Evening star., 1901-03-19
MOUNDS ANDd BRICK WALLS.
Remarkable Ancient tfStructures to BE
Seen Near FAX eiMiIis, Wis.


LA--A
Remarkable Ancient structures to BE
Seen Near LAX Mills, Wis.
From the Milwaukee Stntinef.
In many respects Aztalan is among the
most remarkable prehistoric monuments In
the northwest. 1t lis the only brick-walled
town site found in this country. 1t is
located on the bottom land Of the Crayhsh
river, about two miles from Lake Mills,
Wisconsin The ino1osing wall Of the town
site is about 700 feet on its f1anks and 800
feet long. The river Seized to complete the
inclosure of seventeen acres of land. With
in and without the Enclosure there were
number of round. -truncated and oblong
mounds. just beyond 'athej inclosing walls
the land rises abruptly OVER twenty feet
up to the rolling table lands of the sur
rounding country - uf ;s-.-
From the bank above, stone could be
tossed into the town site, within the in
closure, which would SEEM to be a good
reason why this inclosure, which has been
called fort, could hot have been intended
for a defense against any human enemy.
Along the brow of this higher land is row
of more than thirteen round pyramidaf
mounds ranging from three to twelve feet
in height. From the top of these mounds,
or standing on the table land above, an
enemy could command the whole town site.
l believe 1t has always been conceded that
Aztalan was not inclosed for purposes Of
defense 1t has been supposed that it was
walled for protection from wild animals
though the inclosure has never been high
or abrupt enough since it's discovery to
keep out the panther, wildcat, wolf, bear
moose or buffalo, which were the only can
gerous animals of our woods known to US.
The purpose of its Inhabitants in indus
triously constructing this great inclosure
over half a mile long must still remain
a mystery.
The inhabitants were part of a very large
and numerous community of prehistoric
people, as near at hand are other similar
inclosed town sites with earth walls, and
many hill and effigy mounds. All indica-
tive of a host of people moving in barbaric
mammiiiary hills of this charming valley
There have been great quantities of
stone clay and copper antiquities gathered
on this site. The Milwaukee Public Museum
is said to have the finest. Frank Fargo Of
Lake Mills and Mr.. Harris of Jefferson
have a number. The collection Of the lat
ter gentleman includes bluestone pipe
with a negroid face which was found in
the vicinity.
BY far the largest collection is possessed
by Hubert M. Jaycox Of Lake Mills His
family moved on to the farm which covers
most Of Aztalan about forty years ago, and
resided there many years, during which
period this collection of over two thousand
arrow points, forty shell beads. and hun
dreds Of other relics were picked up by
him on the fields within the inclosure
Among the collection there ts,a lot, ,f not.
terry fragments and two bushels of AztaIan
brickets. So much of this broken pottery
and brick has Uttered the grounds that it
has been gathered up from time to time
and used to make roads.
Very few specimens of copper art have
been found. The arrow points are mostly
small triangular flint and ebert, with seal
loped or serrated edges. This regularity
of the notched edges is rare in all other
places. In fact, it Is very rare 1 believe
there is more saw-edged fiints in the Jaw
cox collection than in all the other coIlec-
tions in America put together.
The most remarkable art Of Aztalan is it's
brick walls and walks. In this it is singu-
lar and alone, the only example of brick
laying among all monuments of the
mound builders. These bricks or brickcts
are not rectangular, in form and size, as
are the brick with which we are familiar.
They are simply balls Of plastic clay wad-
ded by the hand Into small brickets Of ir-
regular form, about the average size of a
SNOWFALL. The material used was the gla-
cial yellowish-red clay Of the vicinity and
the color of the brickets is red or light yell
low. Under the glass, scrapirgs appear
like handful of crystal sand.
The walls made of this brick aggregate
over mile and q half In, length From
present indications, It appears that the
earth or clay upon the ridge of which the
brick wall was constructed, and some Garth
thrown upon 1t. No brick is found in any
of the round mounds except one which
had a central chamber bricked up and q
fiat stone on the floor
When first discovered the inclosing wallis
were 2,750 feet around. and from to feet
high, and about % feet wide. This was
over fifty years ago., The brickets were at
that time much decayed. It was said at
that time that 'in many places the Garth
forming the walls appears to have been
burnt" Irregular masses of hard, red
dish clay. full Of cavities. bear distinct i'm
pressions of straw, or rather wild hay,
with which they had been mixed before
burning" "The brick was never made into
any regular forms. and 1t Is even doubtful
whether the burning did not take place Il,
the wall after 1t was built ,"
Not much literature exists on the SUBJ
Ject Of these brickets. Mr.. Jaycox has
furnished us with most OF the brick in
formation such as its prevalence and dis
tribution. His. exceptional opportunity to
observe the extensive distribution Of the
brick walls by his long residence on the
premises must give weight to his state-
rnenta fhia zaaiaianf