The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1904-09-04
HOW THE MOUNDS LOOKED
TO THE FIRST EXPLORERS

known American nation, rather than that
of religious order of foreign origin"
These Cahokias were one of the two
Illinois tribes-the other was the Tam
aoas, who have been left so far without
any memorial whatever-freauently men
toned by early explorers of the Missis-
sippi valley. They are now very much
part of the ancient history of North
America. The site of an ancient village
Of CaholSias and Tamaoas visited by
Charlevoix in 1921 after the two tribes
had been amalgamated, was probably not
very far from the present settlement
which perpetuates the name of the for
mer tribe: and it is here that the party
OF Tamaoas taken to France in 1920 may
have returned after their visit to the gay
French capital and their presentation to
royalty. In 1859 Pontiac was murdered
near the same village
Just why the mounds were built is one
OF the unanswered questions, hardly more
likely to- be definitely settled than the
identity Of the Man IN the Iron Mask.
The mounds were built and the Man in
the Iron Mask did inhabit the bastile. and
that is all that research, archaeological or
historical. has ever been able to find out
about either. One theory, says Mr.
Bushnell. can be readily disposed of-they
were not burial mounds. In seven
mounds that have been opened on elevated
ground the finding of potsherds, bits of
Clipped ebert and the Indication of fire.
all on what appeared to have been the
original surface, would point strongly to
their having been the remains or ruins of
earth-coyered lodges. Early explorers
mention seeing such lodges in different
parts of the valley.
Mounds, however, that can be partly
accounted for on the theory that they
are actually remains of ruined dwell
ings-such dwellings as the traveller,
Tonti, had probably in mind when he
wrote, in 1898: 81 was surprised to see
the grandeur of the village and the order
of the cottages; they were placed in
divers rows, peing all made of
earth''-are comparatively few in num-
Der. Many Of the mounds were clearly
erected as they now exist, possibly, as ele-
waited sites On which the builders erected
| their homes in the same manner as later
| the Trappist monks utilized them as an
elevated foundation FOR their cabins.
Mounds of this class are found in vast
numbers in certain sections of Missouri,
more than $50 having been counted with
| in an area of less than ten miles in one
county. In another place in the eastern
part of the state more than 500 occur
within a three mile radius. If each of
these mounds was once occupied by
! separate habitation they. indicate therefore
the presence of a very large prehistoric
population centered in this part of North
America.
In some of the smaller mounds, how
ever, skeletons have been discovered but
not in such condition as to suggest that
the mound was necessarily the original
place of sepulchre. The bones had evil
IDENTIFY been disturbed after their original
interment and in their immediate neigh
borhood fragments of pottery and indf-
cations OF FIRE suggest rather the floor of
a prehistoric home than the bottom of
tomb.
Very few of the mounds have been
carefully Investigated the excavations
demanding a sum of money that has
never yet been at the command of the
investigators What may be concealed
under the surface of such monumental
pile OF earth as Cahokia is therefore a
tempting question for psychologists. Ca
hokia may be rich in information about
itself; on the other hand it may contain
nothing but the earth of which it is COM
posed and an occasional bit of personal
property carelessly dropped by one work
man and carelessiy covered up by the
next
- On the surface surruundine the mounds
and In different parts Of the region in