The Pulaskian. (Pulaski Heights [Little Rock], Ark.) 1915-1929, 1919-02-21

IN ARKANSAS
c,uRo COLLECTORS DISCOVER
EXQUISITE RELICS OF MOUND
RruLDERS' ART AT NATURAL
STEPS.

STEPS.
IN the surrounding country near
Natural Steps, in hidden away places
!. aParadise Found" for the ener-
yetic curio collector. Mainly of
which is an Indian burial ground
which is supposed to have been estab-
lished by the tribe of Quapaws who
Inhabited the State of Arkansas in
years gone by. The burial ground in
mestion is situated in the vicinity of
the Arkansas river. Excavations
covering a period of the last ten or
fifteen years, by several different col
lectors, have yielded many exquisite
nieees of the Indians handiwork and
now adorn many curio seekers collec-
tens of relics. Many different pieces
of their art have been found, ranging
in sizes from their baked clay pipes
Of peace to the large ollas, some as
. large as a bushel measure. The ollas
are made somewhat similar to our
modern soup bowls, out of a fine quail
7ty of clay, the top of which tapers
Ito smaller diameter than the bot
tom, and was used by the squaw In
dams for storing their grain (In-
. dian corn) and for other uses for
(which they had occasion.
Much of the pottery is of the COM
mon kind, while some of it is finely
/ made, etched with weird but beautiful
designs. Pigments were used which
zonly Indians knew the secret of MAX
ling and the way they had of applying
the different colors which have with
! stood the test of time of several
hundred years under the earth has
been quite puzzling to the civilized
'clay worker.
In another location, not near the
Indian burial ground, is very good
evidence the mound builders inhabit-
led this part of the state also. The
Arkansas mound builders were race
lot much forgotten people, somewhat
lon scale with the Indian, resembling
them to certain extent, but their
history dates back many years be-
|fore the Indians. They were said to
|nhabit certain parts of the United
Staes at the same time, or before,
tine Aztecs inhabited central and
South America. The mound builders
mode of living was for several fami-
lies or perhaps an entire tribe, to oc-
|cupy one dwelling place together,
quilt out Of logs and sometimes made
more substantial by building out OF
nuge stones, covering the entire build
ing over with certain sort Of clay
or earth, which was then burnt from
tne outside, thereby making secure
retreat from their enemy tribes and
q snug habitation in which all of their
property and belongings were stored.
In the coming centuries after their
disappearance their buildings were
not made strong enough to Withstand
the elements, the entire mass col
iasping and running together and in
the present day we are only fortunate
enough to view signs and indications
VI their habitation by running across
the mounds, some Of them covering q
space Of an acre or more, and being
reminded that they were more ener-
ee.ic and enterprising race or
s = OF people than were the In
vans, who had no fixed location of
their abode.
Inc mound building race probably
'accumbed to some sort Of malady or
pague or were annihiliated by the
Indian tribes who came from
O'aer parts Of North America to
se'.e their excellent hunting grounds
~'u warm climate of the South.