Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1905-01-27

n GOIT0CIOT OIL sVNITIIIFITN VT dUNFTWFVF |TTI
| cured about 1850 arrow heads and other
/ implements and pottery from an indidI
mound ne discovered on the farm OF SHris
Closner IN Plymouth county Tne mouuu
~excavated by Justice Stafford lies aoouI
twelve miles northwest OF Sioux CITY ahd
a mile north and west OF the gsHersoh
bridge over the Big Sioux river. lie maue
four trips last summer and the result OF
his exploration Is contained in the follow
ing a~rticletl
The mound Investigated Is situated on
the banks of a spring fed creek now known
as the Broken Kettle creek, which empties
into the Big Sioux river about twelve
miles northwest Of Sioux City and in the
southwest corner OF Plymouth county.
The creek derives lis name, Broken Ket-
tIe,' from the great number OF broken
fragments OF pottery found I'm several
places along the banks.
The mound Ia UP creek about three-quar-
tiers of q mile from its mouth In a valley
running northeast and southwest. The
creek where Ii passes the mGund flows dt-
rectly west, coming from the north as 1t
reaches the eastern extremity.
IT would be difficult to find a more shell
tered spot In the entire valley. The long
row Of clay hills that bound the valley
on the north and west, rising TO a height
OF several hundred feet, afford at once
q shelter from the northwest wind and a
screen rom the enemy,
The location is ideal for a village. T1e
Sioux valley could be watched for miles
in both directions from the hills, which
( at the same time provided good ground for
defense. The village was far enough from
the Sioux river to be undiscovered by the
rowing bands OF the enemy that constantly
wandered up and down 10 the Missouri and
the south.
About two hundred feet south and west
- -. Il. 49, a.,I- lz,.I.l1- I,.ly- Ena
about one-half of the length of the mound.
At this point the banks Of the creek are
heavily lined with trees and underhrush,
the village must ave been almost hidden
from view. The barn hat now stands
upon the mound and Is much higher than
the village cannot be discovered except
from the hills within a few hundred yards
of the mound. h seclnsion is one OF the
reasons for building here instead of on the
Big Sioux river.
The origin OF the mound is in dispute,
one contention being that this pile was the
adobe nuts that have fallen to ruin and de-
cay, and that on the site there have been
successive villages; the other, tfat the VIII
lage was near this spot and this mound
was that part of their civilization that is
now represented by our modern city dump,
the rubbish being at times covered with
clean, fresh dirt.
This last theory seems the more piausi-
BILE for reasons that will hereafter appear
In this paper.
There is nothing now TO Indicate TO a
casual observer that this knoll was at enc
time The babitation of a forgotten people.
The many years of rain and snow, the
alternate seasons OF frost and sunshine,
have removed all trace of human work,
and there is left only a billoek such as we
might expect the creek to deposit in it's
wanderings through the valley or left by
nature when the earth's surface received
the finishing touches.
But his oblong mound contains much
that will interest the student Of .anthro-
pology or the seeker after the curious, and
the contents tell a tale that contrasts
greatly with the life Of the modern red
men in this vicinity.
There is no way now to determine the
plan or location of the village, IL there was
a plan. The mound Is oblong and Is $50
feet long and 1l5 feet wide In the widest
place. The high perpendicular bank or
the creek side is due Ia. the erosion Of the
spring freshets, at which time the water
rises 10 a height OF seven or eight feet
on the mound.
The height Of the mound is nine feet
three inche from the original soil and
fourteen feet six inches from the creek
bed at the highest point. 1t is nearly fiat
on top, slipping TO the south and west.
A cross section was dug for ascertaining
the composition of the mound. This sec
ton was four and one-half feet wide, and
from the highest point TO the original soil
feet three inches.
This gives a very good idea of the struc-
ture OF the whole, as subsequent investi-
cations revealed the same formation with
small variation In other portions of the
mound. Beginning about nine inches from
the top soil there are alternate layers OF
clay, sasd, charcoal, black soil. bones and
other refuse. The layers vary greatly from
a mere trace TO a foot In thickness. The
charcoal La ara not continuous across
the mound, but are in patches. In this
section nine patches OF charcoal were
found In a perpendicular line. indicating
that they were thrown there from some
fire used elsewhere. In nearly all these
patches OF charcoal. or near them, are TO
be found bones Of all kinds and sizes, from
the small birds to the large deer and buff
falo. There is also q large quantity of
fresh water clans, many OF which have
marks which Indicate that they have peen
in the fire.
The greater punk OF the mound is COM
posed OF clay taken from the ~neighboring
nils.
All the tools. pottery and implements
here described were found solidly imbedded
in the claw or charcoal.
SiiEt the mounu mas Deen deserted Dy
the builders large trees measuring four
feet in circumference have grown out OF
the mound. This, together with the alb
sence OF all skins and parts of their tools
and weapons that were necessarily made
OF wood, Is an Indication of the length OF
time hat has elapsed since the mound was
inhabited
or tools and implements there seem to
be no end, They seem to~be more numer
GUS than the weapons and instruments of
war.
If these indians lived like their modern
defendants, the female portion of the tribe
was permitted to perform most of the la
Dor that ~pertained TO the amp and village
life.
A stretch of the imagination might pic
ture the fair hand Of some romantic In
dian maiden using these bone needles sew
ing skins for her father or lover on the
warpath against the hostile neighbcrs. lit
Is TO be feared. however. that such was
not the case,
Bone was the principal article used in
the manufacture OF these tools and imple-
ments. Some, however. were made of
stone and OF horn. The stone Is the most
part was used Tor the war and hunting
weapons, the bone and horn for the do
nestle implements and for ornaments.
Bone being the more easily worked was
the great factor In this domestic economy.
The ARTICLES Of stone consist OF grist
mills, for grinding corn. smaller ones for
grinding herbs n roots: stone axes.
heads and other Instruments the use OF
which has NOT yet been determined.
The axes are made after the fashion OF
such and with which wa ara all Familiar