The Minneapolis journal., 1905-10-11
ANCIENT RACES
1OMBS ARE POUND.
Prehistoric Cemetery Extends for
Two Miles, Being the Largest
Ever Found in America.

Guthrie, Okla, Oct. IA report was
made to the chronological department at
Washington recently, Of the discovery
at Webber s Falls, on the Arkansas riv-
er, In Indian Territory, of the largest
prehistoric burial ground ever found on
the continent. 2E<
Webber s Falls is on the river, about
five miles south and east of the old
army post at Fort, Gibson, The burial
ground is two miles long and contains
the bodies of many thousand persons,
presumably moundbuilders.. The dis.
covery is thought the more important in
that it may lead to something definite
regarding that prehistoric people.
/ Up to forty years ago the land on
Which these remains were found was
covered by heavy growth of. timber,
some OF the trees five feet in diameter,
and thick growth Of cane. Most Of
the timber has been cut and the land
PLACED under cultivation. In digging
wells and other excavations human
bones have been unearthed many times
little comment, as they were supposed
to- be those Of Indians. Where the
land along the benches near the Arkan-
sas river bottom has been cultivated
the heavy rains have caused washouts
In places, bringing bodies to view.
ID. A. McCorkle, an educated Indian
Of the Creek tribe, made discoveries on
his farm a few weeks ago, and Informed
the editor Of the Fort Gibson Post re-
garding them. This led to an investi-
cation, which showed that the burial
along the river. parallel with the river,
the graves being in regular order, about
tour feet apart, corresponding with
points Of the compass. :. LII ~, -
The dead were buried facing the east,
all in the. same position. With each
was found an earthen bowl, in every
instance being held i'm the bend of the
right arm. In most cases the bones and
bowls crumbled when exposed to the air
a short time, but some were in q fair
| state of preservation. ~,s ..z..
implement Of war found. That was a
spearhead about nine inches long, in
the grave of a. man, apparently seven
feet tall. The other figures were be-
low the. average height Of the Amer
leans Of today.
ness of the, skulls, some exceeding half
heads and heavy back heads. - 80
According to Professor Edwards, an
archeologist, who visited the territory
to investigate discovery at Reland,
twenty FIVE miles below Webber s Falls,
the greatest. battle ever fought on
American soil took place. He expressed
his belief that the battle took place
2o,9oo years ago.: E''
:: He made a statement at that time
that the geological history Of the Amer.
lean continent possibly dated back
about. two hundred million years ago
in which there were seventeen periods
during each Of which the face of The
continent was changed. He says the
battle was fought and the dead buried
at ~Redland during the quarternary pc
riod. Not long after their burial nature
hermetically sealed; them in with {
layer Of adobe resulting from a grea1
overflow. On top of this was a loan
in which, mammoth forests grew, ant
afterward gave way to the recent for
ests, recently cut by this generation
of men, Gt.aS&s" z'a2r 1*7 ,sfs:is,2:-
The. discovery, made at Webber 4
Falls is to be thoroly: investigated.