The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1921-12-04

Special 70 The world
JAf.---Joscph u. Thoburn. score
,ary OF the state historical society
OF Oklahoma City and author OF
.ho first state history to be used
IN tho public schools of the state.
mas recently been IN tho eastern
part OF Oklahoma. and gathered
sorne Interesting facts about the
little mounds Of earth so humorous
in Delaware and Cherokee counties.
Thoburn. with several assist
ants. has made a careful survey Of
the physicnl makeup of these little
knolls. lie has spent much time
In gathering and collecting relicp
OF historical value for his WusCum.
His opinion ns 20 tho formation OF
these little mounds. with their rclat-
cd history, Is Of great interest
Most people Of eastern Oklahoma
are familiar with the hundreds, yes
Thousands OF small circular mounds
which are scattered over the flclda
throughout the length and breadth
OF the counties OF the eastern part
OF the state. Since the first set
tiers cnmo to this part OF the coun-
try more than ninety years ago, tho
Nause or origin of these ANAL cir
cular mounds has been a mystery.
People have built their homes on
theee slight elevations. have planted.
plowed cultivated and harvested
over thom. but, n they were ever
given ANY thought az all. it was TO
wonder what made them. Profess
Sor Thoburn SAYS, there has been q
dispute concerning this matter for
20 years. among the scientists. Ar
chaeoiogists. who make a study OF
prehistoric life, always wanted TO
claim these small mounts as the
work OF human hands. on the other
hand, the geoiogists who have made
exhaustive studies of the structure
OF the earth's surface. have been
'>generally unanimous In scouting
every suggestion uf human agency,
and In calling them ell natural
mounds" though failing TO agree
upon tho causes for their existence
Each OF these mounds. according
10 Mr.. Thoburn. IS really the ruin oi
prehistoric human habitatlon oi
hut, timber-framed dome shaped
and earth covered. From the present
knowledge OF the subject there
seems 90 be reason 20 believe thai
they were built and occupied by q
stock of Indian people who lived
here approximately 600 tn 900 years
ago. They were agrioulturally In
clnfu ana fNlufHAlN hfN'llbfh "
ilillng the soil as a means Of gain
ing n livelihood. as much as later
tribes depended upon the chase ol
wild game for subsistence. The,
seem to have cultivated extensive
areas in corn, beans. squash. pump
kins and melons. Their implement u
Of tlllage were spades and noes
which were made from stone and
bone.
The culture OF these people was
,>perior to that of tho Indian tribes
found here when the first white men
came, more than two hundred years
ago. IL Is probable that this culture
was brought northward from MeNl'
co, Yucatan and Central America
and that II deterioratod as the peo,
. plo became fewer in numbers anc
more widely scattered. That theN
etilI have descendants living In Ok
lahoma is not improbable. TheN
were tho parent stock OF the Cad.
doan tribca OF more than recent
times, including the Caddoes or the
lower Red river aud Sabine river
region. the Wichitas of the upper
Red river country, the Pawnees HI
northern Kansas and Nebraska, ana
the Arickaras of Dakota.
Those people who lived I'm earth
houses were among the most skilltuI
md artistic potters In America In
pre- Columbia times. Many beauti-
fuI specimens OF their pottery have
been found In their burial grounds
These include vases. urns, water bot
ties, and efflgies Of animals. birds,
fish, reptiles and even or human
faces and forms. Among these arc
many that show a high degree OF
artistic talent and which have real
art value. Specimens OF this pot
terry have been found In their burial
grounds Of these mound dwollers.
rheir burial grounds are almost In
Variably located In the creek or river
bottom lands, where there Is "A sandy
loan subsoil. There are scores OF
such burial grounds In the valleys
OF eastern Oklahoma. many umei
lnnouced by the farmers who I'll
the surface of the soil, not knowing
that they are working over tn
ashes OF "A prehistoric race.
Near the center OF each of thes
email mounds at the floor leve
which iwas the original ground SUI
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