The Washington herald., 1913-08-31
ANCIENT indian
VILLAGE FOUND
Scientists Dig Up Bones that
Are Thought to Be Thou
sands of Years Old.
CLAY HOLDS SECRET
Inhabitants Made Pottery and Tools,
and, 1t Is Supposed, Kept
Dogs in Camp.

Msnkota. MINI. Aug. 3O-Discoveriei
that may be written into the pages OF
history have been made by the scientists
who are at work in Cambria Township,
this county, excavating on the site OF
an old Indian village, under the auspices
ct the Minnesota State Historical Society.
The scene OF the excavations is about
eighteen miles west of Mankato and
ten miles east OF New Tim, near the
Minnesota River On small nat emI-
nence, commanding a magnificent view
down the river valley and located in a
broken and wild piece or country, the
Indians had permanent abode. TO Judgs
from what the spade has produced.
That this place was inhabited by a
race Of people from lO,0OO to 2U.OUO years
ago is a possibility that Prof. W. b.
NickersOn has uncovered, and he is max
ing a close study or the soil and the OBJ
tects that he is UnCovering from il
The excavations are about five feet
deep. and extend for some forty feet.
but the surface has been barely scratched
yet, as compared with the amount of
work to be done. The relics are found
in the top layer of soil. and in the
pockets that the inhabitants dug down
INTO the gravel beneath, ana again down
under a layer OF natural clay.
This clay holds the secret Of the prob
lem that confrOnts the archaaeOlogists OF
the State Historical Society. II it is
the work of the waters of the river
$50 feet above the present level of the
water, then the people whose relics are
found underneath the stratum lived there
somewhere between lCOO and 2OOOl
years ago. for that is the length of time
that has elapsed since the waters swirled
and boiled in the great river at that
height.
Under this clay layer is fine sand
and in that sand are found broken bones
and other things that point to the pres
ence Of man. The Indians always broke
the bones Of the animals that they
cooked. for they were fond OF the mar
row. One of the excavations made by
Prof. Nickerson has yielded a score Of
pieces Of pottery, with rude decora tions,
arrow heads. stone knives and hatchets,
avis, needles, and other tools made of
bone. stone, spoons. and "skimmers."
The Indians cooked their fowls by
throwing them into the water without
picking the feathers of or drawing
them. but the boiling process Ioosened
the feathers and they soon f1Oated on
the surface and the ''skimmers," or large s.
spoons, several inches in diameter. were
used to skim the feathers of. Turtles
also were cooked in the same way, and
the shells boiled of.
Were Good workmen.
The bones of innumerable animals have
been unearthed by Prof Nickerson. in
cluding those of buffalo, deer. wildcat,
wolf, and probably dog. and also fish.
The skulls OF two bears also have been
found in an excellent state Of preserva-
ton, at a depth of three feet. One was 4
little bear. the other a large one. The
bones of the bear are the only ones that
were not cracked for the marrow that
they contained. and from this fact.
Prof. Nickerson draws the conclusion
that perhaps the bear was the tribal
totem and, therefore, held in some re-
spect. Some OF the fish bones were as
large as those OF salmon.
The supposition that there may have
been dogs in the camp is based ON the
fact that the bones had been gnawed. as
it is not supposed that wolves would have
ventured into so populous camp or VII
lage as this one evidently was.
Whoever the ancient inhabitants were,
they were good workmen. for their i'm
plements and tools were made with pre-
clsion, and their pottery was hard. and
was used for cooking. being suspended by
thongs over fires. by means OF tripods.
The ordinary way of heating the water.
however, was to first heat stone very
hot and then place it into a vessel OF
water One interesting implement found
was a large bone hook, for use on the
tripod in holding up the vessel for warm
ing water.
Village site Now Farm.
The site of the, Indian village is on
farm, and il was not until two years
ago that il was suspected that Indians
had lived there Then. in cultivating the
soil, numerous arrow heads were found.
and also some pieces of broken pottery.
The village is located in spot Of historic
interest. aside from whatever interest at
taches to the ancient inhabitants. 1t was
there that the Sioux Indians, during the
outbreak of 1867. committed some of their
murders. In the little Jerusalem Gene
terry near by lie the bones of four muir
dered settlers, with no stone to mark
their resting place.
Close by was the camping place Of a
company cf troops A short distance away
are the remains of fort, and at Judson,
eight miles away. can be seen the re-
mains of a sod fort. where the settlers
took refuge.
Several miles west are large Indian
mounds, where the Indians had their
burying place. Almost every section OF
land has some point Of interest con-
nected with the former inhabitants Of the
land