have grown over the mound
since the articles were buried there
No inhabtant OF this region can read
tho inscriptions on tablets or sarcophagi.
but in general way all recognize the
characters and style Of decoration as re-
semblng Egyptian or Assyrian antiqui-
ties. This. 20 the lay mind dccpcns tho
mystery and recalls the scientific theory
recently exploited In tho Sunday World
that the American continent was the
cradle OF the human race and that the
tide Of emigration WAS from Alaska 20
Asia. instead OF vice versa.
Wyman is numbering town with two
sawmilis An the country thcrea bouts has
been numbered Of 50 thoroughly that
nothing but legions or pine stumps meet
the eye IN every direction
More absorbed IN thinking OF the tim
her supply and the problem OF livelihood.
the local folk were only wildly interested
when $. o. Scotford. then "a painter liv-
ing In Edmore. four miles south, dlsiu-
serred from the mounds some curious OBJ
jects the like OF which had never been
seen before.
Scotford Is known as an eccentric char
actcr OF a rather inventive mind and his
discoveries were viewed with sccpticlsm.
But other persons began to dig and find
similar curlositlcs. The largest collcc-
tion Is that or Hiram J. Rich. a farmer
near Wyman who has several dozen OF
tho relics stored IN Dis barn, where che
writer Inspected them
All excepting the flint spear head are Of
burnt clay. They were not placed hap
hazard IN the mounds, but each one was
confined IN "a small chamber OF red clay.
when taken out thc clay was damp but
quickly dried.
The tablet that seems 10 contain tho Ten
Commandments IS patterned after the tab
let represented In the familiar engraving
OF Moses on Mount Sinai Arabic numcr-
ais are not used 90 designate. but lines
like those used TO tally scores IN playing
cards. The tablet IS about a foot long and
nine inches broad
No less suggestive OF biblical lore Is tho
flint spear head. II IS almost nine inches
long and six broad. and has Nat polish
cd surface on this ore scratched various
scenes depicting the flood. Men are hold
ing their arms above their heads as n 60
ward of che descending water. Scene No
. shows the ark on mountain. and In
the final scene troups OF animals are NJ
ing out.
The sarcophagl. or. rather. funeral urns
containing ashes. invite conjecture. From
foot and a half high 10 two feet long
their breadth ana hight average eight
inches The ia r. stuck on hv some un-
known process. and e. usually adorned
with reclining lion or panther. with that
peculiar hcaddrcss which adorns the lion
or Egyptian sculpture The outside Of
the sarcophagi Is covered with hero
rlyphics.
In the inside ashes Of human bodies and
bits Of human bones are found Similar
discoveries were made ~ mounds hard by
crystal Lake. some miles away aud a
other places.