THE MOUND BUILDERS.

Kumara Times, Issue 1089, 27 March 1880, Page 4

THE MOUND BUILDERS.

Important archseologicl discoveries have, according to a late Home paper, been made within the last few weeks in the United States among the mounds of the Little Miami Valley, in the State of Ohio. Near the town of Madison ville an extensive aboriginal cemetery has been explored, which has disclosed many interesting facts in relation to the prehistoric mound-building race of that section. Thus far the excavations have extended only over a limited portion of the burial-ground. Two hundred skeletons have been taken from the graves already opened, of which number, however, not more than 40 or 50 crania could be preserved sufficiently well for measurement. There, appeared to be no constant orientation of the bodies, though many of them were laid in horizontal position, with the heads directed towards the east or south-east. Some of the skeletons were found lying at right angles to these but it is worthy of note that all of the remains which were associated with the finer vases, pipes, and other choice objects had their heads placed towards the east with slight variations. An examination of the human bones revealed traces of rachitis and syphilis. One bone had imbedded in it a small triangular stone arrow-head, which had evidently occasioned death. Accompanying many of the remains of children, various toys or ornaments of perforated bone and shell and diminutive earthen vessels were found. A large number of the latter were exhumed, varying in capacity from a gill to over a gallon. This wrre is, in some instances, elaborately ornamented with scroll work, handles in the forms of lizards, human heads, &c, and is almost invariably provided with four handles, placed at equal distances around the circumference. One interesting specimen is furnished with eight handles, arrayed in two horizontal rows, the vessel being two storied or formed of two separate pots placed one above the other with the bottom of the upper one re-

moved. The number of these vessels thus , far _ discovered ia upwards of 90, the majority of them being found with valves of the unio or fresh water mussel, in them, which had evidently served as spoons. The vases were usually placed around or near the heads of the bodies. Over the surface of the ground vast quantities of broken pottery nccured, indicating the immense amount of earthenware which had been originally buried with occupants of the graves. In addition to these objects large numbers of stone dies, axes, chisels, flint knives, arrow-heads, ornaments and implements of bone, 12 stone tobacco-pipes, and two tubes of rolled copper were exhumed. One of the most interesting and unique feature 3 brought to light by rhese excavations is the existence of large numbers of deposits which may be designated ashpits. Of these more than 50 have been opened, averaging 3ft to 4ft in diameter and 4ft to 6ft in depth. They are composed of layers of leafmould and sandy clay, burnt earth aDd charcoa white ashes, sand, and unio shells. Throughout the deposits were scattered fragments of pottery, stone implements, ornaments of shell and stone, and bones of wild animals. That these graves date .back to a remote antiquity may be proved by the fact that no objects of European introduction have been found in them. In some instances the skeletons were found directly beneath large trees and occasionally imbedded in a network of roots. One oak tree, whose roots had penetrated the skull of one of the skele tons, measured 6ft 2in in diameter, and other giants which belong to the original forest that still covers the site of the cemetery measure and 12ft in circumference. It will be difficult to

determine to what particulat race or time the people of these graves belonged until further investigations shall have been prosecuted. Excavations are still being made, and not more than a quarter of the cemetery has as yet been examined.