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diff --git a/17969-8.txt b/17969-8.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..bf14819 --- /dev/null +++ b/17969-8.txt @@ -0,0 +1,1030 @@ +The Project Gutenberg EBook of Mound-Builders, by William J. Smyth + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: Mound-Builders + +Author: William J. Smyth + +Release Date: March 12, 2006 [EBook #17969] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MOUND-BUILDERS *** + + + + +Produced by Thierry Alberto, Diane Monico, and the Project +Gutenberg Online Distributed Proofreading Team at +http://www.pgdp.net. (This file was produced from images +generously made available by the Canadian Institute for +Historical Microreproductions (www.canadiana.org).) + + + + + + + + + +MOUND-BUILDERS + +BY + +REV. W. J. SMYTH, M.A., B.Sc., Ph.D. + +_Pastor of St. Joseph Street Presbyterian Church, Montreal._ + + +PUBLISHED BY REQUEST OF NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY, +TORONTO. + + +MONTREAL: +GAZETTE PRINTING COMPANY. +APRIL, 1886. + + + + +MOUND-BUILDERS + +BY REV. WILLIAM J. SMYTH, M.A., B.Sc., Ph.D. + + +When the early settlers began to pioneer the unbroken forests of North +America, they considered the various Indian tribes to be the true +Aborigines of this continent. But long before the red man, even long +before the growth of the present forests, there lived an ancient race, +whose origin and fate are surrounded with impenetrable darkness. The +remains of their habitations, temples and tombs, are the only voices +that tell us of their existence. Over broad areas, in the most fertile +valleys, and along the numerous tributaries of the great rivers of the +central and western portions of the United States, are to be found +these wonderful remains, of the existence and origin of which, even +the oldest red man could give no history. + +Following in the track of these ancient tumuli, which have been raised +with some degree of order and sagacity, we are bound to believe that +they were constructed by a very intelligent and somewhat civilized +race, who during long periods enjoyed the blessings of peace, but like +most nations of the earth, at times were plunged in the horrors of +war. We cannot tell by what name these strange people were known +during their existence. But archæologists, to keep themselves safe, +have given them the name of "Mound-builders," from the nature of the +structures left behind them. + +Of this wonderful, semi-civilized, prehistoric race, we have no +written testimony. Their mysterious enclosures, implements of war, and +comparatively impregnable fortifications, together with a few strange +tablets, are the only evidence of their character, civilization, and +doom. No contemporary race, if such there existed on this continent, +has left any record of them. + +The mounds they have left are found in the western part of the State +of New York, and extend, it is said, as far as Nebraska. And as they +have lately been found in the Northwest, they have thus a much more +northern limit than was at first thought, while the southern limit is +the Gulf of Mexico. + +Having seen only a few mounds in Illinois, Indiana and Kentucky, I +must confine my paper to those found in the State of Ohio, where, +during a residence of seventeen months, I made the closest +investigation my time and duties permitted. In Ohio, the number of +mounds, including enclosures of different kinds, is estimated at about +13,000, though it requires the greatest care to distinguish between +the mounds proper and those subsequently erected by the Indians. In +some parts they are very close together, which is strong evidence that +these regions were densely populated. In others, a solitary mound, +with adjacent burial mounds, gives us the idea of a rural village or +town. + + +ENCLOSURES.--In the State of Ohio, alone, there have been found 1,500 +enclosures. Some of these have walls ranging in height from three to +thirty feet, enclosing areas of from ten to 400 acres. Those areas, +enclosed by strong walls, erected in regions difficult of access, were +undoubtedly intended as military enclosures; while those areas +enclosed by slight walls, with no mounds to cover the openings, were +intended as sacred enclosures. I shall leave the consideration of the +sacred enclosures until I describe the temple, or sacrificial mounds, +giving a brief outline of some of the famous fortifications built by +those strange people. + +Within convenient distance of the city of Xenia, on Little Miami River +in Warren county, Ohio, can be seen at any time that famous enclosure +known as "Fort Ancient." There can be no mistake as to the intention +of this wonderful enclosure. It is situated on the east bank of the +Miami on a most commanding position. On the east, two ravines +originate, running on either side towards the river, leaving the great +fortress on an elevation of 230 feet above the river. The whole is +surrounded by a wall of five miles in length, but owing to the uneven +course of the river, there are only enclosed one hundred acres. The +wall has numerous openings, which, however, are well protected by +inner walls, or mounds. These openings could be occupied by warriors +while the interior would not be exposed to the enemy. Within the +enclosure are disposed twenty-four reservoirs, which could be +dexterously connected with springs, so that in time of siege, they +would be comparatively independent. The strength of this fortress does +not depend on the walls alone, which range in height from five to +twenty feet, but upon its isolated position and steep sides. Near the +fortification are two large mounds from which run two parallel walls +for 1,350 feet, and then unite, enclosing another mound. We cannot +tell what part these outer walls and mounds played in the defence of +this fortification. But we know that all give evidence of an immense +garrison occupied by an ancient and somewhat civilized race, whose +numerous enemies, doubtless, forced such strong defence. In point of +inaccessibility, engineering skill, and strength, this famous +enclosure will compare not unfavorably with Edinburgh Castle, the +stronghold of Quebec, or the impregnable Gibraltar. + +Another stronghold of considerable importance may be seen at Fort +Hill, in Highland county, on an elevation of 500 feet, and enclosing +an area of forty acres. There is another near Piqua, on a hill 160 +feet high; and another near the city of Dayton, on a hill 160 feet +high, where a mound is enclosed, which like the ancient watch-towers +of Scripture, can command a view of the whole surrounding country. +Near Carlisle lies the site of another remarkable military enclosure, +which overlooks the fertile valley, between the Twin and Miami Rivers. +Two deep ravines fortify the north and south sides, while an almost +perpendicular bluff fortifies the east. The wall which is partly of +earth and partly of stone is 3,676 feet in length, and encloses a +beautiful area of fifteen acres. + +The settlers state that in early times there were two stone mounds and +one stone circle, which contained such excellent building stone, that +they removed them for building purposes. They had to cut a way and +grade it, to remove the stones, which those rude architects of early +prehistoric times found no difficulty in taking from a distant quarry +to that high elevation. We must therefore agree that their knowledge +of the mechanical powers was far superior to anything the Indian race +has shown. + +About the largest fortification in Ohio may be seen at Bournville. It +encloses a magnificent area of fertility, on an elevation of 400 feet. +The sides are remarkably steep, and are washed by small creeks, that +empty into Paint Creek hard by. Within the fortification are several +depressions, where water remains most of the year. The area, of +itself, would be a beautiful farm, as it consists of 140 acres. The +wall, which was about 2-1/4 miles in length, is very much in ruins, +being chiefly built of stone. Some years ago the whole place was +covered by the trees, and on the dilapidated stone wall, may still be +seen immense trees, whose growth among the stones helped to displace +them. The decayed wood beneath some of these trees indicates that +successions of forests have flourished since these forts were +abandoned by those who made them. + + +GRADED WAYS.--It is well known that, in most of these valleys; there +are several terraces, from the river bottom or flats, up to the high +lands in the distance. Near a place called Piketown there is a +beautiful graded avenue. The third terrace is seventeen feet above the +second and the second about fourteen feet from the river flat. These +terraces form, when graded, this avenue, which has walls on either +side in height twenty-two feet. These walls run for 1,010 feet to the +third terrace, where they continue to run for 2,580 feet, terminating +in a group of mounds one of which is thirty feet high. Some distance +from these walls another wall runs 212 feet at right angles, and then +turns parallel for 420 feet, when it curves inwardly for 240 feet. + + +MOUNDS.--I stated at the outset that the mounds in Ohio were very +numerous. They are of various sizes, ranging from those which are only +a few feet in height and a few yards at their base, to those which are +about 90 feet in height, and covering some acres at their base. These +mounds are mostly composed of earth, the material often differing +greatly from the surrounding soil. When we consider the multitudes of +these mounds, and the immense transportation of earth and stones +required in their structure, it needs no stretch of imagination to +conclude that the Mound-builders were a mighty race. Most of these +mounds are located near large rivers or streams, and, consequently, in +the valleys, although some few are to be found on high lands, and even +on hills very suitable for military purposes. Sometimes they may be +seen in clusters, indicating a great business centre and large +population, while again only one may be found in a journey of fifty or +one hundred miles. + +During the last fifty years, these tumuli have been carefully +examined, and, from their contents, shape and position, they are now +classified as Temple or Sacrificial Mounds, Burial or Sepulchral +Mounds, Symbolic Mounds, Signal Mounds and Indefinite Mounds. I shall +briefly describe the characteristic of each class and give a few +examples. + +_Temple Mounds_.--These mounds are not so numerous in Ohio as in some +other States, yet they occur in sufficient numbers to deserve a small +share of our attention. The city of Marietta has slowly encroached +upon some interesting remains of a sacrificial character, which +consist of two irregular squares containing 50 and 27 acres +respectively. They are situated on a level plain 100 feet above the +level of the Ohio and Muskingum Rivers. The smaller square has ten +gateways, which are covered by mounds, while the larger square, being +strictly a sacred enclosure, has no mounds to cover the 16 openings, +but contains nevertheless four temple mounds of considerable interest. +On the top of these mounds, doubtless there were erected capacious +temples, as there are significant avenues of ascent. There may still +be seen the remains of the ancient altar, where, without doubt, these +people assembled for worship, and where, from the presence of human +bones, we may conclude human beings were offered in sacrifice. In all +the sacred enclosures, evidences of altars have been found, on which, +doubtless, the sacrificial fires blazed for ages. Often are to be +found successions of alternate layers of ashes and blue clay, +indicating a desire for pure sacrifice. + +In the neighborhood of Newark, Ohio, at the forks of Licking River, +may be seen most elaborate enclosures, square, circular, and polygonal +in their form, covering in all an extent of four square miles. Like +the ancient temples of the Druids, most of the enclosures have their +openings to the east, or rising sun, so that the first rays shall +strike the altar where doubtless a priest, from the early hour of +dawn, performed mysterious rites. + +On the west, there is erected a mound, 170 feet long and 14 feet in +height, which overlooks the whole works, and has been styled "the +Observatory". To the east is a true circle 2,880 feet in +circumference, the wall being 6 feet in height. To the north of this +is an avenue leading from the circle to an octagon of fifty acres, in +the wall of which are eight gateways, which, however, are covered by +mounds five feet in height. From this strange eight-sided figure run +three parallel walls. Those to the south are about two miles in +length, and those running towards the east are each about one mile in +length. + +About a mile east, where the middle line of parallel walls terminates, +is a square containing twenty acres, within and around the walls of +which are disposed seven mounds. To the north-east of this is an +elliptical work of large dimensions. On the south-east is a circle, in +the centre of which is the form of a bird with wings expanded. The +body is 155 feet, the length of each wing 110 feet, and the head of +the bird is towards the opening. When this structure was opened, there +was found an altar, proving that, in this circular place, this ancient +people must have assembled for worship. + +There is a place three miles north of Chillicothe, where an extensive +enclosure--now called "Mound City"--contains 26 well formed and +regularly disposed mounds, covering an area of 13 acres. Many of those +mounds contained altars at their base, but have been subsequently +converted into ordinary mounds. One mound, which is 90 feet in +diameter at the base and 7-1/2 feet in height, contained an altar, +within the basin of which was found a layer of solid ashes three +inches thick, in which were numerous pieces of pottery and +shell-beads. On the top of the altar was a layer of sand, then gravel +for two feet, then a thin layer of sand, then one foot of gravel. + +Buried three feet below the apex of the mound, were found two well +developed and highly preserved skeletons, which, however, were not +those of Mound-builders, but rather of the Indians who were buried +there long after the mounds were abandoned. One altar was covered by a +layer of opaque mica, which must have been brought from a great +distance. In the centre of the basin was found, besides numerous other +relics, a large heap of burned human bones, which would indicate it an +altar of human sacrifice. From other evidences, we may safely conclude +that they were Sun or Fire-worshippers. As to the cause of these +altars being afterwards changed into common mounds, it is difficult to +determine. Many such mounds are found, which for a long time were used +for purposes of sacrifice, and then covered over by many feet of +earth. We may not wonder, however, at this, as even now many old +churches are abandoned to the fate of being turned into dwelling +houses or barns. + +It may be, however, that after the decease of the priest who performed +his sacred functions before the altar for many years, the people, to +whom he had so long ministered, laid, or burned his remains on the +altar which they so much revered, and then, like the ancient builders +of the pyramids, erected a monument to departed worth, and during the +strange ritual deposited beside the respected remains whatever +implements or ornaments they could part with, in honor of the dead. + +_Burial Mounds_.--As in modern days, a place of sepulture is usually +selected some distance from the city or town, so the burial mounds may +be expected without the enclosures. In our own time we find some +cemeteries densely populated with graves, and others have but few. So +it was in the days of the Mound-builders; for we find in some places +groups of burial mounds, and in other places only a few may be found +scattered over the plain. + +Burial mounds are of various sizes, I presume, according to the +dignity of the individual entombed. Sometimes one large mound is found +to possess a skeleton, and some interesting relics, which indicate the +position of the departed, while a group of smaller mounds is situated +around it. The large one perhaps contained the skeleton of a leader, +surrounded by a few of his intimate followers. Or perhaps it was that +of a patriarch, surrounded by his numerous progeny, much as, in our +own day, burial plots are set apart for families. + +Grave Creek burial mound, which stands at the junction of Grave Creek, +Virginia, with the Ohio, is one of the largest and most important +burial mounds in America. It is 70 feet in height and at its base it +is 1,000 feet in circumference. When this mound was opened, two vaults +were found, one at the base contained two skeletons, one of them a +female. The logs of which this vault was composed were all decayed, +and the earth and stones lay upon the skeletons. In the upper vault +there was a single skeleton very much decayed. Within these vaults and +beside the illustrous dead, were found more than 3,000 shell-beads, +ornaments of mica, copper bracelets, and other stone carvings. Around +the lower vault were found ten much decayed skeletons, all in a +sitting posture. + +The skeletons in the vaults, doubtless, were the remains of royalty, +or some distinguished chiefs, whose memory these devoted people +desired to perpetuate, while the ten skeletons, which surrounded the +vault, were perhaps some of their loyal subjects who were sacrificed +according to the custom of some of the heathen nations both ancient +and modern. Foster, desiring to draw a comparison or rather identify +this mode of burial with those of the Greeks and other nations, +directs our attention to Herodotus, Book IV, Chaps. 71 and 190. And +for identifying the ceremonial with the funeral of Achilles, our +attention is called to the Odyssey, Book XXIV, with the burial of +Hector in the Iliad, Book XXIV. + +Dr. Wilson identifies the burial of the living with the dead by giving +an account of the burial of Black Bird, the great chief of the Omahas +more than 60 years ago. He caught the smallpox at Washington, and +dying on his way home, he gave instructions to his braves around him +how he was to be buried. "His body was clothed with the gayest Indian +robes, decorated with scalps and war eagle plumes, and he was carried +to one of the loftiest bluffs on the Missouri. He was placed upon his +favorite war horse, a beautiful white steed. His bow was placed in his +hand. His shield, quiver, pipe, medicine-bag and tobacco-pouch hung by +his side, for his comfort on his journey to the happy hunting grounds +of the great Manitou. After a significant ceremonial, the Indians +placed turf and sod about the legs of the horse; gradually the pile +rose, until living horse and dead rider were buried together in this +memorial mound, which may be seen from the banks of the Missouri." + +But to come back to the mound, I now describe a sandstone disk, 1-1/2 +inch in diameter and 3/4 inch thick, taken up from near the skeleton +in the lower part of Grave Creek mound. According to Schoolcraft's +analysis, communicated to the American Ethnological Society, "Of the +22 alphabetic characters, 4 correspond with the ancient Greek, 4 with +the Etruscan, 5 with the old Northern runes, 6 with the ancient +Gaelic, 7 with the old Erse, 10 with the Phoenician, 14 with the old +British," and he also adds that equivalents may be found in the old +Hebrew. It is, as some writers have described it, an exceedingly +accommodating inscription. The following readings have been given:-- + +By M. Levy Bing: "What thou sayest, thou dost impose it, thou shinest +in thy impetuous clan, and rapid chamois." By M. Maurice Schwab +(1857): "The chief of emigration who reached these places, has fixed +these statutes forever." By M. Oppert: "The grave of one who was +assassinated here. May God, to revenge him, strike his murderer, +cutting off the hand of his existence." We can only say of these +readings what a Hebrew Rabbi said to an indolent student, who in +reading a verse in the Psalms in the original, gave the translation of +the next verse, "Gentlemen, that is a very free translation." Besides +this, other readings have been given, all of which have the advantage +that few can contradict them. + +In the Scioto valley, where there are many very interesting remains of +the Mound-builders, there are many burial mounds which have lately +been opened. In many of these, the casts of unhewn logs are still +visible, showing that the dead were placed in a rude vault, which was +afterwards covered by soil. One skeleton was found to have round the +neck several hundred beads, made mostly of marine shells, others made +of the tusks of animals and a few laminæ of mica. In the same mound +from which this skeleton was taken, the vault gave strong evidence of +its having been set on fire during the burial ceremony,--the large +quantity of charcoal proving that it was suddenly quenched by the +fresh soil heaped upon it. + +If these Mound-builders were Sun-worshippers, as may safely be +concluded from tablets and from rock markings, as well as from the +fact of their sacred enclosures mostly looking towards the east, where +the early rays would fall upon the altar, we may easily account for +the fire having a share In the burial ceremony. Some have concluded +that the blazing fire signified "life," and that the sudden quenching +signified "death." + +Let it not be thought, however, that there are no burying places but +these few mounds. I believe the mounds of a burial character were only +for persons of distinction, while in reality there are thousands of +ancient cemeteries of vast extent, where multitudes have received +common burial. The spring freshets yearly uncover many of these, +exposing not only their bones, but many ornaments and implements that +were used by this wonderful people, and which were deposited beside +them when consigned to the silent tomb. + +_Symbolic Mounds_.--There can be no mistake in affirming that the +strange mounds, so prevalent in Wisconsin, and frequently found in +other States, were the result of intention rather than accident. These +are sometimes called "Effigy Mounds." In Wisconsin, even implements, +as well as animals, are symbolized. The beaver, the tortoise, the +elephant, the serpent, the alligator seem to be their favorite +animals, whose images they have endeavored to perpetuate in mounds, of +course on a large scale. In Adams county, Ohio, on a steep bluff, 150 +feet above the level of Brush Creek, may be seen a huge serpent. + +It is called the "Serpent Mound." The head of the serpent lies towards +the point of the spur, and then like the serpent, its body winds +gracefully back for 700 feet, the tail curved into a triple coil. From +this and other evidences lately collected, we may assume that the +serpent was among the sacred animals. Between the jaws of this serpent +there is a stone mound, bearing marks of long use as an altar. The +body, which is a mere winding wall, is, on an average, five feet in +height, and thirty-feet broad at the base near the centre. Doubtless +this wall was much higher when first made, and owing to the rains of +centuries it has become lower and broader. + +Another mound, the shape and proportion of an alligator, may be seen +in Licking county, Ohio, about one mile from Granville. This is also +on a spur of land near the Licking River. Its length is 250 feet and +height about four feet. Its whole outline is strictly conformable to +the alligator with which animal they must have been familiar along the +Mississippi, where they could easily journey by boat. Rather than +transport the animal from the south, they doubtless erected this +representation of what they must have held sacred. + +In the State of Wisconsin there is one symbolic mound more worthy of +notice than any other. It is called "the Elephant Mound," from the +fact that it bears the proportion and conformability of the Mastodon. +This people must have known something of this animal which in early +times roamed over this continent. I think we should not be going too +far if we supposed that the Mound-builders lived contemporaneously +with the last of these monsters of the Prehistoric forests. + +_Signal Mounds_.--It seems quite in keeping with what we have already +seen of the sagacity of this wonderful race, that they should erect +stations of observation in various suitable regions, so that signals +could be given to the multitudes who dwelt in the plain, when they +were threatened by an approaching enemy. If a fire were lit on a much +burnt mound at the ancient fort near Bournville, it could be seen over +a large portion of the valleys, where numerous works are found. No +doubt, this was a signal mound, where the appointed watchman, like the +watchman of Scripture, could give the alarm of the coming foe, +enabling the industrious people to reach the fortress in safety. + +On a hill 600 feet high, near Chillicothe, Ohio, there is a mound, +which in the days of the Mound-builders must have been a signal mound. +A light on this can be seen for twenty miles either up or down the +valley. + +The great mound at Miamisburg, Ohio, which is 68 feet high and 852 +feet in circumference at its base, served, no doubt, this important +department of warfare, as a fire kindled on it could flash light into +Butler county, near Elk Creek, where it would again be taken up by the +watchman there, and light flashed in the direction of Xenia, and from +one signal mound to another until it would reach the great works at +Newark. Thus in the course of an hour the whole southern portion of +the State of Ohio could be warned of danger and prepare for combat or +shelter. + +Such a system has been used by all nations, both civilized and savage. +We need not wonder that the Mound-builders with such sagacity and +forethought, should establish such a system of alarm by which the +inhabitants could be apprised of invasion. + +_Indefinite Mounds_.--Of this class there are many. Thousands of such +indefinite mounds and squares and circles are to be seen scattered +over the various States of the Union. Their structure, composition and +contents, give us no clue by which they may be assigned a place. It is +believed that many of the strange works that abound in Butler county, +Ohio, and which cannot be classified, are among the incomplete works, +that is, works left unfinished by the builders. + + +IMPLEMENTS.--The people of Ohio have appropriated the implements of +the Mound-builders to a large extent. Almost every homestead in Ohio +is ornamented with some of those ancient implements and relics, yet +tons have been taken away to grace private and public museums in all +parts of this country, and even the museums of Europe and Asia. Among +the implements are to be found spear heads, arrow heads; rimmers, +knives, axes, hatchets, hammers, chisels, pestles, mortars, pottery, +pipes, sculpture, gorgets, tubes, and articles of bone and clothing. +Fragments of coarse, but uniformly spun and woven cloth have been +found, of course not in preservation, but charred and in folds. One +piece, near Middletown, Ohio, was found connected with tassels or +ornaments, and may be seen at the Smithsonian Institute at Washington. +In Anderson township, Ohio, native gold has been found for the first +time. Several small ornaments of copper have been found covered with +thin sheets of gold. Earrings also, made of meteoric iron, have been +found, and a serpent cut out of mica. Some terra-cotta figures also, +which give us an idea of the way the hair was dressed in the days of +the Mound-builders. I cannot here name all the implements and +ornaments that have been discovered. Though most of them are of hard +stone, yet many have been found made of copper. + + +MINING, ETC.--That these people were miners, is evident from the +prevalence of various mineral fragments and implements. At Mound City, +near Chillicothe, has been found galena, none of which can be found in +Ohio. Obsidian also is found in the shape of instruments, which they +must have transported from the Rocky Mountains. Ancient mining shafts +are found in Minnesota, where the solid rock had been excavated to the +depth of 60 feet. On Isle Royal there are pits 60 feet deep, worked +through nine feet of solid rock, at the bottom of which is a rich vein +of copper, and in the two miles of excavations in the same straight +line have been found the mining implements in great numbers. Such +advancement in mining, sagacity in warfare, industrial pursuits, and +geometric skill, as their works display, prove their great superiority +of race over the modern Indian. Their implements, some of them most +elaborately made, their brick-making and various other ingenious +works, enable us to place them high as an industrial people, while +their sacred enclosures, and altars, and tablets, together with the +numerous evidences of their being an agricultural nation, enable us to +place them far above the modern Indian in the scale of civilization. + +The people of the United States, though much to be commended because +of their prudence and forethought in laying out their modern towns and +cities along the various water courses, which serve as the different +highways of commerce, have by no means shown a superior sagacity in +that respect to the Mound-builders, whose great centres of population +are now mostly occupied, or are encroached upon by the modern cities. + +We may with safety assert that the population about Newark, and Xenia, +and Mound City, was far above what it is now. The country about +Dayton, Miamisburg, Oxford, Hamilton and Marietta was, undoubtedly, in +the days of the Mound-builders moving with a greater mass of human +beings than it can boast of to-day. + +And if those peaceable and industrious inhabitants were as numerous as +their remains indicate, what must have been the strength of those +invading hordes who caused their downfall and perhaps wiped out +forever every living representative of that ancient race, who could +leave no more lasting memorial of their existence and struggles than +those mysterious mounds which have given them their name. + + +ANTIQUITY OF THE MOUND-BUILDERS.--Upon this point there are many +theories, some regarding them as the earliest of the Indian tribes. +Others give them a very great age and claim them to belong to +preadamite man. By far the greater number of archæologists, however, +place their existence at about 2,000 years ago. + +In favor of the latter view we may call as evidence the present forest +trees, which, though of great age, still flourish on some of the +ancient remains. On one of the mounds at Marietta, Ohio, there stood a +gigantic tree, which, when cut down, displayed 800 rings of annual +growth. In many other places, trees of the age of 750 years have been +cut, and underneath them evidences of previous forests found. One tree +750 years old was found to have underneath it, on the walls of one of +the forts in Ohio, the cast of another tree of equal size, which would +carry us back at least 1,500 years since those trees began to grow on +those deserted walls of that ancient fortification. + +We have some data in the vegetable accumulations in the ancient mining +shafts near Lake Superior, as well as in the vegetable and other +matter deposited in the numerous pits and trenches found among the +works. Though these evidences cannot give the exact time of their +accumulation, yet they give it approximately, by comparison with +similar recent deposits. + +There is another still stronger argument in favor of their antiquity, +viz., the decayed condition of the skeletons. The skeletons of the +oldest Indian tribes are comparatively sound while those of the +Mound-builders are much decayed. If they are sound when brought out, +they at once begin to disintegrate in the atmosphere, which is a sure +sign of their antiquity. We know that some skeletons in Europe have +lately been exhumed, which, though buried more than 1,000 years, are +comparatively firm and well-preserved. We are, I think, bound to +ascribe a greater antiquity to the Mound-builders' skeletons than to +those found in the ancient barrows of Europe. Other considerations, +such as stream encroachment, and river-terrace formation, might also +be brought in as presumptive arguments in favor of their great +antiquity. + + +ORIGIN OF THE MOUND-BUILDERS.--This is a question not easily answered. +It brings me into no discredit before the educated world to +acknowledge ignorance on this mysterious point. The study of +Craniology and Philology, in connection with Ethnology, shall alone +throw light on this subject. Dr. Wilson says, in his "Prehistoric Man" +(p. 123), "The ethnical classification of this strange race is still +an unsettled question," and he declares without fear of contradiction, +"that especially concerning the Scioto Mound skull, the elevation and +breadth of the frontal bone, differs essentially from the Indian, and +that the cerebral development was more in accordance with the +character of that singular people, who without architecture have +perpetuated, in mere structures of earth, the evidences of geometric +skill, a definite means of determining angles, a fixed standard of +measurement, and the capacity as well as the practice of repeating +geometrically constructed works of large and uniform dimensions." + +Undoubtedly they were skilled in agriculture, from the remains of +ancient garden-beds, which were cultivated in a methodical manner. The +modern Indians give no such evidence of labor. For wherever they are +found they love to roam in undisputed possession of the forest, and +lead an indolent life. Of course I do not assign this as a valid +reason for their not being identified with the Mound-builders. An +ancient race may have a degenerate offspring. + +Nor shall I attempt to find in the various inscriptions any clue to +their Hebrew origin, or to identify that ancient people with the lost +tribes, as some have dared to do. Foster inclines to regard them as +emigrating from the tropics, rather than coming from the north. + +This would involve us in investigating the antiquity of the Mexican +and Peruvian ruins, where vast works of high architecture and more +advanced civilization were found than among the Mound-builders. There +is little difficulty in concluding that the Aztecs, who occupied +Mexico during the Spanish invasion under Cortez, were the conquerors +of several races that preceded them. Among these conquered races, no +doubt, were the Toltecs, who were afterwards found in such great +numbers, and in an amazing state of advanced civilization. The crania +of the Mound-builders and the Toltecs correspond. Now, whether they +migrated to the north from the tropics, or journeyed south from the +north, I cannot say. I should incline to the latter theory. Industry +is sure to advance. The rude mounds of the United States are far +surpassed by those immense pyramids in Mexico and Peru, surpassing the +Egyptian in size. And those fine architectural palaces and temples, +whose history we cannot fully know, far eclipse anything in the +northern part of America. + +Whoever they were and wherever they came from, they were doubtless +driven southward by the invading tribes of the north. They nobly +fought their way, contesting every foot, until superior numbers took +them by force. Thus these quiet and inoffensive creatures were finally +expelled from their home which doubtless their fathers had occupied +through centuries. If any escaped they, no doubt, found an asylum +southward, where there were other tribes equally civilized, and, +forming an union with them or conquered by them, they began a higher +and better civilization as seen in Mexico and Peru. + + * * * * * + +Transcriber's Notes: + +Page 8: Octogon has been changed to octagon. + +Page 15: Smithsonion has been changed to Smithsonian. + + + + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Mound-Builders, by William J. Smyth + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MOUND-BUILDERS *** + +***** This file should be named 17969-8.txt or 17969-8.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + http://www.gutenberg.org/1/7/9/6/17969/ + +Produced by Thierry Alberto, Diane Monico, and the Project +Gutenberg Online Distributed Proofreading Team at +http://www.pgdp.net. 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