The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1912-08-25
CANN|BALSLNEDIN
MISSOURI VALLEY
Prehistoric Ruin Is Found
Near Omaha
BUILDING OF HOUSES
Thorough Exploration Made of Small
House Which Was One of
Row of Eight Similar
Structures =
BUILDING OF HOUSES

Omaha Telegram to the Chicago Inter
Ocean.
a race of cannibals at one time inhab-
tied the great Missouri River valley. r.
F. Glider, the Well known archaeologist
has just discovered in prehistoric ruin
near Omaha, full and complete evidence
that the mysterious race which antedated
the arrival of the red men were eaters OF
human flesh. After eight years of con-
tinued exploration of the remalns of these
prehistoric people Mr.. Glider now makes
public for the first time the result of his
work, SO far as the tribes practice of
cannibalism is concerned. Among arch
biologists and students of the older inhab-
itants of the American continent the an
| nouneement will prove a sensation. In
| part Mr.. Glider says:
Among the Omaha Indians there is a
vague tradition that long years before
that tribe reached the Missouri river in
| their migration northward from the Ohio
river-akout 2s5 years ago-there lived a
people in what is now eastern Nebraska
who were giants in stature. whose eyes
were unusually close together and who
| dition is not known. Other tribes whose
I habitat in historic times was the Mis-
| souri, river had traditions of a human
| flesh eating people residing here in a
very remote past, but runors and trad-
lions, with nothing farther to back them,
cannot be relied upon to any great ex-
1 tent
Continued exploration for eight years
of the house ruins In this vicinity of a
| long extinct people had contributed but
| scantily to proof OF the existence here
of race of cannibals. and 1t was only
within the past 80 days that proof posi-
| tive that such condition once prevailed
| hereabouts came under my knowledge.
For the first time, therefore | make an
| nouncement of the fact that cannibalism
was practiced in trans-M Missouri territory
in the remote past
Caches in Bluffs
Exploration was begun by men of an
unusually small house ruin some miles
south of Omaha. This ruin was one of
a row of eight, and the smallest of the
| lot, being but ~ feet in diameter, the
| largest being so feet in diameter.
| "on the higher bluffs along the Mis-
| souri, river are today innumerable cir
cular and obong depressions In the earth
| of from 10 to 100 feet in diameter and
from half foot to 10 feet deep-ruin
! Of homes made by excavating the earth
| leaving smooth, vertical walls from three
to five feet in height Posts were placed
about the center, to the tops Of which
cross beams were attached and the whole
covered with poles extending from the
sides of the excavation to the cross pieces
| and then covered with twigs, grass AMI
earth. 0hen their owners left in time
| the houses fell in, and nowadays bian;
oaks spring from these ruins. Beneath
the floor of these dwellings caches, SHAPED
| like a bottle, were dug TO a depth o
| from two to six feet. In them were
stored food and articles of value to the
owners. Ashes were used as a preserva
| tive and earth filled in above the ash
| Sometimes fire was built on the sur
face, making the percolation of water
on to contents almost impossible. AS
many as Is caches have been found in
one house ruin.
How Houses Were Built
1.-THE floor OF this small ruin was
reached at Al inches from the surround
ing surface, and the first cache encoun-
| tered four feet east OF the central west
ern rim. In appearance the floor was
similar in all respects to those of the two
score ruins / have explored, and the
cache was well protected by a fire over
its entrance. Ii was found to be eight
feet in depth and almost three feet In
diameter. Lying with articles of domes-
| tic use were the long bones Of several
human skeletons all of which had been
| split lengthwise. Many bones showed
| that one end had been burned with fire.
Portions of two badly broken skulls were
found, parts of which were blackened by
fire. Both skulls were of young persons
There were also found a notched flint ar
row, several pot rims and Tugs, a bone
needle and an unusually fine implement
supposed to have been used as a, hoe and
made from the shoulder blade of bison.
South of the main central fireplace
fire had been maintained on the house
floor for considerable period, as the
earth under the heavy bed of ashes had
been burned nearly five inches deep.
About this fire on the floor were scores
of fragments of human skulls and bones
many of which had been burned through
and through. Among these bones was
| the parietal bone Of a human skull with
walls far, heavier than any skull that has
come under my observation. While there