Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1913-04-25

very sparingly. In the first place, in
the annals of the Columbian epoch 1t
mas peen round that some of the mounds
were constructed in historical time.
While other explorers and settlers found
many actually used by tribes of the
NORTH American Indians; so we know
that many OF them were builders of
mounds.
Again. hundreds and thousands of
.hese mouhds have been carefully ex-
therein have been collected and assem-
uIeo IN museums. At the same time
tne works or art of the Indian tribes.
"a they We're produced before modifi-
catlon Dy European culture. have been
asehIpied In the same museums, and
ens swv classes or collections have been
carefully compared. All this has been
zone with the greatest painstaking,
ana the Mound Builders art and the
Inuiahs art are found to be substan-
TALLY Identical.
consequently there is little or no frag-
,ment OF evidence to support the fig
ment OF theory that there was an an
cient race of Mound Builders superior
IN culture to the North American In
ulans. That some of these mounds
were built and used in modern times
is proved in another way. They often
contain articles manifestly made by
white men, such as glass heads. and
copper ornaments. ~
IT is a f to assume that Soma of
.nese mounds were built by Indian
tribes extinct when Columbus first saw
THESE shores. but they were kindred i'm
culture TO the peoples that still existed.
Inc study or these mounds proves that
vm ns were used for a variety Of pur-
poses. some We're for sculpture and
sucn are the most common and widely
scattered. Others were used as artf-
,lclai nils on which to build communal
houses. Some of the very large
mounds We're sites Of large communal
houses In which entire tribes dwelt.
There is still a third class constructed
as places for public assembly.
The majority OF American archaeol-
oslsts now see no different reason for
surprising that any mysterious superior
race a ever lived in any portion of
our continent. Even II we accept he
sxasgerated statements of the Span
ism conquerors. the most intelligent and
advanced people found here were only
semlbarbarians in the stage of trans
ltioh IRON the stOne to the bronze age.
possessing no written language or what
can properly be styled an alphabet and
not yet having even learned the use
OF beasts OF burden.
But in spite of the archa~ eolop;ca,
view there are many writer's who still
afnrm that the mounds testify to the
lact' that AT a very remote age. a ACE
or people. now extinct, was in posses
SION OF this country. from the frozen
lakes or the North to the Gulf of Mex
leo. n from Vermont to the Rocky
Mountains. 1t is thought by them that
ahe Aztecs, found in Mexico by Cortez;
ana the ancient Peruvians. whose en-
pire vas destroyed by Pizarro. may
nave been remnants of he mound
builders, who We're driven south by in
vading hordes, such as our indian
tribes. from the other continent across
Behring Strait. but even they admit
th a.t his is only conjecture.
ines base their argument principally
on the fast that in the figures Of heads
on the pottery found in the mounds
ana especially on clay pipebowls. there
IS a strong resemblance to the sculp-
auied heads found in the ruins of Yil-
catan. There may come a time when
the mystery of these mounds will be
I"l'y feared in the minds OF every one.
OF he r~chaeologists are not absolute
~ sure regarding their theory.