Prim it ire Man 



UC-NRLF 




B 3 



Ohi. 



f oorehead 




ANTHROk 

IIBRA? V 



WITH THE 

COMPLIMENTS OF THE AUTHOR 





, - V-WfoG/,,; iirJwrn<lll/ilii/l/////l/////i,/i/ffl/y//fl/^^^ , n / /, , /. , . ,,,,,/, ,/, / ///>/, . iffa 



KK; I. Head-dress of skeleton, No. 248, consisting of copper antlers, 
Effigy Mound, Hopewell s Group, Ross County, Ohio. See page 194. 



PRIMITIVE MAN 
IN OHIO 



BY 



WARREN K. MOOREHEAD 

FKLLOW OK THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMRNT OK SCIENCE 

AUTHOR OF k FORT ANCIENT, THE GREAT 1 REHISTORIC 

EARTHWORK OF OHIO," ETC. 



G. P. PUTNAM S SONS 

NEW YORK LONDON 

27 WEST TWENTY-THIRD STREET 24 BEDFORD STREET, STRAND 

&Ije fmichcrbothtr press 
1892 



COPYRIGHT, 1892 

BY 

WARRKN K. MOOREHEAD 



Electrotyped, Printed, and Bound by 

Tknicfecrbocfccr press, IRew 
G. P. PUTNAM S SONS 



E74- 
O 3 



ANTHROP. 
LIBRARY 



PREFACE. 

FOR many years the great majority of readers 
upon American archaeology and ethnology have be 
lieved in the existence throughout the Mississippi 
valley of a nation called, for want of a better name, 1 
" The Mound Builders." Hasty explorations of tu 
muli and enclosures in various parts of the Ohio and 
Mississippi valleys have been made by those desir 
ing to further the popular belief. Books and numer 
ous articles have been published in which the 
imagination was permitted to range unchecked. 
Statements were made without proper authority, 
speculations freely indulged in, and hypotheses were 
built upon foundations as unstable as those of sand. 
As a natural result, many persons were led to attrib 
ute a high degree of civilization to the mound- 
building tribes of the Mississippi valley. Fine relics 
or carved images taken from the mounds, the signifi 
cation of which the collector could not satisfactorily 
explain, were accepted as evidence in support of the 
high status of these people. In spite of investiga 
tions and publications upon the part of learned insti 
tutions and private individuals, tending to dispel 
such deceptions, many intelligent people still retain 
false impressions while reading works that treat of 
primitive man. 

1 We are in favor of employing Dr. D. G. Brinton s term, " The Ameri 
can Race." See pp. 17 and 18, The American Race, New Vork. 

iii 



IV PRIMITIVE MAN IN OHIO. 

It is the purpose of our book to do away with 
certain of these illusions. In attempting this we are 
aware that a herculean task has been undertaken. 
But the time has arrived when men prefer facts to 
flights of fancy. We are therefore quite confident 
that our material, so carefully collected and thought 
fully weighed, w^ill not be cast aside and its place 
usurped by the rash statements of hasty and incom 
petent investigators. Why there should be so much 
speculation and uncertainty concerning the life of 
our aborigines is inexplicable to us. No question of 
equal importance could have been more easily deter 
mined had the early writers given as much care and 
patience to mound exploration as is given at the 
present time. 

Some writers have misrepresented and distort 
ed field testimony to uphold theories previously 
formed. As an illustration of this, and of the great 
damage that it has done, we need but call the atten 
tion of our readers to the famous " Holy Stone " of 
Newark. 

An enthusiastic archaeologist resided many years 
ago at Newark, Ohio. He was thoroughly in love 
with his work, and his life s ambition was to discover 
the origin of man upon the American continent. He 
believed the lost ten tribes of Israel to be the ances 
tors of the mound-building tribes. After opening 
mound after mound and finding no evidence what 
ever in support of bis hypothesis, he became desper 
ate. He purchased a Hebrew Bible and primer, and 
shortly afterwards there was discovered in a stone 
box, in a mound that he had investigated, a slab, on 



PREFACE. V 

one side of which was a likeness of Moses, and on 
the reverse an abridged form of the ten command 
ments. The stone attracted world-wide attention, 
and many publications were issued describing it. No 
one doubted the genuineness of the affair until after 
the man s death. In cleaning up his office the 
administrator found in a small rear room bits of slate 
with attempts at carving Hebrew characters upon 
them. They also found a fair copy of the wood-cut 
of Moses used as a frontispiece in the testament. 

The influence of this over-zealous deceiver has 
gone throughout the length and breadth of our land, 
and one may still hear at lectures upon American 
archaeology statements concerning the Indian s de 
scent from the Jew, basing such assertions upon 
the testimony of the supposed " Holy Stone of 
Newark," which, as is above shown, was simply a 
counterfeit. 

The moral requires no explanation. One "popu 
lar " book by a superficial observer has a bad influ 
ence and does more harm than can be remedied by 
much honest conscientious endeavor on the part of 
workers in the field. Those who have endured the 
rains of spring, the heat of summer, the chilly snows 
and sleet of winter, living in thin tents or barn-like 
sheds alongside the tumuli that must be studied inch 
by inch with pick and shovel, have a right to cry 
out in honest indignation when the reports of men 
who have never thrust a spade into the structures 
they attempt to describe pretend to be conclusive on 
this subject. 

Many volumes upon American archaeology in the 



VI PRIMITIVE MAN IN OHIO. 

last few years have been written by field workers and 
consequently have a value far in excess of previous 
publications. Most writers seeni to agree of late that 
the various tribes and clans which formerly inhabited 
the river valleys of the State of Ohio were alike in 
color and general habits, having certain variations in 
stature common to all races, and differing in many of 
the details of tribal organization and domestic life. 
Their languages were unlike, it is thought, and un 
doubtedly they warred against each other. 

In writing a complete description of each mound, 
repetitions are unavoidable. A mound may be more 
or less like its fellow structures, and our desire not 
to overlook any detail in the position of objects and 
skeletons has led us to follow one general rule in 
writing the report of mound contents. The rule is, 
" Note everything." 

No attempt is made to give any description of the 
earthworks found in the different parts of Ohio; 
such an effort would not only swell a volume to 
unwieldy proportions, but would be entirely foreign 
to our purpose. 

In every excavation careful field notes were made 
on the spot, and each night the result of the day s 
work was fully written out. The text of this volume 
is the sum of those records. 

The total number of mounds, graves, and ceme 
teries opened during the four seasons of exploration 
was one hundred and seven. The field numbers are 
retained in the text, when necessary, but not in their 
regular order, as some portions of the country were 
worked at different periods during the years in which 



PREFACE. VI 1 

excavations have been made. The record of a num 
ber of mounds is omitted, as they contained nothing 
that would instruct or interest the reader. In mounds 
of small dimensions the ready access of water and air 
to their contents will sometimes destroy every trace 
of such deposits as are affected by these agencies. 
Hence a mound, which as constructed would prove 
of great interest, may in the course of time appear 
only as a homogeneous mass of earth. 

During all the years described herein Mr. Moore- 
head had general charge of the explorations. 

Mr. Gerard Fowke has contributed Chapter iv. (on 
Flint Kidge), and has rendered valuable assistance 
both in the field and in the preparation of this book. 

Dr. H. T. Cresson also assisted in the preparation 
of this book, and spent several months in the World s 
Columbian Exposition service at Anderson, Ross Co. 
The sectional drawings and ground-plans of the 
mounds at the Hopewell Group are copied from his 
pencil studies by Mr. Bennett, who has illustrated 
the book. The result of his observations upon the 
osteological collections from the Little Miami and 
Scioto valleys, and other parts of Ohio, together 
with remarks upon palaeolithic man, have been incor 
porated in this volume under Chapters i. and xvn. 

To Mr. W. H. Davis, of Lowell, Ohio, we are in 
debted for Chapter in., on the Muskingum valley. 

Each author is responsible for the statements set 
forth in his department. 

Mr. Jack Bennett, the well-known artist, made pen 
drawings for the illustrations, and has also furnished 
notes upon the bone carvings. 



Vlll PRIMITIVE MAN IN OHIO. 

To the Illustrated American, of New York, we 
are indebted for the loan of four cuts, Figures rv., 
xii. A, xix., and xx. 

In 1888 Mr. Clinton Cowen superintended exca 
vations in Mr. Moorehead s absence, and in 1889 he 
assisted in surveying Fort Ancient. 

In May and June, 1890, Mr. W. E. Myer had 
charge of explorations near Wilmington, Ohio. 

The fanners who so kindly permitted excavations 
to be carried on in the mounds and village sites, 
have greatly aided science. Without the consent of 
land-owners work cannot be projected, and hence 
nothing learned regarding primitive man and his 
associates. In this volume we have given the name 
and owner of every spot examined. 

Conspicuous among the farmers who introduced 
us to other mound-owners and were instrumental in 
securing permits for us to dig are the following : 
Tighlmau Porter, Captain C. W. McGinnis, Strawder 
James, and Mr. Coiner, of Frankfort ; John Boyle, 
of Fayetteville ; Messrs. Cowdin, Ridge, Poor, Van 
Riper, and Nixon, of Fort Ancient ; Messrs. Janes, 
Redman, Fullerton, Miller, and Madeira, of Chilli- 
cothe. General reference only is made to the finds 
of the Hopewell group of mounds. The notes taken 
in 1891 are the property of the World s Columbian 
Exposition, and our use of them had to be limited. 
Mi 1 . Hiram Taylor, of Oregonia, has our thanks for 
his many kindnesses. 

Mr. Cloud Hopewell, owner of the famous works 
at Anderson, Ross County, kindly allowed the sur 
vey to carry on explorations to an unlimited extent. 



PREFACE. IX 

We are his debtor for many kindnesses and personal 
favors. No community could have been more inter 
ested in archaeological discoveries than the citizens 
of the home of Messrs. Squier and. Davis, Chilli- 
cothe. Old residents in the city remember well the 
work of the two pioneers just named, and were ac 
cordingly anxious to witness the examination of the 
territory so ably explored by them nearly half a 
century ago. Younger persons hearing their elders 
speak of Squier and Davis also became interested. 
For the cordiality with which we were received, 
the many mounds offered us for inspection, and the 
general desire on the part of all Chillicotheans to 
aid us in our work, we acknowledge our great in- 
debtedness and tender in return our most sincere 
thanks and appreciation. 

WARREN K. MOOREHEAD. 

CHILLICOTHE, OHIO, 
December, 1891. 



CONTENTS. 



CHAPTER I. 

PAGE 

PAL/EOLITHIC MAN IN OHIO i 



CHAPTER II. 
LICKING COUNTY AND OPENING REMARKS . n 

CHAPTER III. 
THE MUSKINGUM VALLEY FROM MARIETTA TO ZANESVILLE, 20 

CHAPTER IV. 
FLINT RIDGE . . 30 

CHAPTER V. 
MADISONVILLE CEMETERY 49 

CHAPTER VI. 
TUMULI OF THE EAST FORK OF THE LITTLE MIAMI RIVER, 59 

CHAPTER VII. 
EXCAVATIONS IN AND AROUND FORT ANCIENT . 80 

CHAPTER VIII. 
GRAVES OF THE VILLAGE SITE . 92 

CHAPTER IX. 
EXPLORATIONS IN CLINTON COUNTY . 107 



A(,E 



XI 1 CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER X. 
EXCAVATIONS AT FRANKFORT, Ross COUNTY 113 

CHAPTER XI. 
MOUND NUMBER THIRTY-KIT. HT 133 

CHAPTER XII, 
EXCAVATIONS NEAR CHILLICOTHK 144 

CHAPTER XI LI. 
MOUNDS NEAR SLATE MILLS, Ross COUNTY . 158 

CHAPTER XIV. 
MOUND NUMBER FORTY-THREE . 168 

CHAPTER XV. 
HOPEWELL S TUMULI . 184 

CHAPTER XVI. 
CONCLUSIONS . , 197 

CHAPTER XVII. 
CRANIA AND SKELETONS WITH TABLE OF MEASUREMENTS, 204 

INDEX 243 



ILLUSTRATIONS. 



FIGURE i. Head-dress of skeleton No. 248, consisting of 
copper antlers. Effigy mound, Hopewell s Group, 
Ross County ..... Frontispiece 

FIGURE n. Series of Palaeolithic implements . 3 

FIGURE in. Ground plan of mound No. i. Skeleton 

surrounded by stone slabs . . . . .61 

FIGURE iv. Various ceremonial and ornamental objects, 

Miami valley ........ 65 

FIGURE v. Vertical section of mound No. 6 . .68 

FIGURE vi. Skeleton lying upon altar of burnt clay, 

mound No. 6 . . . . . . . -73 

FIGURE vn. Group oT graves at Fort Ancient, Nos. 9 to 

1 8 inclusive ........ 83 

FIGURE vm. Unopened stone grave, Taylor s Farm, Ore- 

gonia, Warren County .... faring 84 

FIGURE ix. Skeleton from stone grave, Oregon ia, facing 86 

FIGURE x. Shell ornaments and arrow-head from chil 
dren s graves, Fort Ancient . . . . .89 

FIGURE xi. Infants bones. Stone grave, Fort Ancient 91 

FIGURE xn. Fragments of decorated pottery. Lower 

village site, Fort Ancient . . . . -93 

FIGURE XIIA. Whole pot of clay. Lower village site, 

Fort Ancient . . . . . . . -97 

FIGURE xm. Animal jaws from ash-pits, Fort Ancient 99 

FIGURE xiv. Bone awls and scrapers from ash-pits, Fort 

Ancient . . . . . . . .TOO 

FIGURE xv. Celt, ornaments, and ocre from terrace 

grave, Fort Ancient . .103 

FIGURE xvi. Ground plan of Porter mound, No. 15 .119 



XIV ILL US TRA TIONS. 

PAGE 

FIGURE xvn. Skeleton " R " with accompanying objects 

from Porter mound, No. 15 . . . .123 

FIGURE xvm. Various objects from Porter mound, No. 15 125 
FIGURE xix. Various objects from Porter mound, No. 15 127 
FIGURE xx. Beads and panther teeth from Porter mound, 

No. 15 . . . . . . -130 

FIGURE xxi. Ground plan of Porter mound, No. 38 .136 
FIGURE xxn. Copper plates, with imprint of cloth and 

copper celt, Porter mound, No. 38 . . .140 

FIGURE xxm. Ground plan of mound No. 36, fourteen 

skeletons . . . . . . . . 147 

FIGURE xxiv. Vertical section of mound No. 36, fourteen 

skeletons . . . . . . . .149 

FIGURE xxv. Femora, with seventeen arrow-heads in rows 

along each side ... .... 151 

FIGURE xxvi. Two tubes, two leaf-shaped implements, 

two finger rings, and one hematite celt from mound 

No. 36 ......... 152 

FIGURE xxvn. Displaced skeleton from mound No. 37 . 154 
FIGURE xxvin. Tablet, bracelet, spear-head, and beads 

from mounds Nos. 39 and 43 . . . . .156 
FIGURE xxix. Group of skeletons from mound No. 45 

with objects ........ 159 

FIGURE xxx. Hematite cone, bone awl, circular disk 

and broken spear-head . . . . . .163 

FIGURE xxxi. Peculiar construction of mound No. 43 .166 
FIGURE xxxn. Peculiar construction of mound No. 43 . 171 
FIGURE xxxni. Two cut logs and point of pick from 

mound No. 43 . . . . . . . 175 

FIGURE xxxiv. Ground plan of Hopewell s mound . 187 
FIGURE xxxv. 7,232 Flint disks. Largest cache of 

implements known to archaeologists. (Mr. Moore- 
head s quarters) ..... facing 188 
FIGURE xxxvi. Skeleton 176 from mound No. 20. The 

objects are unusually numerous and unique in form, 191 
FIGURE xxxvn. Altar from mound No. 18, Hopewell s 

group facing 194 



ILL US TRA TIONS. XV 

HAG 

FIGURE xxxvin. Stone bowl from mound No. 23, Hope- 
well s group ...... facing 198 

FIGURE xxxix. Thirty-four carved bones from village 

site, Hopewell s group ...... 205 

FIGURE XL. Valuable objects from the mounds of the 

Hopewell group . . . . . . 207 

FIGURE XLI. Copper objects and mica ornaments from 
mound No. 20. The copper band at the upper 
left hand corner, surrounded the wrist of skeleton 
176 . . . . . . . . . 209 

FIGURE XLII. Flint disks from mound No. 2. Hopewell s 
group. The only " shouldered " implements of the 
cache, J- size . . . . . . .211 

FIGURE XLIII. Fourteen-inch flint dagger from Taylor s 
mound, Oregonia, and copper crescent, mound No. 
20, Hopewell s group . . . . . .213 

FIGURE XLIV. Large Busycon sea-shells, Hopewell s 

group . . .215 

FIGURE XLV. Two skulls and three lower jaws. Typical 

mound crania, from Hopewell s, Ross Co. facing 216 

FIGURE XLVI. Skull from Hopewell s group . / . . 217 

FIGURE XLVII. Skull, side view, Fort Ancient stone grave 218 

FIGURE XLVIII. Perforated skull, Hopewell s group. 

Occipital perforation . . . . .220 

FIGURE XLIX. Fragments of crania showing low facial 

angle, Hopewell s group . . . . .222 

FIGURE L. Cut human jaws and perforated cranial bones, 

Hopewell s group ...... 225 

FIGURE LI. Perforated humeri and a few ulnae, Hopt- 

well s group . . . . . . . 229 

FIGURE LII. Skull sand femora, fragmentary, Hopewell s 231 

FIGURE LIII. Fibulae and tibiae from Hopewell s group 235 

FIGURE LIV. Fracture of head of humerus, and of the 

ulnae . 237 



PRIMITIVE MAN IN OHIO. 



CHAPTER I. 

PALAEOLITHIC MAN IN OHIO. 

THE labors of Professor G. Frederick Wright, of 
Oberlin College, Ohio, have been of great importance 
in connection with the antiquity of man in America. 
He has traced the great terminal moraine of the 
northern ice sheet across Pennsylvania, 1 thence across 
Ohio, Indiana, and far beyond the Mississippi, mak 
ing besides extensive study of the Muir and other 
glaciers in Alaska, continuing his studies of glacial 
phenomena even so far as the Eastern continent. 
He has shown 2 that glacial floods, operating while 
the ice remained over the head waters of streams, 
have deposited beds of drift gravel in the valleys 
of southerly flowing rivers, and calls attention to 
the similarity of these beds of drift gravel to those 
deposited by the ice floods of the Delaware valley, 
suggesting that they be carefully examined for 
evidences of palaeolithic man. 

1 Professor Wright was assisted in Pennsylvania by his pupil, Professor H. 
C. Lewis. 

2 The Ice Age in North America, G. F. Wright, p. 528, ct al. See also 
Professor Wright s Report of the Western Reserve Hist, Soc. , p. 26. 

I 



2 PRIMITIVE MAN IN OHIO. 

" Man was on this continent," says Wright, " at 
that period when the climate and ice of Greenland 
extended to the mouth of New York Harbor. The 
probability is that, if he was in New Jersey at 
that time, he was also upon the banks of the Ohio, 
and the extensive terrace and gravel deposits in the 
southern part of our State should be closely scanned 
by archaeologists. When observers become familiar with 
the rude forms of these palaeolithic implements they will 
doubtless find them in abundance. But whether we find 
them or not in this State (Ohio), if you admit, as I am 
compelled to do, the genuineness of those found by 
Dr. Abbott, our investigations into the glacial phenomena 
of Ohio must have an important archaeological signifi 
cance, for they bear upon the question of the chronology 
of the glacial period, and so upon that of man s appear 
ance in New Jersey." 

This prediction that traces of pre-glacial man 
would be found in terraces and gravel deposits of 
southern Ohio, was verified later on at a meeting of 
the Boston Society of Natural History, held Novem 
ber 4, 1885, when Professor Putnam displayed a 
chipped implement of black flint found by Dr. 
C. L. Metz (Fig. n., No. 1). It was discovered 
eight feet below the surface, at Madisonville, Ohio. 
This is the first announcement of the finding of 
a palseolith in the gravels of Ohio. The town of 
Madisonville is situated about eleven miles north 
east of Cincinnati, about five miles back from the 
Ohio River. The Little Miami, on its way to join 
the Ohio, passes through the valley of the same 
name about three miles to the eastward of Madison 
ville, the town standing in a depression between 



4 PRIMITIVE MAN IN OHIO. 

this stream and that of Mill Creek, which empties 
below Cincinnati. This depression is surrounded 
by hills rising above the river and is filled by a 
deposit of gravel, sand, and loam belonging to the 
glacial terrace epoch. At Red Bank, on the east 
side of the Little Miami River, several miles from 

Madisouville, the travel is interstratified with sand 

<_> 

and underlaid with clay, being overlaid by a thin 
deposit of loess. Farther to the west of Madison- 
ville beds of loess exist - eight feet, and even more, in 
thickness, and the gravels disappear. The gravel 
terraces of the Little Miami show that it was an 
important outlet of waters during the glacial epoch, 
and there is little doubt that this small valley in 
which Madisonville stands, connecting the last- 
named river with Mill Creek, has been filled in by 
deposits brought down by turbulent floods from 
the north. 

It was just below the loess in the gravel that 
fills the small valley which we have referred to, 
that Dr. Metz discovered his implement at Madison 
ville. 

A chipped limestone pebble was also discovered 
northeast of Madisonville by Dr. Metz, at Loveland, 
Ohio, in 1887. It was in similar deposits to that of 
his first find, but lay at a great depth, nearly thirty 
feet from the surface. Bones of the mastodon have 
been found to the west side of the gravel pit in 
which the palaeolith was discovered. 

Several years after the last find which we have 
mentioned, a pala^olith was discovered in the 



Ice Age in North America, G. F. Wright, p. 532, 



PALAEOLITHIC MAN IN OHIO. 5 

terrace gravels at New Comerstown, Tuscarawas 
County, Ohio, a small village which stands on the 
right bank of the Tuscarawas River (Fig. n., No. 3). 
Mr. W. C. Mills in describing his find z says : 

" In the northern part of the town . . . is a large 
gravel terrace, deposited in a recess near the mouth of 
Buckhorn Creek and derived from northern drift. For 
several years past the Cleveland and Marietta Railway 
Company have been taking out this gravel in large quan 
tities, which they used in ballasting their railroad, and so 
have kept the gravel exposed to the depth of about 
twenty-five feet. The top of the terrace is about thirty- 
five feet above the flood plane of the Tuscarawas and 
extends up the Buckhorn about a quarter of a mile, 
gradually diminishing in height as it recedes from the main 
line of deposition. In this gravel bank, on the 2/th day 
of October, 1889, while examining the different strata of 
the gravel, I found the specimen that you have before 
you, fifteen feet from the surface of the terrace. The bank 
was almost perpendicular at this time, exposing a front of 
about twenty feet. The small part of the bank was in 
place in the side of the terrace, until I struck it with my 
walking-cane, when a space of about six feet in length by 
two feet in height tumbled down, exposing to view the 
specimen. At first I recognized the peculiar shape and 
glossy appearance of the specimen, such as were charac 
teristic of palaeolithic specimens described to me by Pro 
fessor Edward Orton, while I was a student at the Ohio 
State University." 

Mr. Mills then compared the object which he 
had found with other flint implements collected in 
the valley of the Tuscarawas, amounting to at least 

1 Discovery of a Palaeolithic Implement at New Comerstown, Ohio, by G. 
F. Wright, LL.D., in Report of Western Reserve Hist. Soc., Dec. 12, 
1890. Account by W. C. Mills. 



6 PRIMITIVE MAN IN onto. 

three thousand chipped specimens taken from 
mounds and on the surface of the ground. None of 
the specimens in his collection, however, resembled 
it. He then requested Mr. A. A. Graham, secretary 
of the Ohio Archaeological and Historical Society, to 
forward the specimen to Professor Wright for exam 
ination, who at once recognized it as a true palseolith, 
having a striking resemblance to those which are 
found in the valley of the Somme, in northern France. 
Professor G. Frederick Wright in speaking of the 
Tuscarawas palseolith l says : 

" As is to be expected, however, the material from which 
the implement is made is of local origin, and differs much 
in appearance from that of the French implement. Upon 
showing this specimen from New Comerstown to my asso 
ciate, Professor Albert A. Wright, who did much work 
upon the State Geological Survey, in Holmes County, 
immediately adjoining Tuscarawas, he at once recognized 
the material as a black flint, or chert, which occurs with 
much frequency in the Lower Mercer limestone strata, 
an exposure of which passes through the eastern part of 
Holmes County, and he was able at once to go to his 
drawer and produce the accompanying specimen, which 
he brought home from that vicinity several years ago." 

The same authority gives a most complete 
description of the Tuscarawas implement in the 
New York Nation of April 24, 1890. 

" The flint implement referred to is a perfect representa 
tive of the palaeolithic type of northern France and 
southern England. It is four inches long, two inches 
wide, and an inch and a half through at its larger end, 

1 Paper by G. Frederick Wright, LL.D., in Rep. of Western Reserve 
Hist. Soc., Dec. 12, 1890. Tract No 75. 



PALEOLITHIC MAN IN OHIO. 7 

tapering gradually to a point, and carefully chipped to 
an edge all around. Figure 472 in Evans Ancient Stone 
Implements of Great Britain would pass for a very good 
representation of it [See Fig. II., No. 3, in this work]. The 
material is black flint, or chert, such as occurs in the Lower 
Mercer limestone strata, not many miles away, and has 
upon its surface the peculiar glazed appearance which 
indicates considerable age." 

A distinction must be made between the term 
glazed appearance or glossiness of surface and what 
is technically known as the patina. The palaeo 
lithic implements of France and England are gen 
erally made of flint very compact in grain, which 
is found in the chalk deposits of those countries. 
Glossiness of surface may be due in a great measure 
to long-continued use, and there is but little doubt 
that chemical causes may also add to its smooth sur 
face. Patina is due to the infiltration of certain sub 
stances through the beds in which the palgeolith had 
been deposited, this action partially dissolving the 
substance of the flint. 

New Comerstown is situated upon the right bank 
of the Tuscarawas River, forty miles south of the 
glacial boundary of Ohio. The latter part of the 
journey from the north to reach the place is so com 
plete a demonstration of the now accepted theory 
concerning the origin of the terraces along this river, 
and others similarly situated, that a brief description 
of it will be profitable. 

" The head waters both of the Tuscarawas itself and of 
the several branches which unite with it before reaching 
Canal Dover, are all within the glaciated area, thus afford- 



8 PRIMITIVE MAN IN OHIO. 

ing access to an unlimited quantity of debris brought by 
the continental ice sheet from the Laurentian region in 
Canada. Immediately below the glacial boundary all 
these streams are bordered with extensive terraces, the 
material of which consists of assorted matter from the 
glacial drift, such as would naturally have been carried 
during the closing turbulent floods of the glacial 
period. 

" From Canal Dover to New Comerstown the Tuscara- 
was River makes a bend to the east, but the railroad cuts 
across the elbow, and for twenty miles or more finds its 
way through two small valleys tributary to the main line 
of drainage. The course of the railroad first strikes up 
the valley of Stone Creek, following it for several miles, 
but no sooner does it enter this tributary valley than it 
leaves behind the terraces and other gravel deposits which 
mark the main valley and every tributary farther north. 
At length the road, after passing through a tunnel, strikes 
into the head waters of Buckhorn Creek, which runs south 
ward to join the Tuscarawas at New Comerstown. Here, 
too, for several miles, there is a total absence of terraces 
or any deposit of gravel. On approaching the mouth of 
the creek, however, a vast gravel deposit, derived from 
the northern drift, is encountered, in which the railroad 
company is making extensive excavations to get material 
for ballasting their track. Thus, in this short journey 
there was demonstrated before our eyes the limitation of 
these gravel deposits to the main valley of the river, and 
so by consequence their glacial age and origin. 

" A glance at the physical features of the region in 
Ohio and Indiana where these palaeoliths have been found, 
shows their eminent adaptation to the primitive conditions 
of life indicated by the implements themselves. The 
Tuscarawas valley has been formed by erosion through 
the parallel strata of sandstone and limestone here com 
posing the coal formation. The summits of the hills on 
either side rise to the heights of from 300 to 500 feet, and 



PALEOLITHIC MAN IN OHIO. 9 

their perpendicular faces abound even now with commo 
dious shelters for primitive man, but in pre-glacial times 
the trough of the Tuscarawas was 175 feet deeper than at 
present, that amount of glacial gravel having been de 
posited along the bottom, thus raising it to its present 
level. Hence, in pre-glacial times the opportunities for 
shelter must have been much superior even to those 
which are now in existence." 



Just as early man in the Old World had to con 
tend with ferocious brutes, such as the terrible 
machairodus, with its keen, dagger-like tusks, and 
the mammoth, so did our primitive American race 
have to contend with huge jaguars and bears larger 
and more formidable than those of the present day. 
These were not the only animals that they battled 
with in their struggle for existence ; the mastodon, 
the megatherium, the mylodon, the megalonyx, and 
the elephant had to be attacked with wretched 
weapons of stone, in order to obtain the necessary 
food for subsistence. Naked and wretched as primi 
tive man was, he triumphed over the trials and 
dangers that beset him, and his descendants grad 
ually increased until they were to be numbered 
almost as the leaves of the forest, again to disappear 
as these solitudes were cleared away by the axes 
of the hardy American pioneers. 

Attention has been called in this chapter to traces 
of man s occupancy of America at different epochs, 
viz. : 

1st, in times so remote that we cannot appreciate 
its vast antiquity or approximate to it by any time 
measure. 



IO PRIMITIVE MAN IN OHIO. 

2d, when the glacial terraces were in process of 
deposition, these primitive beings having been asso 
ciated with the period when the great glacier came 
down from the north. Here we find traces of a 
people who built rude hearths upon the surfaces of 
the terraces along the banks of rivers, and it may 
be about the same period, or even in more recent 
times, erected imposing mounds and earthworks 
upon them. 

These primitive men, to whom we especially refer, 
were a part of the American race that once dwelt in 
what is now called Ohio, a description of whose 
remains is given in the ensuing chapters. 



CHAPTER II. 

LICKING COUNTY AND OPENING REMARKS. 

MESSRS. SQUIER AND DAVIS in their volume, 
Ancient Monuments of the Mississippi Valley, have 
given a series of surveys of earthworks and enclos 
ures, mounds and fortifications, which, taken as a 
whole, is sufficiently accurate to follow. There are 
certain of the more important structures which have 
been resurveyed with improved instruments, and 
hence the maps that have been made of Fort 
Ancient, the Serpent Mound, and Fort Hill are 
more accurate and correct in detail. Assuming 
that every one is more or less interested in American 
archaeology and familiar with Squier and Davis 
book, we shall proceed at once to the tumuli, graves, 
and village sites which were explored between the 
months of June, 1885, and October, 1890, taking it 
for granted that reference on the part of the reader 
to the maps in Ancient Monuments of the Missis 
sippi Valley will establish the location of our 
excavations. Reference has been made to the plates 
in the above-mentioned work, and overlooking all 

O 

small errors that may have resulted from careless 
ness or inferior measuring instruments, we would 
emphatically say that, in our estimation, no work of 

ii 



12 PRIMITIVE MAN IN OHIO. 

recent times has approached that of Messrs. Squier 
and Davis in the accuracy and numbers of maps set 
forth. We know, from excavations and our own 
surveys, that in the truthfulness of their reports 
they frequently have been over-cautious and mod 
erate in their enumerations of finds in order to keep 
entirely within the bounds of truth. Frequently in 
trenching mounds previously explored by them, we 
found shafts they had sunk from the summit, and, 
by following the disturbed earth into hard layers 
near the base, were able to discern the pick and 
mattock strokes still plain on the sides of the exca 
vation. While we do not desire to give countenance 
to their conclusions, and believe much of their work 
to have been hastily projected, yet we are confident 
of the very grave errors committed by those who 
have endeavored to prove them untruthful and 
grossly inaccurate. So much for Squier and Davis, 
and our reasons for hereafter referring to their maps. 
In the valley of the Muskingum River and its 
tributaries there are numerous evidences of the 
existence of aboriginal man. From the Muskingum 
eastward, through Ohio, there are but few mounds 
and village sites, the country being very hilly and 
broken, the soil, as a rule, poor, when compared 
with other sections of the State. But in the prox 
imity of the Ohio River, from Pittsburg to Cincin 
nati, there are numerous tumuli, village sites, and 
earthworks. When we consider the great fertility 
of the soil nearest the Ohio and of the valleys of its 
principal tributaries, we are not surprised that 
primitive man should have chosen to live in places 



LICKING COUNTY AND OPENING REMARKS. 13 

where all conditions were most favorable for him to 
cultivate corn, beans, and tobacco, rather than to 
dwell amongst the high and gloomy hills, where 
tangled underbrush and the irregularities of the 
surface would impede his progress while in pursuit 
of game. Before speaking of the Muskingum val 
ley, at length, we would say it is evident that in 
the southern portion of the State he has left scarcely 
any traces of occupancy. We refer to a region 
known as the " Sunfish Hills," which extend be 
tween Portsmouth and Georgetown on the south, 
Chillicothe and Hillsboro on the north and south. 
The valley of Brush Creek, however, which passes 
directly through the Sunfish Hills, has some evi 
dence of his existence the Serpent Mound, Fort 
Hill, several village sites, and a few mounds, all of 
which were described by Professor F. W. Putnam in 
the Century Magazine of March and April, 1890. 

In Muskingum and Licking counties we also 
note a scarcity of mounds in the hilly sections. Near 
Rix Mills, in Muskingum County, are three small 
mounds, all placed upon high points of land ; none 
of these are more than six feet in height, and their 
exploration yielded nothing of interest or value, a 
few skeletons only, being found within them. 1 

In Licking County no large mounds are found 
back of the watercourses. As we have noted in 
Muskingum County, there are a few small mounds, 
scattered here and there, occupying prominent 
points upon the highest hills. In all elevated 
regions throughout the State we find these small 

1 Explored in June, 1882. W. K. M. 



14 PRIMITIVE MAN IN OHIO. 

isolated mounds. Excavations show them to be so 
unimportant that they cannot be classed with the 
great works of the Miami, Scioto, and Muskingum 
valleys. The water-sheds between the rivers just 
named contain more of the small mounds referred 
to than the Sunfish Hills or the elevations of the 
coal regions. Some of the hill-top mounds will be 
described in Chapter III. 

The northern portion of the State is singularly 
deficient in mounds and earthworks. A line drawn 
from Darke and Shelby counties on the west, to 
Columbia County on the east, represents the farthest 
extension northward of the mound groups. We are 
aware that some of the valleys of the northern tribu 
taries of the Miami, Scioto, and Muskingum rivers 
contain mounds, and we cannot overlook the exist 
ence of scattered mounds in the Maumee, Sandusky, 
Vermilion, Cuyahoga, and Grand River valleys. 
There are many fertile tracts and localities in the 
northern part of Ohio which aborigines, in all prob 
ability, would have found desirable for village sites. 
Why primitive man should have left scarcely any 
traces in the counties near Lake Erie we do not 
know. Indians in historic times (Shawnees, Dela- 
wares, Wyandots, Eries, and Mingoes) inhabited the 
shores of this lake, and a few villages of greater an 
tiquity than those left by the tribes just named have 
been discovered in the vicinity of Toledo, Sandusky, 
and Kelley s Island. In Allen, Hardin, Marion, and 
Morrow counties the country is quite flat. 

Before the advent of white settlers who have 
ditched, tiled, and drained thousands of square 



LICKING COUNTY AND OPENING REMARKS. 15 

miles of land, an enormous swamp belt extended 
through the counties named. The forest growth is 
excessively heavy, even at the present day, and, so 
far as we are aware, the region in early times was 
not only unhealthy but practically uninhabitable. 
There seems to be a considerable number of tumuli 
and village sites at the head of the Cuyahoga and 
Muskingum rivers in Wayne, Stark, and Portage 
counties. From an inspection of village sites in the 
counties just named, along the Mauinee River to the 
west, and in Wyandot County near the head waters 
of the Sandusky River, we are quite positive in our 
assertion that only roving bands, who may or may 
not have been related to the great mound-building 
nations of the south, moved frequently from one 
place to another, remaining perhaps only a few 
months in a spot. They did not manufacture fine 
implements of stone and flint or construct large 
mounds ; with the exception of a few circles discov 
ered here and there, they built no forfifications. The 
evidence of aboriginal man in this portion of the 
State is so scattered and of such a limited character 
that we do not care to theorize in regard to the 
movements of those clans living near Lake Erie. 
We shall treat largely of the early people who dwelt 
in three river valleys toward the south, and although 
referring in a general sense to the men of the lake 
region, yet we think there is sufficient evidence to 
say that they were much inferior to their neighbors. 
The village sites examined upon the Maumee River 
yielded quantities of burnt bones, fragments of pot 
tery, a few aw r ls, celts, and ornaments. Finer objects, 



1 6 PRIMITIVE MAN IN OHIO. 

such as carved pipes and copper implements, were 
not present. The graves were constructed in the 
sand-banks of the river, and the bodies, judging 
from their nearness to the surface, were hastily and 
carelessly buried. 

In the summers of 1885 and 1886 a considerable 
amount of work was done upon the village sites and 
mounds in the neighborhood of Granville, Licking 
County, and at Flint Ridge, ten miles to the south 
east. The town is situated in a valley a mile in 
width. Raccoon Creek traverses the valley, empty 
ing into the Licking River a short distance south of 
the city of Newark. The valley from Newark north 
ward, for a distance of ten miles, is dotted here and 
there with mounds on the second and third terraces. 
The great earthworks known as the " Newark Fair- 
Ground Enclosures," and described upon pages 67 
to 73 of Squier and Davis volume, the fortified hill 
two miles northeast of Granville, 1 and the so-called 
Alligator Mound 2 are all within a mile of the banks 
of Licking River. 

A very hilly region lying to the north called the 
"Welsh Hills " contains a few hill-top mounds, but 
no enclosures. Two miles east of Granville, within 
sight of the famous Opossum Mound referred to 
above, there is a large village site covering from fif 
teen to sixteen acres of ground. It is upon the 
second creek terrace, with its greatest diameter east 
and west. The terrace lies thirty feet higher than 

1 Plate ix., p. 24, Ancient Monuments of the Mississippi Valley. 

2 It is our opinion that this structure represents an opossum rather than 
an alligator. 



LICKING COUNTY AND OPENING REMARK S. I/ 

the first or latest, and its edge is distant three hun 
dred yards from the water. Through the first ter 
race flows the creek, and, so far as we are aware, no 
implements or arms have been found lower than the 
second terrace. 

The habitations of the village site were circular, 
but we do not attempt to say they were occupied 
for any great length of time. The ash-pits discov 
ered within the circles of burnt earth were of little 
depth, and the amount of animal bones found was 
far less than those of the great villages of the Miami 
and Scioto valleys. The village site in question 
was probably occupied during the summer months 
by tribes whose home was lower down in the Mus- 
kingum valley, and here they fashioned implements 
of flint. The distance in a straight line from the 
flint quarries on the ridge is but ten miles. Numer 
ous broken and unfinished arrow-heads, thousands 
of flint chips, flakes, cores, and hundreds of large 
blocks of raw material lie scattered over the surface. 
The beautiful colors so common in the chalcedony 
of Flint Ridge blue, pink, red, yellow, and pure 
white are noticeable in many of the specimens. 
No pestles and bat few celts were picked up. Stone 
hammers, both grooved and ungrooved, portions of 
elk and deer antlers, and numerous broken stones, 
discovered upon spots where the chipping was car 
ried to the greatest degree, gave indisputable evi 
dence of the object of the location of the village. 
A great many fragments of pottery, resembling 
those in the Muskingum valley nearer the Ohio 
River, occurred in the ash-pits, and led us to 



1 8 PRIMITIVE MAN IN OHIO. 

conclude that tribes living at no great distance had 
occupied the lodges. 

One and a half miles west of Granville is a 
larger village site. It occupies a hillside to the 
south of the creek, and is distant a quarter of a 
mile from the stream. From an examination of the 
spot we conclude it to have been occupied during 
summer and winter. Both pestles and grooved 
axes have been found, and it is therefore probable 
that corn was raised in quantities. There are some 
mortars at the top of large glacial drift bowlders 
in the neighborhood, and we know that mortars 
were extensively used for maize grinding. A few 
flint flakes and chips exist upon the surface. Burnt 
stones are to be found in large quantities, together 
with broken animal bones and ashes, marking the 
position of each family lodge. Pottery is also found 
everywhere, and is of the rougher, undecorated 
kind, moulded, while in a plastic state, within rush 
baskets, as it retains upon its outer surface the 
imprint of the reeds. 

Professor Appey has opened quite a number of 
mounds in Licking County. His finds have been of 
a different character from those made in other 
portions of the State. We believe that ornaments 
of slate occur in mounds in the vicinity of Granville 
and Newark, if the reports of those examined are to 
be relied upon, as they undoubtedly are. No altars 
and scarcely any copper, but few shell ornaments, 
and few, if any, Busycons have been taken from the 
mounds of this region. The skeletons, as a rule 

O 

are well preserved. Many of them are accompanied 



LICKING COUNTY AND OPENING REMARKS. 19 

by beads and bone awls, and, occasionally, pipes. 
The entire skeleton of a bison was found by Pro 
fessor Appey in a large tumulus, associated with 
human remains, but we have no details of the 
discovery. 

Raccoon Creek valley ( partly in the neighborhood 
of Granville, as previously mentioned) contains many 
mounds, all of them smaller than the average Ross 
County tumuli. Primitive man here seems to have 
devoted most of his time to the working of flint 
implements, and probably lived chiefly by exchange 
with the tribes who came from a distance to secure 
the superior chalcedonys of Flint Ridge. 

There is quite a large village eight miles north 
west from Granville, near the banks of Raccoon 
Creek. The stream opposite the village is very 
small, and we think there are no habitation sites of 
more than ten or fifteen lodges in extent farther up. 
The site just mentioned must have accommodated 
forty or fifty tepees. The debris upon the surface 
is identical with that of the town upon the south 
side of the creek, one mile and a half above Gran 
ville. 

As will be seen in the following chapter ( which 
treats of the remainder of the Muskingum valley ), 
the village sites and contents of the mounds are 
largely similar in character. Undoubtedly the whole 
valley was occupied by the same race, and this race, 
according to cranial peculiarities, is called the 
dolicocephalic stock. 



CHAPTER III. 

THE MUSKLNGUM VALLEY, FROM MARIETTA TO 
ZANESVILLE. 

ALTHOUGH the Muskingum valley is undoubtedly 
very rich in prehistoric remains, but little work has 
yet been done to ascertain facts pertaining to the 
life of those primitive men who once dwelt along its 
beautiful shores. We can assign no reason for our 
limited knowledge concerning its pre-Columbian 
inhabitants, unless it be that investigators followed 
too closely in the footsteps of Squier and Davis. 
These gentlemen confined their attentions largely to 
the Scioto and Miami valleys. 

Mr. Fowke s observations upon Flint Ridge, Mr. 
Davis remarks concerning the mounds and village 
sites lying between Zanesville and Marietta, Dr. 
Cresson s study of the crania, and Mr. Moorehead s 
brief sojourn in the valley may give the reader an 
idea of the domestic life of the long-heads who pre 
dominated in eastern Ohio. It is very interesting 
to note that the short-headed people did not monopo 
lize the Muskingum valley as they did the Scioto 
and Miami regions. Dr. Cresson believes from his 
study of the crania of this region that the dolico- 
cephali predominated, and as among other people of 

20 



THE MUSKINGUM VALLEY. 21 

this type were not competent to hold their own in 
intellect and attainments in the art of implement- 
making and in the construction of mounds and 
fortifications ; but in the western and southwestern 
part of the State they were enslaved arid conquered 
by the more numerous short-headed race, and hence 
lived in the hilly regions of Clermont and Clinton 
counties and the valley of Brush Creek, as men 
tioned in Chapters ix. and xvi. 

Beginning at Marietta, we find the wonderful 
series of embankments shown in Plate 26, pages 
73 to 77 of Squier and Davis Ancient Monuments 
of the Mississippi Valley. Proceeding up the river 
we find the mounds and village sites of the dolico- 
cephalic race upon the second and third terraces 
and frequently upon the high points of land two or 
three miles removed from the river. The structures 
do not closely resemble those of the Scioto and 
Miami valleys. 

No better idea can be obtained of the Mus- 
kinguni valley than from the substance of a letter 
written by Mr. Willard H. Davis on December 14, 
1891. 

He has observed during an acquaintance of 
twenty years with the Muskiugum River, among 
hills, terraces, and alluvial lands from Marietta to 
Meigs Creek, in Morgan County, mounds irregularly 
distributed. But one mound was ever found upon 
the alluvial bottom. 

One mile and a half from Marietta, upon the 
farm of Mr. Strecker, are two mounds three or four 
feet in height. In the same neighborhood are sev- 



22 PRIMITIVE MAN IN OHIO. 

eral mounds upon the farm of Josiah Deveol, one 
fourth of a mile from the river. Mounds are also 
numerous in the following localities : just back of 
Devol s dam near Marietta, on John Drake s farm 
in the same neighborhood, upon the farm of Joseph 
Stow five miles up the river, on Bear Creek upon 
the farms of Messrs. Wilkings, Snyder, etc. 

It is very interesting to note that Mr. Davis has 
occasionally found whole pottery in the mounds. 
Pottery is very rare in the tumuli of any section of 
Ohio, although it has been frequently found at 
Madison ville and occasionally in the Miami valley. 
In exploring the mound upon Mr. John Drake s farm, 
a whole pot, decorated, filled with charcoal and 
ashes, was taken from a point three feet below the 
surface. There seems to have been nothing else in 
the structure, except a badly decayed skeleton. 

Just below the mouth of Bear Creek is a small vil 
lage site, while on the high bluffs above there is a 
fair-sized mound which commands a good view of the 
surrounding country. As in the case of the major 
portion of the mounds throughout the Muskingum 
valley, it seems to have been designed more as a 
place of observation than for the interment of the 
dead. 

Above Bear Creek there is a fine alluvial bottom, 
and near the hills a splendid gravel terrace, one 
third of a mile in width, extends for some distance. 
An elliptical stone mound, thirty -five by twenty- 
five feet, and four feet in altitude, a village site 
and other evidences of occupation are upon this ter 
race. In May, 1881, the mound was thoroughly 



THE MUSKINGUM VALLEY. 2$ 

explored ; two copper bracelets, slightly oxidized, 
and human bones, were found scattered among the 
stones. 

The hills, several miles above Bear Creek, recede 
from the river to the northwest and leave a broad 
bottom, part of which is occupied by a terrace simi 
lar to the one described above. A large village site 
and several mounds are located upon the terrace on 
the Davis estate, Wilkings, Snyder, and other farms. 
One of the mounds, forty feet in diameter by four 
feet in height, was explored with the following 
results : 

Near the surface was a decayed skeleton and a 
polished hematite spherical object. In the centre, 
above the base line, was an ash-pit containing an 
arrow-head, while at the bottom lay a decayed body. 
A cannel coal gorget, four by six inches with two 
perforations, was found upon the breast. There 
were no stones in the mound. One hundred yards 
west of the structure is a ravine, on the west side of 
which once existed a small mound. A few rods far 
ther west a roadway is traceable. It has been cut 
into the bank of the terrace, and leads from the top 
of the hill above to the river bottoms below. As in 
the case of some of the Miami valley terraces it is 
under discussion regarding its origin, whether natural 
or artificial. Upon the river bank at this point, 
many mussel shells, flint chips, and pieces of pottery 
seem to indicate the presence of a village. 

There are three mounds surrounded by a semi 
circular embankment near the same spot. The 
circle has an inside ditch. A fourth mound is 



24 PRIMITIVE MAN IN OHIO. 

distant fifty yards west, on the edge of the 
bluff at the bottom of which runs Wilson s 
Creek, a small tributary of the Muskingum. Mr. 
Davis thoroughly explored these mounds and also 
made excavations in the semicircle, finding flint im 
plements, an unfinished sandstone tablet, and de 
cayed skeletons. The best entire earthen pot, which 
it was his privilege to take from the tumuli in his 
neighborhood, was found at the head of one of the 
skeletons in the largest mound. The vessel had a 
contour like a cocoa-nut, and exhibited on its exterior 
the impression of a twisted bark basket. 

A most singular slate effigy was found upon the 
surface near the semicircle. It is of banded slate three 
and a half inches long, the upper portion being semi 
circular, the lower portion having been drawn and 
narrowed until it gracefully ends in a fair represen 
tation of a child s feet and toes. So far as w T e are 
aware no effigy of this kind has ever been found 
in the State of Ohio. 

Several mounds lie on the Davis estate on the 
bluffs overlooking the Muskingum. From their 
summits views can be had for a distance of eight 
or ten miles up the beautiful river. In reference to 
these mounds much cannot be said, except that a 
few relics, cremated skeletons, and mussel shells 
were in the tumuli, and the usual village site debris 
upon the hearths. One or two stone graves are also 
to be found on this property. 

In December, 1888, a mound upon the farm of 
Mrs. Mary Hall, seven by forty feet, was examined. 
The position of nine skeletons was strangely like 



THE MUSK2NGUM VALLEY. 25 

those which we have taken from mounds containing 
dolicocephalic crania in Clinton, Clermont, and Brown 
counties. The ash-pits were small, and one or two 
layers of sandstone slabs were observed. Upon 
the same farm a skeleton was found in a small 
mound surrounded by limestone slabs. The inter 
ment was similar to the one mentioned in Chapter 
VIIL, to some of the burials made in the Taylor 
Mound. The stone coverings were fitted so closely 
as to exclude earth, and when lifted off gave a 
perfect view of the body. About the wrists were 
beads of copper, bird bones, elk and bear teeth, 
with short pieces of buckskin strings preserved by 
the copper; a small grooved axe 1 and a bone awl 
accompanied the remains. 

Another small mound, just to the east of the one 
described, was excavated by Mr. Davis. In it he 
found three skeletons with heads to the east. With 
them were elk teeth, beads, and a worked hematite 
object similar to a cylinder. A mound west of the 
group enclosed by the semicircle, as described above, 
was found to contain four skeletons. The largest 
of the skeletons was placed in one of the stone 
graves, such as are described in Chapters vni. and ix. 
The head of this skeleton was separated from the 
rest of the body by a distance of a foot. A large 
stone was placed in an upright position back of the 
head, and another large one stood near the lower 
jaw. Thus the head was enclosed in a small stone 

1 In all our mound explorations we never found a grooved axe. The find 
is certainly very remarkable. Ungrooved axes, however, are common in the 
tumuli. \V. K. M. 



26 PRIMITIVE MAN IN OHIO. 

box-shaped cavity entirely separate from the one 
that enclosed the body. Seven dark-gray sandstone 
objects, similar to an axe in outline, and a cup, con 
structed from the shell of a land tortoise, were with 
the head. In the right parietal was an aperture 
where an arrow had penetrated the brain. The point 
was found within the skull. One of the fragments 
of another cranium had a small arrow-head im 
bedded in it. 

Just above Cat s Creek, which empties into the 
Muskingum a mile above Lowell, is a gravelly ter 
race on which are eleven mounds and a small enclos 
ure. This is the only enclosure in the Muskingum 
valley, save the large one at Marietta. The highest 
mound between Marietta and Zanesville lies upon 
the farm of John Newton. It is twelve feet in alti 
tude and has a base of ninety or one hundred feet. 
North of the enclosure is a small mound which Mr. 
Davis explored, finding upon the base line an altar 
four feet square, dipping toward the centre, and six 
inches high. In the altar were the following objects, 
together with charcoal and ashes : a sandstone tab 
let, three by four inches, and half an inch thick ; 
a diamond-shaped tablet of slate, two and a half by 
three inches; a flint spear-head five inches long; a 
striped slate ornament four inches in length, with 
two perforations; another beautifully polished orna 
ment, oval-shaped, with two perforations ; a thick 
tablet of sandstone four inches in length, a some 
what smaller tablet, fragments of copper, and a tube 
of clay and sand. 

Below the altar just described were found logs ten 



THE MUSKINGUM VALLEY. 27 

to twelve inches in diameter resting upon a second 
and larger altar, but in it there were no remains. 

It is very singular that hematite should have been 
used so largely by the aborigines of the Muskingum 
valley for fashioning implements, when tribes of the 
Miami or Scioto regions used it only to a limited 
extent. Mr. Davis reports finding a highly polished 
hematite celt and cone and fragments of hematite in 
a tumulus upon the same terrace as the altar mound. 
Upon a terrace near Big Run a rich stone mound 
was examined, in which were found fragmentary 
bones and four large beautiful slate ornaments all 
perforated for suspension. These were six or seven 
inches in length and beautifully worked. 

Copper in the Muskingum valley is exceedingly 
rare. In a mound near Rainbow Station, upon Mr. 
Joseph Dayrs farm, was a decayed skeleton. At 
the hips lay a copper spear-head six inches in length. 
At the head lay a copper disk three inches in diame 
ter with a central perforation. In a mound upon 
Mr. S. S. Stowe s land Mr. Davis found the bones of 
a young woman in a kneeling position with a child s 
skeleton in her arms. 

There are surface indications of a large village site 

O O 

near the same place. (This is not far from Lowell.) 
In Mr. Davis 7 letter some twenty more mounds 
were mentioned than are here recorded. Nearly all 
of them he had explored, and found objects similar 
to those described in the preceding pages. The 
village sites he found to be small when compared 
with those in the Scioto and Miami valleys. But 
while no single village site equalled in extent the 



28 PRIMITIVE MAN IN OHIO. 

ones at Hope well s, Fort Ancient, or Madison ville, 
yet when combined they would contain a population 
equal to the larger towns in the western part of the 
State. 

He finds no high mounds or extensive fortifica 
tions, and even such as he found are not near the 
river, but are usually on high ground. The pre 
dominance of slate objects is noted in the mounds of 
the lower Muskingum valley, and many of them oc 
cur in Clinton and Clermont counties. None of the 
fine objects, such as we describe in Chapter xv., were 
discovered. The crania are all dolicocephalic. 

In size and contents the mounds are very like 
those of Clinton, Clermont, and Brown counties, 
where the long-headed stock had small villages. 
The copper found in the mounds may have been 
obtained by force in wars with the Scioto valley 
peoples. From the limited extent of the villages 
and the general inferiority of the implements and 
ornaments to those found in the short-heads country, 
we are of the opinion that primitive man in the 
Muskingum valley was a confirmed warrior, waging 
battle with the short-heads to the west for many 
years, keeping up his towns upon the Muskiugum as 
headquarters, to which the marauding bands which 
he sent out might return. 

The upper Muskingum, namely, the valleys of the 
Licking and the Tuscarawas rivers, contains several 
large fortifications and two or three hundred tumuli. 
The Tuscarawas region has never been thoroughly 
explored, and therefore little is known regarding it. 

Concerning the Licking region, we are of the opin- 



THE MUSKINGUM VALLEY. 2g 

ion that the skulls are dolicocephalic. Judging from 
the field evidence it was occupied by a larger body 
of the long-heads than were in the lower Muskingum. 
Living so near Flint Ridge to which all tribes were 
compelled to resort for material to be used in the 
manufacture of implements they probably suffered 
greatly by the incursions of flint-seeking tribes. 
Hence we can readily see why it was necessary for 
them to erect earthworks and fortifications. The 
southern portion of their country needed no such 
protection. 

In Chapter ix. further testimony will be offered 
concerning a few villages of the long-heads that have 
been found in the Miami and Scioto valleys. 



CHAPTER IV. 

FLINT RIDGE. 

ABORIGINAL man was a practical lithologist. Un 
acquainted with any method of reducing ores, he was 
unable to avail himself of the harder metals, and 
consequently was compelled to utilize some form of 
stone in the manufacture of implements intended 
for ordinary use. The glacial drift, covering three- 
fourths of the State, furnished an abundance of ma 
terial for axes, pestles, celts, and other utensils 
required for rough work ; but, while quartzite, syen 
ite, and diorite are well adapted for making any 
tool or weapon which must be both hard and tough, 
they are unsuitable for use when a keen cutting 
edge is necessary. For the latter purpose nothing 
else at the command of the ancient artificer was so 
suitable as the different varieties of chalcedony. 
Obsidian and the various forms of agate, so plen 
tifully at the command of Indians in the extreme 
west, could not be obtained by the prehistoric in 
habitants of the Ohio valley, who were therefore 
forced to adopt the flint, hornstone, chert, and chal 
cedony .found nearer home. These occur in quantity 
from central Ohio eastward, generally imbedded in 
limestone, but sometimes replacing that rock to a 

30 



FLINT RIDGE. 



small extent. Many of these deposits contain stone 
that is coarse, impure, of uneven texture, or other 
wise unsuitable for the needs of the primitive hunter 
or warrior. Direct exposure to atmospheric agencies 
also detracts from its availability, the manner of 
cleavage being so altered that the stone no longer 
splits into conchoidal flakes when struck, but shat 
ters or breaks into irregular fragments. Thus, while 
a small, sharp-pointed fragment of stone, such as 
could be picked up almost anywhere, might be ser 
viceable for an arrow-head, the requirements of a 
manufacturer of finer flint implements were more 
difficult to meet. He must have a stone very hard 
and compact, of homogeneous texture, free from any 
admixture of foreign material, with a definite line of 
fracture that could be determined beforehand, and 
covered by a stratum of earth or rock which would 
prevent deterioration by weathering ; at the same 
time the overlying mass must not be of such depth 
or solidity as to prevent convenient access to the 
desired material. 

In the State of Ohio there are two flint deposits 
presenting these essential features to a marked 
degree. 

The first of these is between Newark and Zanes- 
ville. At no other place in the Ohio valley can be 
found so great a quantity of this material ; and prob 
ably nowhere else in the United States are to be 
seen aboriginal excavations on so extensive a scale. 
The magnitude of the deposit is such that it has 
given to the locality the distinctive name of " Flint 
Ridge, 1 by which it is well known to geologists and 



32 PRIMITIVE MAN IN OHIO. 

collectors. Its outline is extremely tortuous, owing 
to the erosion that has made the whole country a suc 
cession of hills and ravines. Throughout its length 
it forms the cap-rock of the high land, all the super 
incumbent material having been either removed or 
converted into soil. 

The salient points of the surface in the region 
being practically in a horizontal plane, while the 
dip of the rock is to the southeast, it follows that the 
flint stratum was, at its eastern end, first covered 
by a considerable thickness of earth. The rounded 
knolls characteristic of the landscape are in some 
places eighty feet above the flint. This, however, is 
not common ; for the most part the overlying earth 
is only a few feet in depth, and toward the ends or 
sides of the numerous ridges the flint stands out in 
relief. 

Geologically the formation belongs to the car 
boniferous or coal-measure rocks, being the last or 
uppermost layer of the " Putnam Hill Limestone " 
of the Ohio Geological Survey. 

A fine bed of cannel coal lies one hundred and 
four feet below the flint, and is mined on a consid 
erable scale. Bituminous coal also is found south 
of the ridge, some distance below the level of the 
flint stratum ; the exact interval has never been 
measured. If the Kittaning coal of the Pennsyl 
vania Geological Survey were extended thus far 
toward the west, it would lie about thirty-five feet 
above the flint. 

The western extremity of the flint is found in a 
detached hill in Franklin Township, eight miles 



FLINT RIDGE. 33 

southeast of Newark. It here appears as a porous 
stone, similar to buhr or millstone, but more open or 
cellular. This continues only a short distance, when 
it is cut off by a depression formed by ravines having 
their beginning on opposite sides of the ridge, of 
which this hill was formerly a part. These ravines 
have worn back until they have broken down and 
removed all the flint, as well as much of the subja 
cent rock. 

Beyond this depression is a level tract extending 
eastward a little more than a mile, with an average 
w r idth of about four hundred yards. Much of the 
flint about the outcrop is of the same nature as that 
to the west ; but there are several places where the 
exposed portions are quite solid and nearly white in 
color. The main body of the deposit has been pro 
tected from weathering by a considerable thickness 
of earth ; in places where this has been removed the 
flint proves to be translucent, very dense, and with 
a decided tinge of blue, thus almost answering the 
description of chalcedony. 

Another depression similar to the one noted above, 
and due to the same cause, terminates this body of 
flint to the east. In this, on the north side, is a mine 
from which the cannel coal has been taken for many 
years. 

Reappearing east of this depression, the flint ex 
tends without another interruption for nearly three 
miles. The outcrop along the northern side of the 
ridge in this part is tolerably regular, and follows, 
approximately, an east and west line ; on the south 
ern side, however, several spurs project to a distance 



34 PRIMITIVE MAN IN OHIO. 

of more than half a mile. There are also detached 
hills and ridges which once were connected with the 

o 

main ridge, but have been cut off by erosion. 

Beyond this large area of flint is an interval of 
three fourths of a mile in which the flint is entirely 
absent, except in scattered fragments or boulders 
sufficiently compact and homogeneous to resist the 
destructive atmospheric agencies that have reduced 
the general level from forty to sixty feet below the 
surface of the limestone which underlies the flint 
stratum. 

After passing this the flint is again found, but 
much of it is buried beneath a thickness of earth 
that precludes any definite knowledge of its nature. 
Such of it as is visible, either along the slopes or 
occasionally in places on the surface where removal 
of the soil has been more marked, is either buhr- 
stone or a white, compact stone whose monotony of 
color may be due to weathering ; for fragments 
about the ancient quarries show a considerable 
variety in texture and color, many of them being 
quite translucent, others containing an amount of 
carbonaceous matter that makes them almost black, 
while still others have the bluish-gray tints of 
chalcedony. 

This portion of the deposit, which at one point is 
almost a mile in width, extends in a general easterly 
direction for fully a mile beyond the Muskingum 
County line ; it then trends toward the north, form 
ing a curve whose farthest limit is a mile to the 
north of any other part of the ridge. 



FLINT RIDGE. 35 

How much farther it may have extended eastward 
cannot now be ascertained ; but the present termina 
tion is certainly much within its original boundary, 
for the rock which juts out from the hillside at its 
very extremity is thicker than the flint at any other 
point, there being a vertical exposure of fully seven 
feet. How far downward it may reach is not known. 
In a number of places in the west and middle por 
tions of the ridge, wells have been dug and other 
excavations made ; but nowhere has the stone been 
found more than four feet in thickness. 

The entire length of the deposit, measured on a 
section line, is eight miles, and its greatest breadth 
is three miles. Its actual area as it now exists is 
probably not more than four square miles, the re 
mainder having been removed by denudation. It is 
not improbable that, as deposited, it comprised fully 
thirty square miles, with an average thickness of four 
or five feet. 

Baryte is found in small quantities in some places ; 
quartz crystals are abundant; while nearly all the 
flint, except the clear chalcedony, is highly fossilif- 
erous. 

As to the evidence of human occupation and 
industry, the first remains of this nature are on the 
western end of the level tract mentioned as extend 
ing to the depression in which the coal mine is situ 
ated. A space of about ten acres is here surrounded 
by an ancient wall built of flint blocks that have 
been gathered up along the outcrop on the hillsides. 
The enclosure has almost disappeared, the stones 



36 PRIMITIVE MAN IN OHIO. 

composing it having been hauled away by those 
cultivating the field. Enough remains, however, 
to indicate its outlines. It commanded the valleys 
to the north and south, the wall being carried along 
the hill just at the top of the slope on either side, 
and connecting across the level surface of the ridge. 
Before being disturbed it was fully five feet in height 
and eight or ten feet in breadth at the base. 

Within the walls are two mounds not more than 
thirty feet apart. One, built entirely of earth, is 
fifteen feet in height, and seventy-five feet in diame 
ter at the base; the other, a pile of loose stones 
heaped together, is not more than three feet in 
height, with a diameter of fifty feet. 

This structure was undoubtedly designed as a 
fort. From the north or south, approach is possible 
only by climbing a steep hill strewn thickly with angu 
lar fragments of flint and sandstone ; from the east 
or west an attacking force would have a level space 
to cross, with little opportunity for shelter from the 
missiles of the defensive party. 

Nothing else of artificial character is found on 
this hill ; there are no quarries, workshops, or other 
remains, until the great deposit east of the coal mine 
is reached. Here occur the most interesting features 
of the entire region. Few persons have ever seen 
more than a small part of it, and yet such superficial 
examination as can be made in a day s visit will im 
press the observer with a feeling that he is viewing 
the scene of operations by comparison with which 
the construction of Ohio s most extensive earthworks 
would be mere holiday sport. 



FLINT RIDGE. 37 

On almost every farm thousands of cubic yards of 
earth have been removed that the flint beneath might 
be reached. Acre after acre has been so thoroughly 
excavated that scarcely a single foot of earth or 
stone retains its original position. Hundreds of 
wagon-loads of spalls cover the ground, the refuse 
of ancient implement making. In many places one 
may walk forty rods or more in a direct line with the 
certainty that nowhere within fifty feet of him would 
it be possible to find a spot that had not been dug 
for a depth of five to fifteen feet, or even more. To 
comprehend fully the labor necessary to accomplish 
all this, it must be borne in mind that the subsoil is 
as solid as the earth in a public highway. Sharp 
picks, wielded by muscular arms, cannot be driven 
into it more than two or three inches. The stone, 
when reached, is so extremely hard that, unless fa 
vored by a baryte or crystal deposit, a person, in 
digging a well, for example, may have to work an 
entire day with the best steel drills in order to make 
a hole deep enough to put in a blast. When one 
witnesses the slow progress made by good workmen 
aided by steel and powder, and remembers that the 
Indians had no better tools than they could fashion 
from wood, bone, or stone, and when he finds fur 
ther, that it requires several days merely to walk over 
the area included by the ancient quarries, he realizes 
the vast amount of toil involved in these excava 
tions. 

Eleven miles from Newark the Zanesville road is 
intersected by the road leading from Brownsville, 
on the old National Pike, to the Baltimore and Ohio 



38 PRIMITIVE MAN IN OHIO. 

Railway. This point, locally known as " The Ridge 
Cross-road," is one mile east of the coal mine, and 
three miles north of Brownsville. For fully half a 
mile to the east, west, and south, and half that dis 
tance to the north, the debris from pits and work 
shops literally covers the surface, not only on the 
spurs and minor ridges, but in many places on the 
lower ground. Most of the stone is very solid, 
though some of it is so porous as to be unfit for use. 

One of the pits near here is almost a hundred feet 
in diameter. A pole eighteen feet long has been 
thrust full length downward into the muck with 
which it is filled, without reaching the bottom. 

The flint in this entire central area shows an 
almost endless diversity in coloring. Much of it is 
milk-white. There are large beds, perhaps a hun 
dred acres in all, of striped jasper, the colors being 
alternate light gray and dark gray in thin and regu 
lar bands. This is an excellent material for arrow- 
and spear-heads, and has been extensively quarried. 
Segregated masses occur of lustreless, dull black, 
gray, or yellowish-brown. These contain various 
impurities, and apparently were not sought after. 
At various places, but mostly in the immediate 
vicinity of the cross-road, are immense deposits of 
what should have a distinct classification as " Flint 
Ridge Stone." It is a chalcedony, pure or nearly so, 
but differing somewhat in appearance from that in 
any other known locality. When thoroughly pro 
tected from weathering it is of a light grayish-blue 
color, translucent in pieces of considerable thickness, 



FLINT RIDGE. 39 

exceedingly hard, and yet, when freshly dug, easily 
wrought by the usual methods in vogue among 
modern Indians. When exposed to the atmosphere 
for a long period it assumes an almost infinite variety 
of tints, equalling or even surpassing in beauty and 
brilliancy the finest agates or carnelians. But, no 
matter how it may have changed in other respects, 
it retains a peculiar gloss or lustre that enables one 
familiar with it to detect at a glance an implement 
from this locality, no matter where it may be found. 
This property has been useful in aiding to estab 
lish two facts. First, that people using it cov 
ered a wide territory ; weapons made from it have 
been found in New York, Illinois, and eastern 
Virginia, as well as nearer to its source. Secondly, 
that the aborigines resorted to this spot for a long 
period of time, perhaps many centuries ; chips or 
blocks of exactly the same composition found side 
by side on the surface vary greatly in appearance, 
some being as yet scarcely affected by the exposure, 
the exterior of other pieces being completely changed 
in color, while in still others the change of color may 
be uniform through the fragment. 

It was quarried anterior to the construction of 
some, at least, of the large mounds in Ohio and West 
Virginia, for many arrows, cores, and flakes of it 
have been found in them. In the large mound de 
scribed in chapter xiv., a chip of it was found lying 
upon the original surface as if it had been carelessly 
thrown there prior to the beginning of the first or 
oldest part of the mound. 



4O PRIMITIVE MAN IN Off TO. 

It was unquestionably used by the Indians occu 
pying the Ohio valley at the time of its settlement 
by the whites, for thousands of implements made of 
it have been picked up on or very near the surface of 
the ground in spots where it is known that modern 
tribes had their domicile in quite recent times. 

Several hills situated between the ridge and the 
National road were once part of the plateau covered 
by the flint ; but erosive agencies have cut them off, 
and they are now entirely isolated. On all of these 
which retain their former elevation excavations have 
been made on a very large scale. None of the ma 
terial here, however, has the diversified colors so 
noticeable in that nearer the cross-road. 

The only indications of permanent occupation 
along this portion of the ridge are three circular en 
closures two near the cross-road, now obliterated 
by cultivation, the third a mile and a half south. 
The last, which is still quite distinct, consists of an 
embankment with interior ditch, the outer diameter 
being about three hundred feet. They are probably 
the sites of small stockaded villages or camps. There 
are also two small mounds of earth, both of which 
have yielded human bones to investigators. 

On the third principal deposit of the flint, that 
lying along both sides of the line between Licking 
and Muskingum counties, the excavations are on a 
smaller scale than those heretofore noted. There is 
but one group of pits west of the county line ; these 
extend over an area of five or six acres. They occur 
at a place where the covering of earth was quite thin, 
and present no features worthy of special notice. 



FLINT RIDGE. 41 

The first excavations in Muskingum County are 
small. The stone is of the same general character as 
the chalcedony at the cross-roads, and therefore well 
adapted to the uses made of it ; but the quantity of 
earth to be removed before it could be reached was 
an obstacle too great to be overcome, and the at 
tempted quarries had to be abandoned. 

It is not until the margin of the flint area in this 
direction is reached that evidence of extensive work 
is found. Almost the entire spur forming the north 
ern and eastern extremity of the deposit has under 
gone extensive denudation, owing to the peculiar 
arrangement of the drainage system about it ; conse 
quently the stone is easy to reach. The pits extend 
very nearly to the final outcrop on the east and as 
far toward the north as workable material is to be 
obtained. But they are all shallow, and the im 
mense piles of refuse show that only a small portion 
of the stone obtained was fit to be wrought into 
implements. 

Careful researches by various parties have shown 
the methods by which the primitive worker obtained 
the coveted material and made from it weapons or 
implements suitable to his wants. 

Probably numerous experiments and repeated 
failures in working the fragments found on the sur 
face had taught him that if he wished to make 
specimens of symmetrical form and definite outline, 
he must procure a stone that was solid and uniform 
in texture. Either by accident, or by the use of his 
reasoning powers, he discovered that such material 
is to be found in the ground instead of upon it. 



42 PRIMITIVE MAN IN OHIO. 

Digging away the earth with such tools as he could 
improvise pointed sticks hardened by fire, antler, 
bone, or stone, he came to the surface of the flint. 
This resisted all his efforts until he thought of the 
effects of heat. Placing wood upon it, he set fire to 
the pile. When the stone had reached a high tem 
perature he threw cold water on it ; this caused it 
to shatter and crack in all directions. Casting aside 
the fragments, he repeated the operation, until he 
had finally burned his way to the limestone beneath. 
Removing all burned portions of the flint, he next 
procured a quantity of fine clay and spread a thick 
coating on the top and sides of the stone, to prevent 
injury to it. Then building a fire at the bottom of 
the hole, he soon burned away the limestone and the 
lower part of the flint stratum, leaving the top pro 
jecting. This he broke loose with large boulders of 
quartz or granite ; hammers of this sort, weighing from 
twenty to one hundred and fifty pounds, have been 
found in the bottoms of pits that have been cleared 
out. Knocking loose the clay, which had burned 
almost as hard as the stone, he found himself in 
possession of a block of clear, pure flint. By means 
of the same hammers he broke this into pieces of a 
convenient size for handling. These were carried to 
a spot near by, which may be termed a " blocking 
out " shop. Here they were further broken by 
smaller hammers, and brought somewhat into the 
shape of the implements which were to be made 
from them. The work w^as never, or very seldom, 
carried beyond this stage at the spot where it was 
begun ; the subsequent manipulation was at some 



FLINT RIDGE. 43 

other place, best designated as a " finishing shop." 
These are characterized by quantities of small chips, 
flakes and spalls, broken implements, and unfinished 
pieces, which were unavailable by reason of some 
flaw or defect not discernible until the final work 
was begun. The finishing touches were always 
made by means of pressure with a bone, antler, or 
some other tough substance. Many finishing shops 
are located near the quarries, others at a distance, 
some of them several miles away. The principal 
one was near the cross-road ; here a pile of fine 
chips, covering one fourth of an acre, and fully six 
feet in depth at the central portion, existed when 
the country w r as first settled by the whites, but from 
various causes it has been reduced until it now is all 
of one level. This, while the largest, is only one of 
several hundred such places. 

Second in importance only to Flint Ridge are the 
aboriginal quarries of Coshocton County. 

They are located on the south side of the Wal- 
hondins; River, four miles above Warsaw. The flint 

o 

forms the cap-rock of a high hill intersected by 
numerous ravines, and is covered by a layer of earth 
whose thickness varies greatly owing to the contour 
of the surface. 

The area worked over, the piles of earth thrown 
aside by the diggers, and the fragments and blocks 
of stone scattered about in profusion, show that this 
was long a place of resort by the Indians. 

In one place is a pit more than one hundred feet 
in diameter, whose depth has never been ascertained, 
owing to the accumulated earth and decayed organic 



44 PRIMITIVE MAN IN OHIO. 

matter that forms a bog within it ; but the quantity 
of debris scattered on every side shows that a great 
amount of labor was expended in opening it. In 
many other places in the vicinity smaller holes bear 
witness to the same industry. As a rule, these follow 
a line parallel with the outcrop of the flint. One of 
them has been cleared out, and the process of exca 
vation found to be the same as that followed at Flint 
Ridge. On most of the hill-tops, the superincum 
bent earth, having in some places a thickness of 
twenty-five feet, or even more, proved an efficient 
barrier against such tools as the ancient workers 
could procure. 

The most interesting feature of this quarry is in a 
ridge or promontory bounded on three sides by the 
river and a deep ravine, the sides being very steep- 
almost precipitous in places. A careful exploration 
of its summit has never been made, but sufficient 
evidence is at hand to justify the statement that the 
Indians began work at the outcrop on one side, next 
to the river, and followed the flint stratum entirely 
across to the outcrop above the ravine, throwing the 
earth and refuse material behind them as they pro 
ceeded. Probably five acres have been removed in 
this manner, while the sum of the areas dug in the 
different pits would be still greater. 

The flint forming this deposit is of various shades, 
from a pale amber or "honey color" to a jet 
black, much of it being banded like agate, or varie 
gated with colors imperceptibly blending. The 
lighter varieties are translucent or almost transpar 
ent, in pieces of considerable size ; the darker are 



FLINT RIDGE. 45 

usually opaque except in very thin chips. In much 
of it the grain is as close as in the finest agate or 
chalcedony, consequently it is susceptible of very 
delicate manipulation. Some of the specimens from 
this locality are as thin, symmetrical, and highly 
finished as can be found among the best of those 
belonging to the neolithic age of Europe, and many 
may be found which, after decades or even centuries 
of exposure to an inclement climate, have an edge or 
point almost as keen as a piece of freshly broken 
glass. 

To a people living in the condition of the early 
inhabitants of the Ohio valley, stone possessing 
such qualities was invaluable. Arrows, spears, and 
knives were essential to their existence, and in the 
absence of steel or iron no better material is ob 
tainable for the manufacture of such implements 
than the finer grades of chalcedony, of which the 
Coshocton flint is a variety, or the " Flint Ridge 
Stone, 1 which is fully equal to it. That the abo 
rigines fully understood their worth for such uses is 
proven by the evidences still remaining of the great 
amount of labor which they performed in obtaining 
them. 

There are various other flint deposits in the State 
that have been worked to some extent, notably those 
in Perry County. In fact there is scarcely a county 
along the line of this geological formation, from the 
western border of Pennsylvania to central Kentucky, 
where these flint quarries do not occur. None of 
them, however, present any feature, except it be in 
the character of the stone, that is different from 



46 PRIMITIVE MAN IN OHIO. 

what may be observed in the two localities herein 
described. 

A short explanation of the origin of flint deposits 
may not be out of place. 

Certain microscopic organic bodies belonging to 
both animal and plant creation extract from the sea- 
water in which they exist small quantities of silica, 
which enters into their composition as lime enters 
into the shells of mollusks or the skeletons of ani 
mals belonging to a higher class. Most sponges also 
abstract from the water silica, which may be found 
in them in minute particles. On the death and de 
cay of these organisms the silica is released and set 
tles to the bottom. Being in the finest possible 
state of subdivision it forms a very compact mass 
which, when free from impurities, hardens into fine 
grained chalcedony or flint. Should there be con 
tained in it foreign substances of any sort the stone 
is correspondingly altered, and there may result all 
the different varieties of flint, chert, buhr, and simi 
lar stone, which is so abundant as compared with 
the purer kind. 

It is essential in this method of formation that the 
water in which it has its origin should be free from 
currents, and containing a smaller proportion of salt 
than in the open ocean, otherwise the necessary 
forms of life will not thrive. These conditions can 
only be met with in a small gulf almost enclosed by 
land, or in a depression protected by shoals, and in 
either case receiving a constant supply of fresh 
water with silica in solution. In this way is formed 
most of the chalcedonic stone occurring in large de- 



FLINT RIDGE. 47 

posits. Flint Ridge was thus made ; we find the 
baser stone or chert around the edges of this deposit 
nearer to the old shore line, while the finer grain of 
the central deposits shows a body of water un 
troubled by currents and free from sediment. More 
over, the deposit is irregular in its bedding, being 
considerably lower in some places than in others, 
showing that it was laid down on an uneven bottom. 
The single blocks or boulders, lying in some places 
many feet above the main body of flint, are of later 
origin. 

A second manner in which rock of this character 
may be made is by a process of substitution or petri 
faction. A body soluble or subject to decay, being 
covered with water charged with mineral of any 
sort, will, under certain conditions, be changed from 
its natural form into one exactly similar in shape 
and size agreeing in composition with the mineral 
sohition in which it is immersed. As each particle 
of the original substance is removed it is replaced by 
a particle of the dissolved mineral ; and after a time 
the entire body is thus changed. In this way are 
formed petrified forests, silicified wood, and the 
many fossil remains that have been converted into 
flinty rock. 

Still a third method in which such stone is formed 
is by deposition. Water settling into a cavity and 
evaporating must deposit all the solid matter con 
tained in it. If this be repeated a sufficient number 
of times the cavity will be filled ; and should the 
deposits thus made be of matter held in solution and 
not merely carried mechanically, they may harden 



48 PRIMITIVE MAN IN OHIO. 

into a stone much more compact than that by which 
they are surrounded. Such is the origin of most 
agates, opals, and stones of that character. Should 
the evaporation be exceedingly slow crystals will 
be produced, their size and perfection depending 
upon the length of time allowed for their completion, 



CHAPTER V. 

MADISONVILLE CEMETERY. 

No aboriginal village site found within the limits 
of the United States has exceeded in extent that of 
Madisonville. The hundreds of important discoveries 
made under the auspices of the Madisonville Lite 
rary and Scientific Society, and afterwards completed 
by the Peabody Museum of Cambridge, Mass., at 
tracted the attention of archaeologists both abroad 
and in our own country. It is extremely difficult 
to give anything like a comprehensive treatment of 
Madisonville cemetery in one brief chapter. In at 
tempting to describe the more remarkable features 
of the place we are compelled to draw largely from 
the following publications : Archaeological Explora 
tions of the Literary and Scientific Society of Madi 
sonville, Ohio, part ii., September 1 to December 
8, 1879 ; The Journal of the Cincinnati Society of 
Natural History, volume iii., Nos. 1 and 3 ; Ap 
pendix A of Professor John T. Short s North 
Americans of Antiquity. 

The cemetery or village site occupies a plateau 
facing the Little Miami River, half a mile west 
of Batavia Junction, on the P. C. C. <fe St. L. Rail 
way. Prior to the spring of 1879 no thorough work 

4 49 



5O PRIMITIVE MAN IN OHIO. 

was projected, and no definite knowledge existed as 
to the extent and character of the remains. Curi 
osity collectors of the vicinity had called the place 
"The Pottery Field." 

In March, 1879, Dr. C. L. Metz had in his employ 
a laborer who, prompted by curiosity, sank an ex 
cavation in the southwest section of the plateau. 
He discovered a skeleton at the depth of two feet. 
The editors of part i. of the Madisonville Scientific 
Society s report say with reference to the find: 1 

" This was the initiatory step toward a most important 
archaeological discovery, as further investigation has re 
vealed the interesting fact that the entire plateau is the 
site of an ancient cemetery, from which have since been 
exhumed upward of four hundred skeletons of a prehistoric 
people, accompanied by numerous evidences of their 
handiwork, in the shape of flint and stone implements, 
pipes, pottery ware, charred matting and corn, tools, and 
ornaments of bone, shell, and copper, some of which are 
believed to be unique, all indicating an industrious people, 
who lived in large communities, and obtained their sup 
port by cultivating the soil, as well as by fishing and 
hunting." 

The gentlemen were afterwards permitted to take 
thousands of fine implements, ornaments, and uten 
sils, together with nearly eleven hundred skeletons, 
principally of brachycephalic stock, from the vari 
ous slopes of the plateau. 

" On Friday, March 21, 1879 the excavation, begun 
on the previous day, was continued, and a skeleton in a 
horizontal position, with its head to the south, was ex 
humed. This appeared to be the remains of a female of 

1 Madisonville Historical Society Report, part i., page 3. 



MADISONVJLLE CEMETERY. 5 I 

large size (5 feet 10 inches). Near the left hip was de 
posited a large earthen vessel, capacity about one gallon ; 
unfortunately this vessel was broken by the spade and 
thrown out of the trench, but most of the fragments 
were recovered. 1 Near the head, lay four hollow cylin 
ders, or beads, of polished bone, two to four inches in 
length, and fragments of some others were found ; these 
were apparently portions of a necklace. Two chisels or 
gouge-shaped implements, one of horn, and the other of 
flint, and an imperfect perforated stone implement, were 
also found with these remains." 

During the next two years several hundred skele 
tons were exhumed, buried under various conditions 
and in many attitudes. The sitting posture was a 
favorite mode of burial. Frequently, as in the 
case of the cemetery at Fort Ancient, the interments 
were made in groups, but seldom in stone graves. 
The ash-pits were much more extensive than those we 
excavated at Fort Ancient. On April 22d to 28th, 
several ash-pits were opened, varying from three to 
six feet in diameter. In them they found the unio 
shells, fine bone implements, broken bones, and other 
debris such as we have excavated in Warren County. 
Several entire grooved bone implements were taken 
from the pits, made from the tibiae of the elk and 
deer. One large scraper was made from the right 
femur of an elk. 

" On Wednesday, April 23d, a second ash-pit was ex 
plored, but only a few fragments of pottery were found. 
Close by this pit, a large skeleton, six feet two inches in 
length, was uncovered. These remains were in a hori 
zontal position, and badly decayed, but a portion of the 

1 Madisonville Historical Society Report, part i., page 4. 



52 PRIMITIVE MAN IN OHIO. 

cranium was preserved as an interesting pathological 
specimen. In the right parietal was a perforation, the 
effect of a blow which had crushed the skull, and which 
had been repaired and almost obliterated by an internal 
deposit of new bone. 

"Another ash-pit was opened on the following day, and 
several bone implements, together with animal bones and 
shreds of pottery, were found. One skeleton, in a sitting 
position, and two in horizontal, with heads toward the 
south, were also removed. With these two latter skele 
tons were found small vessels, one at the head of each. 
Fragments of two other vessels were found in the same 
excavation." * 

It is very singular that so many objects should be 
found with skeletons, in the Madisonville cemetery, 
and comparatively few in the Fort Ancient and 
Oregonia cemeteries. In the latter part of April 
the members of the society dug up seven skeletons 
in one day. 

" Two were in a sitting position, three horizontal, with 
heads to the south, and two others in the same position 
with heads directed east. A nearly perfect vessel, and 
fragments of another were taken from near the crania of 
those lying north and south. A polished stone implement 
(chisel-shaped), was found lying by the side ; and among 
the bones of the right hand a medium-sized jasper spear 
head was discovered. The third horizontal skeleton was 
of small size, and the skull rested upon the pelvic bones 
of the second skeleton." a 

On April 28th they took from one ash-pit a large 
tube and the bones of Mastodon Americanus. The 
most important relics found were a sandstone pipe, a 

1 Madisonville Historical Society Report, part i., page II. 
8 Ibid,, p. 12. 



MADISONVILLE CEMETERY. 53 

perforated stone disk, numerous fine bone awls, bone 
beads, and implements of bone and flint ; one large 
vessel of about three quarts capacity, and another 
quite small, not larger than an ordinary teacup the 
latter was found with a child s skeleton. 

"On Tuesday, August 26th, one of the most interesting 
discoveries in this cemetery was made. In excavating an 
ash-pit, a large deposit of several bushels of carbonized 
maize was found. Newspaper accounts of this remarkable 
discovery were published at the time, which are more or 
less erroneous. A correct diagram of the pit is here 
given, with a brief description of its contents. 

" Layer No. I consists of about two feet of rich black 
earth and leaf mould. No. 2 is fifteen inches of gravelly 
clay, in which were found numerous animal remains, sev 
eral implements of flint, stone, and bone, an unfinished 
pipe, and some charred animal bones. 

" Next came layer No. 3, about ten inches of ashes, in 
termingled with bones of a great number of animals, of 
which the following were identified : deer, elk, raccoon, 
opossum, mink, woodchuck, beaver, and turkey, together 
with unio shells of various species. Immediately below 
this was a layer (No. 4), about four inches thick, of coarse 
matting and twigs, cornstalks and bark, completely car 
bonized. No. 5 was a layer of shelled corn, probably 
three or four bushels, and below this was a quantity of 
ear corn, all of which was completely carbonized. On the 
bottom of the pit was a layer of fire-cracked boulders, 
with some ashes and a few animal bones. The adjoining 
pit was separated from the corn pit at the bottom by 
about six inches of clay, and did not differ from the usual 
pits, except that no implements were found in it. 

" August 29th and 3Oth, two ash-pits were explored, 
from which the usual implements were taken, and an un 
finished pipe representing a bear on its haunches. An 



54 PRIMITIVE MAN IN OHIO. 

adult skeleton was also exhumed, lying horizontally, head 
south and face upwards ; a vessel was found at its feet. 
Immediately under this skeleton was an ash-pit three feet 
in diameter, and four feet ten inches deep." 

In Number 3, volume iii., the report of the Madison- 
ville Society describes a very peculiar occurrence : 

" On Tuesday, January 2Oth, an ash-pit was opened 
three feet four inches in diameter, and six feet in depth ; 
the layer of leaf mould was twenty-one inches, then a layer 
of ashes thirty-six inches, with sherds, unio shells, animal 
remains, and burnt limestones ; third, a layer of charcoal 
about three inches in thickness, and below this twelve 
inches of pure grayish ashes. In these ashes were found 
an entire human skeleton. 

" This skeleton was lying in the bottom of the pit on 
its back, head toward the northwest, with the lower limbs 
sharply flexed on the thighs. Surrounding the skeleton 
were a number of flat limestones ten or twelve inches 
square, set on edge, forming a wall around the base of the 
pit. All these stones showed distinctly the marks of fire, 
but must have been burned before being placed in their 
present position, as a very careful examination was made 
of the walls and bottom of the pit and no traces of the 
action of fire were visible." a 

In the report of the society for 1879, part ii., 
September 1st to December 31st, are many remark 
able discoveries chronicled. The following quota 
tions will give an idea of the character of the 
burials. 

" On Thursday, 25th, a very interesting ornament was 
found with the skeleton of a child. It is made of a 



1 Madisonville Historical Society Report , part i., p. 27. 

2 Ibid., part iii., p. 42. 



MADISONVILLE CEMETERY. 55 

single piece of copper of irregular shape, the edges of 
which have been brought together so as to form a ball, or 
rather like a sleigh-bell, leaving an irregular opening on 
one side. A small hole was punched through the top and 
a strip of copper doubled up and the ends pushed through 
the opening from the inside, forming a handle. Inside 
this bell is a fragment of copper, about the size of a large 
pea, and when the ornament is shaken it produces a rat 
tling or tinkling sound. It is without question one of the 
most unique specimens of aboriginal workmanship ever 
recovered." 

" On October /th, three skeletons were uncovered ; the 
first, that of a child, about six years of age, in horizontal 
position, head east, at a depth of fourteen inches ; the 
next, an adult female, length five feet two inches, head 
northeast, depth twenty inches ; a small vessel was 
found at the right side of the cranium. The third 
skeleton, an adult male, was lying in the same position, 
at a depth of twenty-two inches. From near the right 
side of the head was taken a vessel, with a base or 
pedestal, the only one of this peculiar form yet found ; 
beneath the cranium was a small discoidal stone and a 
bone fish-hook." 

" On Tuesday, October 28th, skeleton No. 8 was found, 
an adult male, with head southeast, length five feet eight 
inches, depth fifteen inches. A broken vessel was found 
at the right of the head, and on the left side a pipe made 
of limestone, well finished, and carved to represent. the 
head of some animal. A copper ornament was also found 
at the right side of the neck. This relic, which has two 
bars or cross-arms, is made of a very thin piece of copper, 
rolled or beaten evenly, with small perforation at one end, 
doubtless for suspensory purposes ; and, excepting the 
double arms, somewhat resembles the copper ornament 

1 Madisonville Historical Society Report, part iii., p. 32. 
* Ibid., part ii., p. 32. 



56 PRIMITIVE MAN IN OHIO. 

found in the stone graves of Tennessee, described and 
figured in the Eleventh Annual Report of the Peabody 
Museum of American Archceology and Ethnology, page 



" The total absence in this cemetery of any evidences 
of contact with European races, of which fact mention 
was made in our first paper, makes the remarks and con 
clusions of Professor Putnam, relative to the Tennessee 
ornament, very appropriate in this connection. 

" * The cross-like form of this ornament may give rise to 
the question of its derivation ; and had any article of 
European make, such as glass beads, brass buttons, etc., 
so common in Indian graves subsequent to contact with 
the whites, been found in any one of the hundreds of 
graves I opened in Tennessee, I should consider the form 
of this ornament the result of contact with the early 
missionaries ; but, from the total absence of articles de 
noting such contact, I think it must be placed in the same 
category with the " tablet of the cross " at Palenque, and 
be regarded as an ornament made in its present form, 
simply because it is an easy design to execute, and one 
of natural conception. " 

In inspecting the contents of the Peabody Museum 
one is impressed with the extent of the collection 
from Madisonville. During the time that has elapsed 
since the Madisonville Scientific Society ceased ope 
rations upon the cemetery, both Professor Putnam 
and Dr. Metz have been very active in the interests 
of the Peabody Museum. There are so many large 
cases filled with implements and debris that one can 
obtain nearly as complete a knowledge of the inhab 
itants of the village by studying in the museum as 
in the field. The display is admirably made. 

1 Madisonville Historical Society Report, part ii., p. 34. 



MADISONVILLE CEMETERY. $? 

From an inspection of this collection, the one in 
the Cincinnati Historical Society rooms, and another 
in the Art Museum in Eden Park, Cincinnati, we 
have come to the following conclusions. 

More of the short-heads were at Madison ville than 
upon any other spot in the Ohio valley. They 
must have dwelt there for many years, using the 
village as a general rendezvous, to which to return 
from hunting, fishing, or warring expeditions. They 
made better pottery at Madison ville than at any 
other of their villages. They did not construct 
good stone graves, such as we find farther up the 
Little Miami valley. From the limited number of 
dolicocephalic crania taken from the ash-pits and 
cemetery, we would infer that, in proportion to the 
size of their town, they suffered less from attack 
than did the tribes at Fort Ancient, Oregonia, or 
the Scioto valley. 

Possibly the Madisonville people may have re 
sorted to Fort Ancient, in company with all the 
short-heads living in the Miami valley, upon the 
appearance of their enemies. It was a splendid 
structure for defence, and at so short a distance as 
to render access to it comparatively easy. 

We feel safe in placing the inhabitants at Madi 
sonville at the head of the brachycephalic race in 
Ohio. Probably the Cacique controlling all the 
mound area of southern Ohio had his dwelling 
there. 



NOTE. Dr. Cresson informs me that he is impressed by the resemblance 
of many of the bone implements found at the Madisonville cemetery, dis 
played in the cases at the Peabody Museum, and a few implements exca- 



58 PRIMITIVE MAN IN OHIO. 

vated by .himself at the place, to those of the lake-dwelling people of 
Europe during the stone age ; in fact, bone implements seem to predomi 
nate over those of stone at this cemetery of the brachycephali. 

He also states that he believes Fort Ambush at Foster s, Ohio, to have 
been a stronghold of the brachycephalic people, and has found this type to 
predominate in the small aboriginal graveyard partially excavated by him at 
Burton s farm, near Madisonville. 

W. K. M. 



CHAPTER VI. 

TUMULI OF THE EAST FORK OF THE LITTLE MIAMI 
BIVER. 1 

THE country at the head of East Fork is a 
monotonous level, except where broken by small 
streams, but the lower portion is hilly and we find 
there hill-top mounds such as have been mentioned in 
the first chapter of this work. The soil is generally 
of clay resulting from the weathering of the Cincin 
nati limestone, although considerable glacial deposits 
are of frequent occurrence. We do not observe 
the wide fertile bottoms and productive uplands 
so characteristic of some other portions of Ohio 
where evidences of aboriginal occupancy are 
abundant. 

As the size and number of the mounds and earth 
works seem to be in direct ratio to the fertility of 
the soil, we would not expect to find within the area 
drained by the East Fork so many large mounds as 
are to be seen in sections more favored by nature, 
or to obtain from them such a number and variety 
of specimens conforming to aboriginal ideas of 
utility and beauty. Investigation confirms the 
belief. Those found in this vicinity do not contain 

1 May, June, and July 1888. 
59 



60 PRIMITIVE MAN IN OHIO. 

much of importance, and from their construction we 
would infer that they are the work of a race or 
tribe who placed small value upon this form of 
monuments. It has been thought by some authors 
that the builders were a small clan of the tribe 
which erected Fort Ancient, and probably had its 
principal seat in the Miami valley with its chief 
settlement in a great village at Madisonville. Others 
are of the opinion that they were a branch of a 
great tribe inhabiting the Scioto valley. Both 
theories are untenable, as we will proceed to 
show. 

Fourteen tumuli were examined in this section, 
and the results are herewith presented. 

MOUND NUMBER ONE. This structure is situated 
at a high point of land on the farm of Richard 
Shumard, in Stone Lick Township, Clermont County. 
It overlooks a deep and narrow valley with almost 
precipitous sides, at the bottom of which flows a 
small stream known as Rocky Run. It was two 
feet in height in the centre, nearly circular in out 
line, twenty-five feet in diameter at the base, and 
had never been disturbed by plough or shovel. 

The entire mound was removed, and the illustra 
tion given (Figure in.) shows its ground-plan. A 
layer of charcoal was discovered extending across 
the mound one foot above its original surface. 
Immediately beneath the charcoal was a floor or 
pavement of limestone slabs (marked D in the 
figure) such as may be found in the creek beds or 
along the hillsides. They were from twenty to 
thirty inches in length, about a foot in breadth. 



TUMULI OF EAST FORK. 



6l 



and weighed perhaps forty or fifty pounds each. 
This pavement measured nine or ten feet in 
breadth. 

On taking away the stones at the central portion, 
we found a layer three inches in thickness of com- 




FIG. in. Ground plan of mound No. I. Skeleton surrounded by stone 
slabs. See page 60. 

mon soil, covering a skeleton of medium size (A in 
the figure). We removed this dirt, which had evi 
dently been placed to prevent the stones from 
coming in contact with the body, and thus endeav 
ored to secure the skull. Although the greatest 



62 PRIMITIVE MAN IN OHIO. 

possible care was exercised, atmospheric agencies 
had reduced the bones to such a fragile state that 
their removal was an utter impossibility, and we 
were unable to preserve any portion of the skeleton 
save the lower and upper jaws and some fragments 
of the skull. 

Near the right side of the skeleton lay a small 
polished bone awl or perforator (c in the figure) ; 
about twenty inches from the right shoulder was a 
finely polished celt of greenstone (B), four and a 
half inches in length and two and one fourth wide. 
Underneath the body was a mass of red ochre. 

GRAVES. Before proceeding with the excavation 
of other mounds along Stone Lick Run several 
graves were examined. Although these differ some 
what in minor details they, as a general thing, 
correspond in the method of their construction. 
First, the surface soil is removed to the depth of a 
few inches, possibly as much as a foot ; then large 
flat stones are laid down, with other stones set on 
edge around this floor, forming a rude, box-shaped 
structure in which the body is placed. Finally, a 
covering of flat stones is placed over the top. When 
the vault is finished a mass of earth or stone, or 
both, is thrown over it and the structure is com 
plete. Inside these box-shaped graves were found 
skeletons in various stages of decay. No objects or 
implements were placed with the remains. 1 This 
peculiarity has been frequently noticed in graves at 
Fort Ancient and throughout Greene County. 

1 It is singular that no stone floors exist in the Fort Ancient or Oregonia 
graves. 



TUMULI OF EAST FORK. 63 

MOUND NUMBER Two. The structure lies upon 
the farm of Harvey Anderson, just north of the vil 
lage of Marathon, in Clermont County. It is upon 
one of the highest points in the vicinity, and from it 
a view can be obtained of the surrounding country 
for a distance of three miles. It is now eight feet 
high and fifty feet in diameter at the base ; but, as 
the field in which it is situated has been cultivated 
for many years, its original altitude has been consid 
erably reduced. Old citizens of the village informed 
us that before it was cleared off, it stood twelve or 
thirteen feet in height, and was covered by large 
trees. 

The work of excavation was begun upon the east 
side ; a trench twenty feet in width was carried 
through on a level with the original surface, and 
continued until within a few feet of its western 
margin. 

For some distance nothing was discovered except 
the usual charcoal flakes, animal bones, and chips of 
flint which are found in all these structures. The 
presence of such objects has no significance, as they 
are scattered over the surface about every Indian 
village or camp, and are gathered up with the earth 
that is taken to form the mound. 

Fifteen feet from the edge a layer of bark was 
discovered, about one inch in thickness. It extend 
ed nearly the entire width of our trench, and was 
decayed to such an extent that only a few small 
pieces retained their structure sufficiently to be iden 
tified. The bark rested upon a layer of ordinary 
clay eighteen inches thick ; below was a stratum of 



64 PRIMITIVE MAN IN OHIO. 

burnt earth, then another layer of clay, and finally 
the structure resting upon the original surface, a bed 
of yellow sand. This extended from the point to 
the centre, where it came to an end and was replaced 
by a bed of black earth, mingled with charcoal and 
decayed wood, reaching to about the same distance 
on the western side. 

It was evident that the burned earth was not due 
to a fire made at this place. It had been carried 
from some outside point and deposited in the same 
manner as the remainder of the material composing 
the mound. Then a large fire is built upon the 
ground, that is allowed to remain afterwards undis 
turbed, the effects of the heat being plainly marked 
at the surface and become less apparent as the depth 
increases, until they are no longer perceptible. In 
the mass referred to the color was of a bright red 
and uniform throughout. The line of separation be 
tween it and the next lower stratum was so plainly 
marked as to admit of no doubt in the matter. 

About four feet east of the centre and two feet 
above the base a skull was uncovered, but not the 
slightest trace of any other bones could be found. 
As the surrounding earth was of uniform consistency, 
the inference is unavoidable that no other portion of 
the body to which this skull belonged had been 
placed there. 1 

A little to the east of the highest portion of the 
mound, about three feet beneath the surface, was 
found the skeleton of an intrusive burial, covered by 

1 In Scioto valley mound interments of partial skeletons have been 
observed. 



TUMULI OF EAST FORK. 65 

a thin layer of bark or rotten wood. Just west, and 
at a slightly higher level, were two small thin 
masses of burned clay, separated by six inches of 
clean sand ; this deposit, however, seemed to have 
no connection with the skeleton. 

Near the centre of the mound a pit had been dug 
to a depth of nearly two feet below the original sur 
face, and the sides of it burnt quite hard ; this was 
filled with ashes, fragmentary bones, and calcined 
limestone, intermingled with which were a few 




FIG. iv. Various ceremonial and ornamental objects, Miami 
valley, Ohio. 

mussel shells, pottery fragments, and pieces of deer 
antlers. Just above it was a slab of limestone fif 
teen inches wide, and nearly three feet long, which 
had been almost disintegrated by an intense heat. 
Adhering to the upper side of the stone were por 
tions of ribs and traces of vertebrae, burned until 
they were scarcely distinguishable. It was plain 
that a skeleton or body had been placed on this 
stone, and then cremated. 

The slab was carefully taken from its resting- 



66 PRIMITIVE MAN IN OHIO. 

place and put where the rays of the sun would not 
fall upon it ; we hoped to preserve it entire, but ex 
posure to the atmosphere caused the stone to crumble 
rapidly, and the bones to scale off bit by bit, until 
at last nothing remained but a shapeless mass. 

On the east and west sides, at very nearly equal 
distances (about ten feet) from the central pit, were 
two small holes, eight inches in diameter and four 
teen inches deep, which were very smooth and sym 
metrical ; a small amount of ashes lay at the bottom 
of each. Holes of this description are called 
" pockets," or "post-holes," and are of frequent oc 
currence in the mounds. In them posts or logs 
were frequently placed as supports for small struc 
tures. 1 Other holes, or pockets, similar to these, 
were found above the lower stratum. Each was 
neatly covered with a chunk of hard-burned clay, 
and had in it a few shells and a small amount of fine 
black earth. 

At the centre 8 of the mound, just below the dark 
stratum, lay a decomposed skeleton. Above this 
stratum, and a few feet west of the first, lay another 
skeleton ; this was so much decayed that we could 
only save a portion of the lower jaw. Still farther 
west, just above the edge of the red clay stratum, 

1 At the Hopewell group, in 1891, we came upon numerous burials in 
holes or caves three by five or four by seven feet in extent. The skeletons 
were usually covered by logs and saplings, placed two or three feet above 
them, and resting upon post supports. When the coverings decayed, con 
siderable earth would fall into the interior. But so long had the logs 
supported the earth above that it formed a partial arch, the remains lying in 
the caves thus formed. 

2 It may be well to explain that by " centre " is meant the line extending 
from the summit to the middle point of the area covered by the mound. 

W. K. M. 



TUMULI OF EAST FORK. 67 

lay a rather small skeleton, evidently that of a young 
person. 

All these burials were placed with heads to the 
west, and each, except the intrusive one at the top, 
was within a space eighteen by thirty-six inches, in 
dicating that the bodies had been folded or doubled 
up before they were placed in the ground. Nothing 
of interest was found with them. 

MOUXD NUMBER FOUR. This is in Wayne Town 
ship, Clermont County, on the farm of Mr. Crane. 
It was small, and contained very little charcoal or 
burned earth. 

The remains of two badly decayed skeletons were 
found. On the breast of one lay a small chisel- 
shaped celt, and on the other was an arrow-head ; 
by the side of the latter implement lay a scraper of 
red flint. Nothing else was found. 

MOUND NUMBER FIVE. This is situated on the 
farm of Mr. John Boyle, in Perry Township, Cler 
mont County ; it is in a dense forest on a level table 
land, there being no valley or stream within three 
miles. It measures four feet in height, and thirty 
feet across the base. Surrounding the mound is an 
earthen embankment two feet high and seven feet in 
breadth, with a shallow interior ditch. 

Two bodies had been interred ; one at the centre, 
on the original surface, the other two feet above. 
Beneath the former, of which only a few fragments 
remained, were a rude flint arrow-head and a sand 
stone pebble with two small cup-shaped depressions 
on opposite sides. 

The upper skeleton was partially covered by a 



68 



PRIMITIVE MAN IN OHIO. 




layer of mica, consist 
ing of forty-one sheets, 
the edges of which had 
been slightly trimmed 
to give them a more 
regular outline. They 
occupied an irregular 
space of about two by 
three feet and were so 
placed that the edges 
somewhat overlapped in 
the same manner as 
scales on fish. A single 
piece lying to one side, 
was much larger than 
the others, being five 
by eight and one half 
inches, and half an inch 
thick. The skeleton it 
self was so decayed that 
no portion of it could 
be recovered. 

A careful examina 
tion of the entire tumu 
lus disclosed nothing 
more than the objects 
mentioned. 

MOUND NUMBER Six. 
The mound about to 
be described lies upon 
very high ground and 
overlooks the East Fork. 



TUMULT OF EAST FORK. 69 

It lies upon the farm of Mr. John Boyle, in Brown 
County, one mile and a half north of the village of 
St. Martins. It was originally much higher than 
at present, but the surface has been plowed over for 
so many years that the mound is now only about 
seven feet in altitude with a diameter of seventy 
feet, while a circular embankment of considerable 
elevation, by which it was formerly surrounded, has 
almost entirely disappeared. 

In this, as in many other mounds that it has been 
our privilege to examine, a hole had been dug at 
some former time, from the summit directly toward 
the base, but, in this case, the work had been aban 
doned before any damage ensued. 

It is a matter of regret that so many persons take 
it upon themselves to destroy these interesting re 
mains merely for the sake of such relics as may be 
found. The construction and method of arrange 
ment of the contents are what we must depend upon 
for scientific classification, and yet these are the very 
points to which relic-hunters pay no attention. Even 
intelligent men who have witnessed or assisted in 
the work of demolition can give only the most vague 
and unsatisfactory statements in regard to them. 
Such methods are objectionable, not only on account 
of the unworthy motives that impel the searchers, 
but because if prosecuted to any extent they com 
pletely ruin the mound for subsequent investigations. 

In order to make a thorough examination we 
began our work by opening from the south side a 
trench twenty feet in width. (Figure v. represents 
a vertical section through the centre.) 



7O PRIMITIVE MAN IN OHIO. 

Our first find was made at a point about eighteen 
feet distant from the centre. Here we came upon a 
large pile of burned earth and charcoal, (A in the 
figure) intermingled with fragmentary remains of 
human bones which had been burned until they 
were almost destroyed ; but as there was about a 
bushel of small pieces, it was obvious that several 
bodies had been cremated. They had not, however, 
been burned on the spot, for not only did the sur 
rounding earth show no evidence of the intense heat 
that would have been required to reduce them to 
the condition in which they were found, but the 
mass itself showed the curvature of the mound s 
surface, the end nearest the centre being about two 
feet higher than that first struck. 

Several similar, but smaller, masses were found 
on the original surface at various distances from the 
centre, but none of them were so large as the one 
first discovered. 

We can offer no explanation of these singular de 
posits ; it is scarcely possible to suppose their pres 
ence accidental, or to consider them in any other 
way than as having a direct connection with the 
funeral ceremonies held at the interment of the per 
sonage in whose honor the mound had been erected ; 
and yet had this been the case, we would naturally 
expect the cremation to have taken place at the spot 
where the bodies were entombed. 

Forming a circle twenty-five feet in diameter 
around the centre of the mound was a series of 
pockets, placed about three feet apart. These were 
twenty inches across the top, fourteen to sixteen 



TUMULI OF EAST FORK. *J\ 

inches at the bottom, three feet deep, and filled with 
small, flat, slightly burned pieces of limestone, 
weighing from two to three pounds each ; they are 
shown at B in the figure. The spaces between the 
stones were tightly packed with earth which had 
also been burned. No relics or remains of any kind 
whatever were placed with them. 

While, as before mentioned, these pockets are of 
frequent occurrence, in all our experience of mound 
opening we have never met with another instance in 
which they were completely filled with burned 
stones ; nor can we recall a similar example in the 
reports of other explorers. 1 

As we proceeded with the trench a heavy layer 
of earth was discovered (c), burned until the upper 
surface had become a bright red color ; this lay 
about six or seven inches above the large pockets, 
and was separated from them by a mass of very fine 
black earth (D). 

The clay composing the burned layer had been 
placed in the mound when in its natural state, and a 
fire kept burning upon it for a considerable time. 
The earth above showed some evidences of the heat, 
as though it had been piled on while the clay was 
still very hot; but owing to the thickness of the 
latter the heat had not penetrated to the black loam 
below ; at least not to a sufficient extent to produce 
any alteration in its appearance. 

When we reached the centre of the mound we 
made the most important find of the week. A rough 

1 Since the above was written pockets filled with burnt stone were examined 
in the Hopewell group of mounds, Ross County. W. K. M. 



72 PRIMITIVE MAN IN OHIO. 

altar of hard burned clay, represented by E in the 
figure, had been constructed six inches above the 
burned stratum, and resting upon a little mass of 
charcoal. It was oval in outline, measuring seven 
by nine feet, the longer axis being east and west, and 
was ten inches in height. The upper surface dipped 
slightly from the edge toward the centre ; extended 
upon it at full length, with head to the east, lay a 
skeleton (F). Both the skeleton and the altar were 
unusually well preserved, but the latter was so thin 
and soft that it was impossible for us to remove it ; 
an enlarged view of them is given in Fig. vi. 

Just above the forehead of the skeleton, and bent 
back over the crown, was a thin plate about eight 
inches in length, and five inches in breadth, made of 
copper ore, probably from the Lake Superior region, 
and evidently beaten out in the cold state. It had a 
circular indentation in the lower edge, as if designed 
to fit over the bridge of the nose, and was perforated 
near the top with two small holes an eighth of an 
inch in diameter, apparently to afford means of 
vision. It is shown in Fig. vi. 

The finding of the plate is a noteworthy feature, 
as such relics rarely occur in this locality. 

Another skeleton (G in Figure v.) was found 
east of the altar, lying just above the stratum of 
burnt earth. No objects of any description were 
placed with it. 

The skulls of these two skeletons were very 
fragile and it required the utmost care to secure 
them. As soon as uncovered they were given a 
heavy coat of varnish, left in the sun for half an 




73 



74 PRIMITIVE MAN IN OHIO. 

hour to diy thoroughly, and then another coat of 
varnish was put on. When this had dried they 
were removed from their resting-place, packed in 
cotton, in baskets, and then carried to Cincinnati by 
hand, so there would be no danger of breakage. 
This amount of trouble may seem uncalled for, but 
as there is only a comparatively small number of 
Mound Builders skulls in the United States, one 
cannot be too careful with specimens in good 
condition. 

On the east side of the mound, lying underneath 
the burnt clay, with head toward the east, was the 
skeleton, tolerably well preserved, of an individual 
somewhat below the average size ; this is repre 
sented by H in the figure. A small piece of galena, 
which showed some attempts at working, lay near 
the skull. 

There were some animal bones scattered through 
out the mound, mostly those of the deer. About 
three and a half feet above the bottom of the mound, 
a thin layer of bark and charcoal (i) extended 
beyond these deposits on every side. 

This was all of importance that the structure con 
tained ; we spent a full week upon the excavation, 
and left nothing undone. 

MOUND NUMBER SEVEN. The position of this 
mound was on a tract of low ground near a small 
creek in Brown County about one mile distant from 
Number Two, and owned by the same gentleman. 
Its height was three feet, while its breadth was 
about forty feet. It was composed in a large part 
of limestone slabs averaging in weight forty or fifty 



TUMULI OF EAST FORK. 75 

pounds each, which were taken from the stream 
near by, and thrown in at random. The want of 
regularity in their position, and the compactness with 
which the clay had settled into the spaces between 
them, made the work of excavation very difficult. 

In the exact centre of the mound was a hard 
burnt altar or elliptical layer of clay about six inches 
thick, three feet long, and two feet wide, resting 
upon the original surface ; above this were a few 
inches of sand, upon which lay the skeleton of a 
child perhaps six years of age. The bones were 
very badly decayed ; some had entirely disappeared, 
while of others only faint traces remained. A large 
slab was placed on edge at the side of the body, an 
other at the head, and one at the feet. It is unusual 
to find such care taken in the burial of so young an 
individual. No relic of any kind was found in the 
tumulus, except a small arrow-head by the side of 
the skeleton. 

MOUXD NUMBER EIGHT. Upon the farm of Mr. 
J. G. Hutchison, two miles and a half southeast of 
Marathon, are eight mounds placed in the form of a 
semicircle upon the brow of a high hill overlook 
ing the valley of the East Fork ; they average two 
feet in height and thirty in diameter, and stand 
at intervals varying from sixty to two hundred 
feet. Groups of this character are not common in 
Ohio. 

Judging from their contents we conclude that 
they were all erected at the same time to cover the 
remains of individuals who fell in battle. Twenty 
persons, whose skeletons we found in more or less 



76 PRIMITIVE MAN IN OHIO. 

advanced state of decomposition, were here interred 
Some of the skulls were crushed and broken, several 
having large holes in the sides as if a fatal wound 
had been inflicted with a rude stone axe. While 
the artificial objects found were few, and of small 
importance, the fractures in the bones of the head 
and the condition of some of the other bones make 
the mounds very interesting. 

As the mounds were quite small we removed each 
one entirely, generally commencing at the east or 
south side. 

Number Eight was near the centre of the cres 
cent. It consisted mainly of earth, although some 
eight or nine wagon-loads of limestone slabs were 
scattered through it. Upon the east side, near the 
bottom, were five large flat stones placed on edge, 
while others were laid horizontally, thus enclosing a 
long narrow space. We looked in vain for any 
traces of the body which had undoubtedly been 
placed within the tomb not the slightest fragment 
of decayed bone remained ; atmospheric agencies 
had resolved them all into their elements. 

Near the centre of the mound and lying upon the 
original surface of the hill-top were three badly de 
cayed skeletons. One of the skulls we managed to 
save nearly entire, but the others were too far gone 
to be removed even in pieces. By the side of the 
best-preserved individual lay a small, keen-edged celt 
of syenite, five inches in length and two in width. 

One of the fragmentary skulls had four flint im 
plements about two by three inches lying just back 
of it near the occipital bone. 



TUMULI OF EAST FORK. 77 

MOUND NUMBER TEN. This structure contained 
many irregular pieces of limestone and sandstone 
scattered throughout its entire upper portion. Near 
the base was a skeleton, above the average in size, and 
quite well preserved, which lay upon the floor of 
seven large flat stones. The stones had been selected 
with great care and were fitted together as closely as 
it would be possible to join them without artificially 
cutting the edges or using cement. We saved the 
cranium nearly entire ; it shows a large ragged aper 
ture upon the right side, as though the whole temple 
had been crushed in before death. The worn con 
dition of the teeth indicated that the person was 
well past middle age. 

MOUND NUMBER ELEVEN. This was the most 
western one in the crescent and was the largest, as 
well as the most interesting, in the entire group. 
Like the others, it contained stones, and, in addition, 
some charcoal flakes were scattered through the first 
eighteen inches of soil. 

We uncovered in the course of our excavation a 
layer, four by eight feet, composed of ten large flat 
stones, which proved to be the top of a box-shaped 
coffin of slabs, containing a skeleton in a better state 
of preservation than any other we found while here. 

Usually the bones in mounds and graves are dis 
placed and broken by the superincumbent earth or 
stones, or softened to such an extent by the moisture 
of the soil as to crumble when an attempt is made 
to remove the dirt from them ; even if they remain 
in good order and condition, there is generally such 
a close correspondence in color between them and 



7 8 PRIMITIVE MAN IN OHIO, 

the earth in which they lie that it is almost impossi 
ble to obtain a good photographic view of them ; but 
in this case a most excellent negative could have 
been secured, for every bone was in its proper posi 
tion. All were perfect except the skull, which 
showed the same marks of violence as the others, 
and the left humerus, which was broken near the 
upper end. As there was no weight upon any of 
the bones, these fractures undoubtedly were the 
result of injuries which terminated the life of the 
person whose remains had been buried here. 

MOUND NUMBER TWELVE. This is one of the 
smaller tumuli, and is the fourth from the eastern 
extremity of the crescent. It was opened by Mr. 
Cowen, who reported that the structure contained 
many stones, and that a number of small deposits of 
ashes and animal bones were discovered here and 
there throughout the excavation. 

There was a decayed skeleton near the eastern 
side, and a few traces of another skeleton by which 
lay a roughly chipped arrow-head, close to the wes 
tern margin. Lying upon the base near the centre 
were many small fragments of a clay vessel, made 
from a mixture of very coarse clay and pulverized 
shells ; like all pottery found in the valley of East 
Fork it was very rude, apparently representing the 
lowest degree of art in pottery making. 

The other mounds of this group were mingled 
masses of earth and stone, in which nothing was 
found except slight traces of bone, sufficient to show 
that each had been erected above the remains of a 
single individual. 



TUMULI OF EAST FORK. 79 

Satisfied that the large number of tumuli opened 
in East Fork valley had given us sufficient material 
for our conclusions regarding the tribe inhabiting it, 
we ceased operations and located in Warren County 
in the valley of the Little Miami River. 

Primitive man in the East Fork did not possess 
the mental capacity of his neighbors to the east and 
west. He was content to bury his dead in small 
mounds and shallow graves. He used the rudest of 
implements, manufacturing only such as were abso 
lutely necessary articles. The limited quantity of 
copper and mica he employed was undoubtedly 
secured from the Scioto valley people. 

We have no evidence that he cultivated the soil, 
and are of the opinion that he lived solely by hunting 
and fishing. The skeletons exhumed from his burial- 
places prove him to have been low in stature with 
receding forehead. His crania are of the dolico- 
cephalic type. He lived so near the Clinton County 
villages of his own race that we think he was inti 
mately associated with them. As remarked in 
Chapter ix. it is probable that, in company with 
the Clinton County long-headed savages, he made 
incursions upon the short-heads of the Miami and 
Scioto valleys. 

We place him far beneath the mound- and embank 
ment-building peoples of the larger streams in tribal 
organization, in skill as a flint, stone, and metal 
worker. In short, we assign him place as a nomadic 
warrior. 



CHAPTER VII. 

EXCAVATIONS IN AND AROUND FORT ANCIENT. 

FORT ANCIENT being the centre of aboriginal life 
in the Little Miami valley, one need but study it alone 
to acquire a comprehension of the lives and customs 
of two separate races named according to the shape 
of the skull brachycephalic and dolicocephalic. 

At the time of Mr. Moorehead s first view of this 
celebrated fortification in 1885, he was strongly im 
pressed with its importance, and there suggested 
itself to his mind to make a thorough and exhaustive 

o 

study of everything pertaining to the earthwork. 
Previous to 1889, on one or two occasions excava 
tions were attempted with the aid of one or two 
parties living near the fort, but from some cause or 
other the work was always interrupted, and he was 
compelled to bring it to a close before attaining any 
valuable results. It was not until the spring of 1889 
that an opportunity was afforded for extended and 
continuous investigation. The results of that work 
have already been given to the public, 1 and there is 
no necessity of repeating any description of the 

1 In a volume entitled, Fort Ancient, Ohio, by Warren K. Moore- 
head, with maps and illustrations. Published by Robert Clarke & Co., 
Cincinnati, Ohio. 

80 



EXCAVATIONS IN AND AROUND FORT ANCIENT. 8 1 

structure as a whole, or to give the details of the 
work done with pick and shovel. But as additional 
work projected in 1890 at his own expense, and 
four months work in the spring and summer of 1891 
in the interests of the World s Columbian Exposi 
tion * resulted in new discoveries, and in adding fur 
ther testimony in support of the conclusions set 
forth in Fort Ancient, we take pleasure in sub 
mitting the following chapter. 

When we consider the magnitude of the walls of 
Fort Ancient, the immense amount of labor involved 
in their erection, and in the construction of the miles 
of terraces connected with them, we realize that all 
this required a long period of time or a large num 
ber of workers ; perhaps, when we bear in mind 
the primitive methods of the builders, we are even 
justified in believing that it represents the prolonged 
and continuous industry of a numerous population. 
Taking this view of the case, it is a surprising 
feature to note that so few mounds occur in connec 
tion with this great earthwork, and that even such 
as do exist are of insignificant proportions. Omitting 
a few small elevations which have been plowed over 
until it is impossible to determine whether they are 
natural or artificial, and which have never disclosed 



1 When he was appointed to the position of field assistant for the World s 
Columbian Exposition Survey in 1891, Professor Putnam wrote him on 
March iSth of that year, giving instructions for the work to be carried out 
at Fort Ancient, viz.: " Taking into consideration the fact that the Expo 
sition will have the benefit of your former work at this place, and the use 
of such plans and notes as you already have, I herewith agree that all 
material obtained during this expedition shall be at your service for study 
and description." 



82 PRIMITIVE MAN IN OHIO. 

anything that would throw light on the question, 
there are only ten mounds in sight from any por 
tion of the enclosure ; all these except one, 1 which 
is in the loop or curve formed by the junction of the 
parallels, at the farthest extremity of the fort, were 
thoroughly examined. 

The builders of Fort Ancient atoned for the small 
number of mounds thrown up by leaving numerous 
village sites, richer \\\ some respects than the more 
imposing tumuli of the Scioto valley. The greatest 
village site in extent, the one from which such a 
great number of skeletons, implements, and utensils 
used for domestic purposes were exhumed in 1889, 
occupies the broad bottoms fringing the south side 
of the Little Miami River. One can see the spot 
from a hundred places upon the towering fort walls 
above. It is so near the enclosure that but three or 
four minutes would be occupied in reaching safety 
should the villagers be compelled to flee at the 
approach of an enemy. 

One mile and a half below the southern extrem 
ity of Fort Ancient is another large village covering 
some eight or ten acres rich in graves and debris. 
Two miles up the river is still a third, so large that 
it must have been occupied by two or three hundred 
lodges while at the mouth of Csesar Creek, six miles 
distant to the north, are two extensive sites, one in 
the bottoms and the other upon the hills to the 
south. All of these save one were carefully ex 
plored under Professor Putnam s direction. Fig. 
ix. shows one of the Oregonia skeletons. 



1 This was examined in April, 1891. It contained nothing. 





t;-- 3Afp4P 

, v - ; 
SiP^I 

I 

- tfWVfl-flM^ft 

s?$iffl 








84 PRIMITIVE MAN IN OHIO. 

THE VILLAGE SITE. For a number of years 
pieces of pottery, broken animal bones, flakes of 
charcoal, and other refuse found on the spots occu 
pied by aboriginal settlements, have been discovered 
along the river bank just above the station of Fort 
Ancient. Occasionally a whole pot, or a portion of 
a human skeleton, was discovered, indicating that 
burials had taken place. These finds are usually 
made after a period of high water has caused the 
banks to cave in. An earthenware vessel thus found 
is shown in Fig. xn. A. 

The field containing these remains is usually 
planted in corn. Permission to excavate it has 
always been refused previous to the time of our 
survey, but the owner had become so interested in 
our work on the hill above that he willingly allowed 
pits to be opened wherever we wished. 

Availing ourselves of this privilege, we under 
took a series of explorations, which resulted in 
unexpected and valuable discoveries. 

The ground in question is subject to overflow 
during unusually rainy seasons, and consequently is 
slowly increasing in elevation above the ordinary 
level of the river. This condition has existed for an 
indefinite period, and was of much assistance to us 
in determining the fact that considerable time had 
elapsed between different periods of prehistoric 
occupation. 

For a depth of two feet below the surface there 
was no appearance of anything different from the 
ordinary sandy loam characteristic of river terraces. 
This level was found to be the highest, and therefore 



EXCAVATIONS IN AND AROUND FORT ANCIENT. 85 

the latest, of three villages that had been situated 
upon the bottom. We found great quantities of 
burnt stone, ashes, charcoal, fragments of pottery, 
bones of animals and birds. Implements of stone 
lay scattered about and were, with few exceptions, 
broken or thrown aside in the waste so abundant in 
such places. This layer had a thickness of about 
six inches. After passing through it we found 
another stratum of soil not less than a foot thick, 
and in some places as much as eighteen inches. It 
did not contain any specimens of human handiwork. 
At a depth of one foot below the first layer the 
level of the second village site was discovered. It 
had been occupied for a longer period of time than 
the other. 

A few inches of clean earth had formed between 
the second layer and the debris of the lowest or 
oldest site. Its highest point is fully five and a 
half feet below the present surface. The depth of 
this layer is less than six inches. 

The greatest depth below the surface at which 
any relic was found in the three village sites was 
six and a half feet. The specimen was a small highly 
polished celt of green stone. 

It must not be inferred that the " kitchen-middens " 
extended in a continuous, unbroken stratum at the 
various levels. In some of the pits we found all 
three strata, in others either one or two. A few 
places were entirely without layers and did not show 
any traces of fire from the surface to the bottom of 
the pit. Articles of aboriginal manufacture were 
also absent. 



86 PRIMITIVE MAN IN OHIO. 

Some of the ash-beds were small such as would 
result from a single camp-fire ; others contained 
several bushels of ashes, bones, etc., and covered an 
area of fifty or sixty square feet. In several places 
the earth was burned to a red color extending to 
a depth of five or six inches, while a pile of mate 
rial to one side of it indicated that the spot had 
been used for a considerable time. As the ashes 
accumulated and became inconvenient they were 
scraped away and the fire continued on the same 
ground. 

The remains found at the level of the second 
village site far exceeded in amount those from both of 
the others. There is no essential difference between 
them either in character or quality. They comprise 
ashes and charcoal, and several bushels of broken pot 
tery. Among the pieces are some which, if we may 
judge from their slight curvature, must have been por 
tions of vessels holding five or six gallons. Many 
of these sherds were decorated with designs varied 
in character and quite artistic. (See Figure xn.) 
Quantities of bones of almost every species of ani 
mal, bird, or fish known to have lived in this region 
were excavated ; also burnt stones, probably used in 
building fire-places, and thousands of mussel shells 
perforated at or near the centre. Among other arti 
cles discovered were hammer and grinding stones, 
broken celts, spear- and arrow-heads and knives of 
flint, bone awls and needles, some pointed at both 
ends, and tibiae of deer with the shaft worked to 
give a sharp edge on each side, making an imple 
ment like that now in use among the southwestern 



EXCAVATIONS IN AND AROUND FORT ANCIENT. 8/ 

Indians for removing the hair from hides in pre 
paring leather or buckskin. Deer antlers, some of 
which showed marks of use as perforators or polish 
ers, were collected, and a few slate gorgets, together 
with some beautiful perforated shell disks of a small 
size. 

Ashes have a remarkable preservative quality. 
The small soft bones of fishes which were found in 
it were as perfect as if they had been buried but a 
day. In one pit we discovered a large mussel shell 
heaped full of fish scales, and in another the leg-bone 
of a very large turkey, with the sinews in their proper 
positions alongside. Objects so easily destroyed 
would soon disappear in ordinary earth. 

The general character of the objects found may be 
seen by referring to Figures xn., XIIA., xni., xiv. 

No whole pottery was found nor was there evi 
dence of a hut or shelter of any kind, except in one 
place, at the level of the upper or most recent vil 
lage. Even this, so far as we could make out, was 
nothing more than what loggers call a " shack " 
that is, a shelter formed by setting up a single row 
of posts, varying in number according to the space 
required. A pole or small log is run across the top, 
and then saplings placed close together with one end 
on the log and the other on the ground. The whole 
structure is then covered with bark or brush. We 
found the remains of five or six posts, each about 
eight inches in diameter, with a mass of charred 
wood extending between them. In a few places, 
reaching out to one side, were small pieces of char 
coal such as would result from burning small poles. 



88 PRIMITIVE MAN IN OHIO. 

It is obvious then, that at three different periods 
in the past, separated from one another by consider 
able intervals, this bottom was a place of resort for 
the aboriginal hunters and fishermen of the Little 
Miami valley. But whether they came to spend 
the summer only, or whether the villages were per 
manent places of abode will never be known. On 
one hand is the great amount of refuse accumulated ; 
but on the other is the fact that the ground is 
subject to an occasional overflow. At any rate, the 
intervening strata of earth containing no evidence of 
human residence, would show that, whichever view 
of the matter we take, occupation of the site was 
not continuous. 

During the excavations at this point we unearthed 
three skeletons some rods back from the river. The 
first was that of an adult of small size, not more 
than five feet six inches long. This burial is notice 
able for its peculiarity. The earth had been removed 
for a depth of two feet, and in the bottom of the 
space a hole had been dug large enough to contain 
the body. At each end of this hole a rectangular 
limestone slab had been placed to serve as head and 
foot stones. The body had then been deposited and 
four large flat limestones placed across with their 
ends resting on the earth at either side so they would 
not touch the body. The soil had then been thrown 
over the structure. The bones were well preserved, 
but no relics of any sort were found in the grave. 

Within three feet of the end of the grave just 
referred to was one containing the remains of a child. 
It was similar in construction to the first, except 



90 PRIMITIVE MAN IN OHIO. 

that the headstone was omitted, and only two stones 
placed over it. These weighed at least seventy-five 
pounds each. Near the head was placed a triangu 
lar arrow-point of chalcedony, two small shell pen 
dants, each with one perforation, and a couple of well 
finished circular shell disks, one inch and a half in 
diameter, with two perforations. Two were similar 
to the others in shape but had three perforations. 
This skeleton was extremely small. The femur 
measured from its head to the lower end of the 
tibia, as the bones lay in their proper position, only 
seven inches, while the clavicle was one and seven- 
eighth inches long. The bones of the skull were no 
thicker than a piece of ordinary blotting-paper. A 
small quantity of very fine soft black earth was 
with the bones possibly the remains of the gar 
ments in which it had been clad. We can account 
for the unusual preservation of the bones only by 
the fact that they lay in very sandy soil, and the 
large rocks placed over them prevented any water 
from percolating down to them from above. 

The third grave, about twenty-five feet from the 
other, was also that of a child, but somewhat older 
than the last. The method of burial was the same, 
except that five stones, none of them large, were 
placed above the body. By the head lay several 
shell beads. No other relics were with it. 

In Figure xi. is shown a femur of the second child. 
The other bones were excavated from the smaller 
grave. Figure x. shows some of the objects found 
with them. 



CHAPTER VIII. 

GRAVES OF THE VILLAGE SITE. 

WE are forced to admit that in 1889 our excava 
tions at the village site, just mentioned in the last 
chapter, were not as complete as those of 1891. We 
did not have the opportunity for thorough investi 
gation of the village sites such as we desired to 
make, consequently we had not discovered graves in 
groups. In April and May, 1891, long trenches 
were dug traversing the area in every direction. 
Three groups of graves, ranging from seven in the 
smaller to seventeen in the larger, were laid bare 
and photographed. They were found at an average 
depth of two feet, and the following illustrations 
truthfully portray their appearance. Nearly all of 
the interments extended east and west, but a few 
were obviously headed north and south. 

The smaller group presents no peculiarities what 
ever from the others, and need not here be described. 
Near the smaller group, distant five or six hundred 
feet from that farther down the stream (known as 
the "Lower Village Site"), were sixteen graves, 
which we have designated u Upper Village Site 
Burials." As will be seen by Illustrations vn. and 
viii., the interments were somewhat different from 

92 




93 



94 PRIMITIVE MAN IN OHIO. 

those in the large cemetery at the southern portion 
of Fort Ancient, to be described later. After the 
excavation of the grave had been made by the 
friends of the deceased, stones were set upon edge 
one foot apart on each side, at the head and the 
feet. The slabs selected for such purposes were 
long, narrow, and not more than twenty-four to 
thirty inches in length, by eight or ten inches in 
width. About eight or ten were sufficient to up 
hold the layer of larger slabs placed above. The 
stones were stuck in the ground to a depth of five 
or six inches, and firmly imbedded in the hard river 
sand. When we uncovered them they still retained 
their upright position. 

In the lower village site nearly all the graves 
were hollow, only a little earth having filtered in 
between the crevices. In the construction of the 
hollow tombs larger slabs were employed than those 
used at the upper village site. Some of the slabs 
measured three or four feet across, weighing one 
hundred and fifty to two hundred pounds. At nei 
ther the upper nor lower sites were stone floors 
in the graves. 

In Tennessee many stone graves are found of a 
more sepulchre-like form than those of the Miami 
valley. Gren. Gates P. Thruston, in his excellent 
work recently published, entitled, Antiquities of 
Tennessee (pages 28 to 32), describes the graves of 
Duck Creek, S. Drake Creek, and in the vicinity of 
Nashville. They are strangely like the Fort An 
cient graves, with the exception of the stone floors 
above mentioned. 



GRAVES OF THE VILLAGE SITE. 95 

General Thruston says : 

"The rude cists, or box-shaped coffins, are made of 
thin slabs of stone. Sometimes the stones are broken or 
cut, or rubbed down so as to fit evenly and form a well 
shaped case, but more frequently they are rudely joined 
together. Occasionally they are found in mounds or 
layers, four or five tiers of graves deep. The graves are 
usually six or seven feet long, a foot and a half to two 
feet wide, and eighteen inches deep ; but graves of 
greatly varying sizes and shapes are found intermingled 
with those of more regular form. The children s graves 
are proportionately smaller. Frequently the same cist con 
tains two or three skeletons, and is not more than three 
or four feet long, the bones having been placed in a pile 
irregularly within it, indicating that they were probably 
interred long after death, and after some intermediate 
preparation or ceremonies similar to the burial customs 
of some of the historic tribes. 

" Many of the graves in the vicinity of Nashville are 
lined with large, thick fragments of broken pottery, as 
neatly joined together as if moulded for the purpose. The 
author recently excavated several graves of this kind on 
Hon. W. F. Cooper s farm, near Nashville. The pottery 
burial cases were symmetrically formed, and seemed to 
be moulded in single pieces, until an attempt was made 
to raise them, when they fell apart, and were found to be 
composed of neatly joined fragments of large vessels ; 
the heavy rims of the vessels, more than an inch and 
a half thick, having been used as rims or borders for the 
burial cases. 

" Nearly all the stone graves are found to be filled with 
earth inside, by infiltration. The roots of trees have pene 
trated them. The very skulls are usually packed solid with 
earth, but now and then the iron pick will strike a hollow 
cist in its original state, and the fortunate explorer may 
be rewarded by finding a vessel or bowl of clay, perhaps 



96 PRIMITIVE MAN IN OHIO. 

two or three, within easy grasp, beside the still uncov 
ered skeleton, and he will thus secure a better oppor 
tunity of observing at his leisure all the interesting 
details of the burial. 

" Sometimes a little cluster of stone graves is found, 
with the usual accompaniments of pottery and rude orna 
ments, like many modern plantation burial-places, contain 
ing the remains of a single family, or group of families, 
that doubtless lived an agricultural life in its own farm 
dwellings. The remains sometimes found in these small 
isolated burial-grounds show that some of these villagers 
or country people must have been supplied with many 
of the domestic conveniences enjoyed by the inhabitants 
of the larger towns." 

The burials in both upper and lower village sites 
were about equally divided as to adults and children, 
save in one or two instances. No objects were buried 
with the adults, but near the children were bead 
necklaces, small shell ornaments, and shell toys. 
Frequently a child would be placed alongside an 
adult woman, probably its mother. Occasionally 
the short grave of the child, but three or four feet in 
length, rested directly upon the long hollow vault in 
which lay the mother. But one or two male skele 
tons were found in the group of graves and those 
were young persons, not over eighteen or twenty 
years of age. 

The lower burial site when uncovered presented a 
very singular appearance. We had excavated a great 
hole one hundred feet in length and forty feet in 
width to a depth of four feet, or until we struck 
hard river sand. Above this floor stood the graves 
from one to eighteen inches high. See Illustration 



GRAVES OF THE VILLAGE SITE. g? 

viii. Many of them were roughly hollowed out 
and had partially filled with earth, because the 
stones across the top were broken by horses or other 
weighty animals passing over them in the field. 1 
The illustration shows some of the stones sloping 
toward the centre of the grave, thus permitting the 
water and earth to penetrate to the cavity beneath. 




FIG. XIIA. Whole pot of clay. Lower village site, Fort Ancient. 
See page 101. 

Upon a given day the sixteen graves comprising 
the lower group were opened in the presence of 
eleven hundred people. In those graves which \vere 
covered by perfect stones the skeletons remained 
w r ell preserved. Out of thirty-seven graves in the 
three groups we secured twenty-five crania entire. 

1 It must be borne in mind that the tops of the graves were sometimes 
within twenty inches of the surface. W. K. M. 
7 



98 PRIMITIVE MAN IN OHIO. 

It would be impossible for any one to say how 
great a period of time had elapsed since the inter 
ments had occurred. It may be readily granted from 
the following reasons that the graves were construc 
ted in pre-Columbian times. First, two previous 
periods of occupation have been shown to have ex 
isted upon the site since the burials. Second, in the 
debris of both villages no glass beads, or implements 
of iron were ever discovered. It is a well known 
fact that the Shawnees, who inhabited the Miami 
valley at the time of its settlement by the whites, 
adopted their superior weapons more rapidly than 
any other tribe known to history. Had they occu 
pied the village site, which we have just described, 
they would have left evidences of their association 
with the whites. The two villages then were in ex 
istence before the advent of the French or English 
traders among the savages. How long prior we can 
not say. The burials were made sufficiently early 
for a deposit of six or eight inches of river sand to 
have accumulated above them. 

In 1812, when Mr. John Hughes, at the age of 
fourteen, came to Ohio, the village site was covered 
with the heaviest of sycamore, elm, and walnut 
timber. Mr. Hughes is still living in the valley. 
He assured us of the great size and age of the 
timber growing above the graves in the early part 
of this century. We give the testimony for what 
it is worth, and, while acknowledging the rapid 
growth of the average forest tree when located near 
a stream, we do not believe that such a heavy 
growth of forest as he describes could have sprung 




99 



loo 



PRIMITIVE MAN IN OHIO. 



up in less than one or two centuries. 1 The very 
character of the graves and the skeletons is evidence, 

O 

to our minds, of their great antiquity. 



FIG. xiv. Bone awls and scrapers, from ash-pits, Fort Ancient. 
page 87. 



See 



Gen. G. P. Thrustou, in his work, Antiquities of 
Tennessee ( page 1 ), makes the statement ( referring 

1 I am informed by Dr. II. T. Cresson that while he was attached to 
the Peabody Museum, Harvard University, as an assistant in the field, 
Professor Putnam showed him a letter written by the late Asa Gray, which 
stated that the growth of trees in the United States might be estimated by 
the so-called ring marks. Five centuries can be attributed to Fort Ancient, 
counted upon trees cut down during the excavations. W. K. M. 



GRAVES OF THE VILLAGE SITE. IOI 

to stone graves): "A hundred or more of these 
rude sarcophagi are occasionally found deposited in 
several tiers, or layers, in a single burial mound." 

This statement is borne out in the Ohio valley by 
our own investigations, as well as those of others. 
While not at liberty to speak in detail of the work 
done by the World s Fair at Oregonia, Ohio, a few 
general remarks will be permitted regarding a mound 
of unusual character. Caesar s Creek, a tributary of 
the Little Miami River, is noted for the large num 
ber of mounds existing near its banks. No archae- 

o 

ological work was ever carried on in Caesar s Creek 
valley prior to 1891. Hence, the field was un 
usually rich. Upon the heights overlooking the 
creek and the Miami River to the south is a large 
village site, covering sixty or seventy acres of 
ground. In the bottoms on the south side of the 
river, below the mouth of the creek, is another large 
village site, while just above the delta is still a 
third, and smaller one. At the edge of the village 
upon the hill is a gravel knoll, from which we 
exhumed ten skeletons, two whole pots, etc. As is 
always the case when interments are made in gravel 
or sand, the bones were remarkably well preserved. 
Just back of the gravel pit is a mound eight feet in 
altitude and one hundred and ten feet in length. 
In the mound were seventy-nine skeletons, twenty 
of which were enclosed in stone cists, such as we 
find at Fort Ancient. Two of the vaults were 
hollow, the others being filled with loose earth 
which had settled in through the crevices. In 
many places in the mound there were three or four 



IO2 PRIMITIVE MAN IN OHIO. 

layers of graves, one on top of eacli other. The 
skeletons resting upon the base line were not incased 
in stones. Upon the extreme southern edge of the 
mound were five graves in a row, all heading the 
same way, and some of them containing two or three 
skeletons each. A flint dagger (see illustration No. 
XLIII.) made of chert, double-pointed, and fourteen and 
one eighth inches in length, lay by the right femur 
of one of the largest skeletons buried in the tumulus. 
This skeleton lay upon the base line, and seemed to 
be the most distinguished person of the seventy- 
nine. By the side of one of his neighbors were a 
pair of antelope horns. This is exceedingly inter 
esting, as we have no historical record of the pres 
ence of antelope in the Ohio valley, although we do 
know that both elk and bison were here. The 
horns have been either transported from the west, 
through traffic with other tribes, or the burial was 
made at a greater period of antiquity than we would 
assign it. 

In Figure ix. we show one of the best-preserved 
skeletons in Mr. Taylor s mound. 

It is very interesting to note the varied methods 
of burial of these seventy-nine skeletons. Some lay 
extended, others with knees drawn up against the 
sternum, and others lay upon their sides. The 
people making the interment frequently placed the 
head and trunk of the person in the mound, or 
would inter the legs, pelvis, and lower portion of 
the spinal column. Early French and Spanish 
writers mention tribes who kept the bones of their 
dead in little buildings until a sufficiently large 




IOJ 



104 PRIMITIVE MAN IN OHIO. 

number had accumulated, when they would make 
yearly interments. The presence of fragmentary 
skeletons may be satisfactorily accounted for by 
taking this into consideration. 

The term " Old Fort," used in a book recently pub 
lished upon Fort Ancient, referring to the southern 
portion of the fortification, is apt to mislead the 
reader, therefore, in this volume, that portion of the 
structure will be called South Fort. 1 

Near the western portion of the South Fort is a 
knoll of regular outline with gentle slopes leading 
to every side, whose summit is the highest point 
within its walls. Here is an aboriginal cemetery. 
Three hundred graves have been opened by different 
parties, and old settlers tell us that not less than one 
thousand wagon-loads of stones have been plowed up 
and hauled away. These graves were similar to those 
in the bottoms of the Little Miami River, not so 
carefully constructed ; smaller limestone slabs having 
been used as sides, ends, and coverings of the bodies. 
The soil here is very different from that in the val 
ley, being a tough yellow clay, with little or no 
sand or gravel. The graves are always filled with 
earth and never hollow. Sometimes there are two 
layers of stones with six inches of intervening soil 
between them and the skeleton. Occasionally the 
body was crowded into a small hole without any 
side stones whatever, just four or five irregular slabs 
having been thrown across the narrow, shallow 
grave. 

In 1889 our survey examined upwards of thirty 

1 See map, page 20, Fort Ancient, W. K. Moorehead, 1890, Cincinnati. 



GRAVES OF THE VILLAGE SITE. 1 05 

of these, and in 1891 we opened twenty-five for 
Dept. M. of the World s Columbian Exposition. 

Although the South Fort cemetery is one mile 
and a half from the groups near the river, the 
burials are most identical ; the crania present the 
same brachycephalic type, and we are therefore in 
clined to the opinion that they were constructed by 
the same people. The South Fort graves may be 
somewhat ruder, yet in spite of their slight inferi 
ority they present many striking features in com 
mon. The skeletons in the hill-top graves are 
generally badly decayed on account of having been 
interred in the soil, which in spite of its hardness 
allowed the water to penetrate to a depth of about 
eighteen inches. At this depth there is a stratum 
of bluish glacial clay, which is so impenetrable that 
the water lies above it, forming a sticky mire. Under 
such conditions the decay of human bones was in 
evitable. Figure xv. shows some of the objects 
from South Fort graves. 

All the graves explored by us in the vicinity of 
Fort Ancient contained crania of the brachycephalic 
type. The graves of Tennessee, described by both 
Professor Putnam and General Thruston contain 
graves of the same people. These burials cannot be 
assigned, by any careful investigator, to the Shawnee 
Indians, either in Ohio or Tennessee. There are 
hundreds of stone heaps in the Ohio valley that 
cover the remains of Indians who fell in wars with 
the whites and among themselves in historic times. 
Such interments have unfortunately been classified 
with those of the stone grave people of far greater 



IO6 PRIMITIVE MAN IN OHIO. 

antiquity. We have never heard that objects of 
iron, glass, terra-cotta, or modern implements were 
found in any of these hollow or earth-filled stone 
graves. We are aware that modern implements and 
various utensils are frequently found in stone heaps 
near the many trails which penetrated different parts 
of the State. We are also cognizant of the fact that 
these arms and objects have been discovered in the 
summits of mounds, the result of burials by recent 
Indian tribes. At Oregonia, in the northern part of 
Warren County, we opened a large cemetery and 
village site more recent than those at Fort Ancient, 
but did not, even in its graves, or upon the surface, 
find a single trace of contact with the civilization of 
the white man. The very character of the graves 
themselves, their decayed condition, the rude and 
primitive implements found within their walls, to 
gether with forest giants towering above, all com 
bine to establish our assertion concerning the great 
age of these burials. When we state the proba 
bility that the skeletons are those of some of the 
primitive people whose hands aided in the erection 
of the towering walls of Fort Ancient, we make no 
hasty assertion, but simply give our long and care 
fully considered opinion, which is based upon exten 
sive explorations. 



CHAPTER IX. 

EXPLORATIONS IN CLINTON COUNTY. 

IN Clinton County, in the valleys of Cowen s 
Creek and Todd s Fork, are many small mounds. 
No villages of great size are found, but a few of 
limited extent exist upon the streams named. 

Mr. Richardson, a resident of Wilmington who 
has made the mounds the subject of intelligent study, 
has excavated extensively in this region. He in 
formed us concerning the skeletons and implements 
found during his investigations, and his remarks, 
together with the facts ascertained by our own ob 
servation of seven of the tumuli, lead us to assign 
the works to Muskingum valley people. 

Before considering Mr. Richardson s observations 
in detail we will give a resume of the seven mounds 
opened. The explorations of these mounds were made 
under the supervision of Mr. W. E. Myer of Car 
thage, Tennessee, Mr. Moorehead being present only 
a portion of the time. 

MOUND NUMBER SEVENTY-SEVEN. - - This was 
opened May 28, 1890. The structure is thirty feet 
in diameter and two and a half feet in altitude. It 
is upon the farm of Simeon Cass near the Midland 
Railway, three miles southwest of Wilmington. 

107 



108 PRIMITIVE MAN IN OHIO. 

Scattered through the upper part of the structure 
were many pieces of flint broken and partially 
worked. They were of a grayish- white color. The 
earth forming the structure had been scooped from 
the surface of some village site, hence the presence of 
flint flakes and blocks. One small spear-head of pink 
and white quartz was taken from a small ash-pit 
midway between the summit and the base. Im 
plements of such material are rare in southern Ohio. 

Near the exact centre of the mound, about 
eighteen inches from the surface, was found a small 
tablet, five by four and a quarter by three fourths of 
an inch, composed of sandstone. This remarkable 
object was taken from a mass of sticky, yellow clay, 
its position being carefully noted by the six per 
sons present. Upon two sides were three grooves of 
the same depth, similar to those upon the back of 
the famous " Guest Tablet " found in a mound upon 
the site of Cincinnati during the early part of this 
century. Along both the narrow edges were two 
shallow grooves, while on the ends were two short 
but deep grooves. The depth of the various 
grooves range from one sixteenth of an inch to one 
third of an inch. The tablet has the appearance of 
serving the purpose as a sharpener of bone or 
copper tools. 

The mound is presumed to be a house site, as 
posts extended into the structure to a depth of three 
feet and formed a square twelve feet on each side. 
The posts were burned and charred so that little 
remained of them. Near the tablet were two 
pockets of charcoal and also a large limestone, four- 



EXPLORATIONS IN CLINTON COUNTY. 1 09 

teen by sixteen inches, polished upon one side. The 
latter may have been used for grinding corn, as 
scratches seen upon its surface are rotary in char 
acter and may have been made by a stone pestle. 

MOUND NUMBER SEVENTY-EIGHT. It lies upon 
the same farm as Number Seventy-seven but is 
placed upon the second terrace, distant three or four 
hundred yards from Cowen s Creek. Its dimensions 
were eighty by forty by seven feet. We trenched 
through the greatest diameter, making our excava 
tion thirty feet in width and fifty feet long. The 
mound contained many burnt patches of earth and 
numerous pottery fragments, but no human remains 
except that of a child seven or eight years old were 
discovered. The skeleton was unaccompanied by 
ornaments or implements. 

Mounds Numbers Seventy-nine and Eighty, lo 
cated near Todd s Fork, six miles southwest of 
Wilmington, contained nothing but fragmentary 
skeletons. Both structures were small. 

MOUND NUMBER EIGHTY-ONE. This tumulus is 
two miles northwest of Wilmington on the Clarkes- 
ville Pike. It was examined June 6th. The own 
er s name we have unfortunately forgotten. The 
dimensions are fifty-seven by forty-five by five feet. 
Like the mounds in the Hopewell group * the sur 
face had been burnt hard, the skeletons placed upon 
the level thus obtained, and the structure heaped 
above. Near the centre of the mound were three 
skulls in a fair state of preservation, and the ashes 
and charred bits of other portions of the bodies. 

1 See Chapter xn. 



1 10 PRIMITIVE MAN IN OHIO. 



Just beyond the skulls was a beautiful diamond- 
shaped ceremonial stone of banded slate. It was an 
inch and three quarters wide in the centre, one third 
of an inch in width at the rounded ends, and six 
inches in length. As is usual with ornaments and 
emblematic stones, it was highly polished. A fine 
black arrow-head, unfinished and broken arrow 
heads, and a small diorite celt were near the slate 
object. All of the skulls headed toward the west 
and were surrounded by masses of charcoal. 

MOUND NUMBER EIGHTY-TWO. This structure is 
seven miles from Wilmington, on the farm of Mr. 
Austin, and is situated upon a bluff seventy-five 
feet above the waters of Cowen s Creek. The creek 
has cut under the high bank to some extent, and 
about ten feet of the southern portion of the mound 
has already fallen into the depths below. It is cir 
cular, having a diameter of one hundred and ten feet 
and a height of twenty-three feet. On account of its 
great size, teams and scrapers were employed. Three 
feet from the surface, near the centre, we came upon 
a well preserved skeleton. Copper bands, about one 
fourth of an inch in thickness, surrounded the ankles, 
but nothing else, except two large arrow-heads, were 
with the remains. We have in mind at the present 
writing no instance of mound exploration where a 
skeleton has been found with copper anklets. Cop 
per on or near other portions of the body is a 
frequent occurrence. 

We had excavated but five feet when a misun 
derstanding caused the work to be brought to a 
sudden close. Undoubtedly this mound contains 



EXPLORATIONS IN CLINTON COUNTY. Ill 

much of interest, and it is to be hoped that some 
one will complete our examination in the near 
future. 

Mr. Richardson has whole pottery from the 
mounds of his neighborhood, ornaments and cere 
monials of slate, celts, flint implements, and a few 
copper hatchets and beads. He has found no evi 
dences of extensive working in bone or shell. We 
do not remember of his finding mica or galena. No 
large ocean shells, no altars, no caches of flint im 
plements, and but few pipes have ever been taken 
from the mounds of Clinton County. The crania 
are dolicocephalic. In other sections, where brachy- 
cephalic crania are exhumed, we find objects similar 
to those named above. This will be seen by refer 
ence to Chapters ix., x., XL, and xn. The Clinton 
County skulls being of the long-head type, we find 
implements such as that race employed. From the 
mound testimony we conclude that no short-heads 
lived in Clinton County. 

The whole pottery that has been exhumed by Mr. 
Richardson is very much like the pottery of the 
mounds in Brown and Clermont counties. 1 Neither 
the mounds nor the implements of Clinton County 
evince the skill exhibited in those of Ross or War 
ren counties ; yet we would class their builders 
above the small tribes inhabiting the hilly regions 
and the swamp regions of Brown County. Probably 
the smaller long-head tribes combined with the 
people of Co wen s Creek and Todd s Fork to invade 
the Miami and Scioto valleys. The evidence that no 

1 See Chapter vi. 



112 PRIMITIVE MAN IN OHIO. 

short-head skulls have been taken from the many 
mounds of Clinton County is certainly contrary to 
the general belief that this tribe was a part of either 
the Miami or Scioto valley peoples. They would be 
quite secure from their enemies amongst the hills of 
Clinton and Clermont counties. The presence of a 
few dolicocephali in the Miami and Scioto valleys 
would indicate that some of these people, when 
upon incursions into the territory of their enemies, 
remained. They may have been held as captives, or 
the braver ones who fell in battle may have been 
interred by the short-heads as a special mark of ap 
preciation of their bravery. 

While the matter set forth is offered largely as a 
suggestion, we think Clinton and Clermont counties 
to have been the home of a portion of the tribe of 
long-heads. We find no trace of the short-heads en 
tering their territory, but we do find many long-head 
skulls in the short- head territory. 



CHAPTER X. 



THE location of this village is eleven miles north 
west of Chillicothe, in a region that appeals no less 
to the susceptibilities of the lover of nature than to 
the enthusiasm of the archaeologist. 

Approaching it from Chillicothe, the first view is 
from a high hill somewhat more than a mile away, 
on the summit of which stands a small mound. 

Taking this as a point of observation, one sees 
stretching away toward the north, mile after mile, 
until lost in the horizon, a tract of level or slightly 
rolling land, productive to the highest degree. 

Ages ago, when the great ice-sheet came slowly 
but resistlessly down from the frozen regions of the 
north, it carried with it great masses of powdered 
rocks which it had gathered on its way, from the 
quartz and granites of Canada to the limestone areas 
of central Ohio ; it intermixed them with the clays 
which it formed by pulverizing the shales that 
abound in all the hills throughout this region. Later, 
when the great floods came, they sifted and sorted 
this abundance of material, throwing the heavier 
parts to the bottom as a foundation upon which to 
place in orderly strata the finer deposits forming the 



1 14 PRIMITIVE MA AT IN OHIO. 

thousands of acres of inexhaustible fertility which 
are now spread out before us, covered with comfort 
able homes, large barns, the finest of livestock of 
every sort, and all the other testimony of a thrifty, 
prosperous, and contented farming community. 

To the left, forming a definite boundary to this 
charming valley, is a range of high hills whose sum 
mits command a view of equal beauty toward the 
west. 

Flowing across the bottom, following closely to 
the western and southern hills, is the little stream 
known as the North Fork of Paint Creek, which in 
pre-glacial times seems to have had its outlet toward 
the northeast. On seeking its former channel when 
the retreat of the ice-mass allowed the streams 
to resume their course, it found great barriers 
of drift interposing as an obstacle which it could 
neither surmount nor evade. It was therefore com 
pelled to pursue another course, and now makes its 
escape through a deep, narrow gorge which the over 
flow from the lake that lay in front of the glacier on 
its backward journey had cleft in the hills toward the 
south a place as wild and gloomy now as when it 
was the haunt of the Indian. 

Preceding the advent of the white settlers, the 
place where Frankfort now stands w r as the site of the 
Shawnee town of Chillicothe. In many of the houses 
in the neighborhood may be seen various relics of 
that tribe, found on the surface silver ornaments, 
iron hatchets, now almost destroyed by rust, glass 
beads, gun flints, and many articles which could not 
have been obtained except from the whites. Along 



EXCA VA TIONS A T FRANKFORT. 1 1 5 

with these are also found celts, arrow-heads, and 
ornaments of native manufacture. 

We find evidence, too, that this region was occu 
pied by an industrious community, long anterior to 
the invasion of the Shawnees. Lying immediately to 
the west of the town is one of those remarkable en 
closures, so many of which exist in this county. It 
consists of a square and two circles in combination, 
the three including an area of about fifty acres. The 
necessary grading in making streets, erecting build 
ings, etc., over a portion of it for the town has en 
croached upon the eastern side and the cultivation 
of the soil over the remainder has almost obliterated 
it. One can now find only a trace here and there of 
the walls, which had once an altitude of five or six feet. 

Many mounds, also, are to be found on this level 
ground, but they, like the walls of the enclosure, 
have been sadly damaged by the plow and harrow. 
Other small mounds are to be found on the high 
land in various directions. So far as these have been 
explored they have revealed nothing to repay the in 
vestigators for their labor. 

Upon the farm of Mr. Tighlman Porter, whose 
dwelling is at the western side of the village, are five 
mounds ; three of them form a connected group a 
few yards south of the pike leading to Washington, 
C. H. The two others are near together, about three 
hundred yards from these, on the opposite side of 
the pike. 

Mr. Porter had always refused to allow these 
mounds to be disturbed ; but finally accorded to us 
the privilege of opening two of them. 



Il6 PRIMITIVE MAN IN OHIO. 

MOUND NUMBER FIFTEEN. This is the larger one 
of the two north of the pike. When we began work 
a careful measurement showed it to be oval in out 
line, the length being one hundred and ten feet, 
breadth sixty feet, and height five feet. The bear 
ing of the longer axis was north, thirty degrees east, 
and the greatest width was at a distance of forty-eight 
feet from the southern end. For distinction, the 
point where these two diameters cross wall be called 
the centre of the mound. The real centre, of course, 
lay several feet farther toward the north. Accord 
ing to old residents, it was originally twenty feet in 
height, an impossible figure, as we shall demonstrate, 
and mentioned only to show how little reliance is to 
be placed on statements regarding matters of this 
kind, and how, with no intention whatever of decep 
tion, people unaccustomed to careful measurements in 
variably exaggerate the height of mounds. Our work 
revealed that within four feet of the margin entirely 
surrounding the mound, was a stone pavement not 
over two feet in width. It was formed by a single 
layer of pebbles the size of a man s fist, taken, appa 
rently, from the creek bed near by. It may be con 
sidered certain that when this pavement was made 
it lay at the foot of the slope, the completed mound 
rising from its inner edge. This being the case, if 
all the earth washed from above were restored 
to its original position over the upper surface, 
the height of the mound would not be increased 
thereby to an amount exceeding four feet making 

1 A short account of the exploration of this mound was printed in the 
Journal of the Cincinnati Society of Natural History for April, 1889. 



EXCA VA TIONS A T FRANKFOR T. 1 1 / 

the structure nine feet instead of twenty feet in 
hight. 

The same tendency to error prevails in estimating 
the degree of slope. This is often represented, even 
in what are considered standard works, at as much 
as sixty -five or seventy degrees ; whereas, it is impos 
sible to find a mound the diameter of whose base does 
not exceed, or at least equal, four times its height. 
Earth piled up and left to the action of the ele 
ments will not stand at a greater angle. We often 
find the breadth at the base of a mound to be ten 
or even fifteen times its elevation. 1 

All this, however, has no bearing upon our ex 
plorations, which will now be taken up. 2 

Beginning at the south end of the mound, we 
extend a trench entirely through it, twenty-two feet 
wide at the margin. This was gradually extended 
until at the centre it measured thirty-four feet nar 
rowing somewhat thence to the northern extremity. 
Thus we were at no time more than about seven feet 
from the circumference of the mound as it was built. 
As everything we found was in these limits, the re 
sults of the exploration would have been the same 
had every spadeful of earth been removed. To 
satisfy ourselves fully upon this point, we dug nar 
row trenches at several places toward the outer 
edge of the mound, always with the same result- 
finding only the stone pavement alluded to. 



1 See page 102 of Marquis de Nadaillac s work, Prehistoric America, 
for an exaggeration of the slope of the Marietta mound. 

2 See page 60, Ancient Monuments of the Mississippi Valley. Also Plate 
XXI., Figure 4, ibid. 



Il8 PRIMITIVE MAN IN OHIO. 

There were two skeletons about three feet below the 
surface at the highest point of the mound ; nothing 
had been placed with them, and they were evidently 
intrusive burials. 

One foot below the surface, near the western side 
of the trench, about twenty feet from the margin at 
which we began, was the outer whorl of a sea-shell. 
It measured six inches in width by ten and a half 
inches in length, and the whorl and edges had been 
cut down with great care, and had apparently been 
used as a vessel. It was filled with clean, fine sand, 
and lay with the opening downward. 

With these exceptions there were no objects found 
anywhere above the base of the mound. Possibly 
the shell had been buried with a body whose last 
trace had disappeared by reason of its proximity to 
the surface. If this was the case, it may reasonably 
be looked upon as an intrusive burial, like the skele 
tons mentioned. 

The mound was distinctly stratified, although the 
strata were not always regular, being thicker in 
some parts than in others. Beginning at the top it 
was composed of: 

Black soil, one foot. 

Gravel, one foot. 

Brown earth, or loam, three inches. 

Yellow clayey loam, three inches. 

Black soil, six inches. 

Clean white sand, eight inches. 

Black soil containing pebbles, three to four inches. 

Gravel, mixed with a clayey sand, one foot. 

Immediately underneath this bottom layer, upon 




FIG. xvi. Ground plan of Porter mound, No. 15. See page 116. 

119 



I2O PRIMITIVE MAN IN OHIO. 

the original surface, we found the most remarkable 
deposits, both as to quantity and variety, that it 
had, so far, been our fortune to unearth. We will 
describe these in the order in which we came upon 
them. 

To aid the reader in locating the various objects, 
we shall give their distance from the inner edge of 
the stone pavement (A) at the southern end, and 
east and west, as the case may be, of the longer axis, 
which may be called the middle line of the mound. 1 

At fourteen feet inside of and four feet west of 
this line, were some fragments of a cremated skele 
ton (B), small portions of the skull of which re 
mained, showing very distinctly the marks of fire. 
The burning had evidently taken place elsewhere. 
Alongside of these pieces of bones lay the outer 
whorl of a sea-shell (c), measuring seven by twelve 
and a half inches. It was placed in a mass of very 
fine black earth, and, like the one found near the 
top of the mound, was filled with sand. 

It may be a matter of some significance that all 
the shells of the kind we refer to present this same 
peculiar feature. They are either partially or en 
tirely filled with sand, wholly free from clay or 
gravel, as if taken from a stream of water. 

At twenty-five feet inside of the middle line were 
three pockets (D), two feet apart, nearly in an east 
and west line. The most western one was four feet 



1 The diagram given, Fig. xvi., which represents the ground-plan, will 
be of assistance, although not accurate in every particular. The original 
drawing, made at the time of the excavation, was lost, and this is made from 
the description in the text. W. K. M. 



EXCA VA TIONS A T FRA NKFOR T. 121 

from the line and twenty-eight inches deep, being 
filled with ashes. 

The next discovery was at a distance of thirty-two 
feet from the stone circle, and two feet east of the 
middle line, at the point E, where we made a very 
interesting find. In a mass of fine, soft, black earth, 
were two thin copper plates, one placed above the 
other, and about an inch apart. The lower plate 
measured seven by nine and a half inches, the upper 
six by eight inches. Spread out evenly upon the 
lower plate were one hundred and ninety -seven large 
shell beads, neatly drilled, finely polished, and per 
fect in every respect. Resting upon these, in contact 
with the upper plate, were twenty-one of the spool- 
shaped copper objects, which Professor Putnam, 
Curator of the Peabody Museum, is of the opinion 
were intended for ornaments to be worn in the lobe 
of the ear. As we shall have to record the discovery 
of quite a number of these, we shall use the term, 
" spool-shaped ornaments " in referring to them, and 
restrict that term to this particular class of speci 
mens. 1 They are made of two disks of copper, each 
having a double curvature, and joined by a hollow 
cylinder of the same material. Around some of 
these cylinders were traces of leather, or a similar 
substance, that had been preserved by the copper- 
possibly a thong or cord, by which they had been 
suspended, or of something that had been used to 



1 We beg leave to differ from the learned Professor. We have found 
spool-shaped ornaments upon the hands and wrists of some forty skeletons 
in our mound experience. Never but twice have we seen them near the 
head. W. K. M. 



122 PRIMITIVE MAN IN OHIO. 

prevent the rough edges of the copper from caus 
ing pain, if they were used for the purpose above 
indicated. 

Traces of wood fibre were discernible in several 
places on the outer surface of both plates, from 
which we infer that tbe specimens were wrapped in 
bark before being deposited. The whole mass was 
probably enclosed in skins or cloth of some kind 
which had entirely decayed, for the soft earth on 
which they lay was certainly not natural soil. 

Some of the spool-shaped ornaments, the bear 
teeth, flint knives, and spear-head, are shown in 
Figure xvm. Several of the beads may be seen in 
the upper portion of Figure xx., together with two 
of the perforated panther teeth. 

At the same distance from the margin as these 
plates were two skeletons (F F), one on either side 
of the middle line and about ten feet from it. Five 
feet farther on, lying six feet nearer together than 
the last, were two others (G G). All these had their 
heads to the southwest. The bones were so de 
cayed that the various parts comprising the skeleton 
could not be taken out. 

At the centre of the mound was a space two by 
four feet (n), where the earth had been burnt to a 
depth of three inches. On this was piled up at 
least six bushels of ashes in a dome-shaped mass. 
They were very fine, free from the slightest admix 
ture of charcoal or other substance, and almost as 
white as snow. The fire from which they resulted, 
which had evidently been made of hickory wood, 
had been made elsewhere and the ashes carefully 




FIG. xvii. Skeleton "R" with accompanying objects, from Porter 
mound, No. 15. See page 126. 

123 



124 PRIMITIVE MAN IN OHIO. 

gathered and carried to the spot. No relic, frag 
ment of bone, or any other object was found in or 
near either the ashes or the burnt earth upon which 
they rested. 

Forty-five feet from the stone circle, and five east 
of the middle line, were two skeletons side by side, 
the heads pointing nearly east. Resting on the skull 
of the first (i) was a copper plate, which had 
been beaten out so thin as to be almost destroyed 
by the damp ground in contact with it. Only small 
fragments of it could be secured. Immediately to 
the right of the other (j) was found a pocket (K) 
thirty inches deep, filled with ashes. A similar 
pocket (L) was found almost on the middle line, 
and about six feet west of it still another (M), 
which was covered by a layer of small stones, 
extending far beyond its edge on every side, to 
make a bed two feet across. Between the last two 
were traces of a skeleton (N), the head of which lay 
toward the north. 

The next skeleton (o) was fifty-eight feet from 
the stone circle, and five feet east of the middle line. 
Only one object had been buried with it. This was 
a very rare specimen namely, an ornament made 
from a bone of some large animal, and wrought in 
imitation of one of the commoner forms of slate 
gorgets. 1 It was well finished, with two perfora 
tions, and, although one end is broken off so that 
the exact length cannot be determined, it probably 
measured about six inches when perfect. 

1 The ornament mentioned is shown in Fig. xvin., together with strung 
pearl beads, bear tusks, knives, beads, etc. 




125 



126 PRIMITIVE MAN IN OHIO. 

At sixty-two feet in, and ten feet east of the 
middle line, we came upon another pocket (P). All 
of those previously discovered had been carefully 
examined and found to contain nothing but ashes. 
This one, however, was covered with a large sheet 
of mica, which gave promise of better results below. 
We were not disappointed in our expectations, for 
scattered through the ashes within the pit were 
nine hundred and ninety pearl beads. Most of 
them were very small, although a few were as large 
as buckshot. They were from the common unio 
shells, so abundant in the streams of this region, 
and each one was neatly drilled. 

Just to the east of the pit were some small frag 
ments of the cranium and other portions of a skel 
eton (Q). 

Two feet to the northwest of the pit was found 
a skull, which proved to belong to a well preserved 
skeleton (R), measuring over six feet in length, that 
lay extended, with head to the south. On the 
forehead were five bear tusks, each with several 
holes drilled partially through it. Probably all 
these perforations had formerly held smaller teeth, 
pearls, or some other objects which were supposed 
to enhance the beauty of the ornaments. One of 
them still holds the tooth of a ground-hog neatly 
fitted into it. Two of them are represented in 
Figure xvin., one on either side of the pearls. 

By the left side of the head lay four spool-shaped 
ornaments ; at the top of the head were two flat 
beads, about three fourths of an inch in diam 
eter, made of the mussel shell, each with two holes 



128 PRIMITIVE MAN IN OHIO. 

drilled in it. Near the right elbow was a copper 
plate, six by seven inches. The position of the 
skeleton, with the accompanying objects, is shown 
in Figure xvn. 

At seventy feet in, and twelve feet west of the 
middle line, at a point marked s in the plan, we 
found one of the altars first described by Messrs. 
Squier and Davis, the first of the kind we had ever 
seen. A mass of clay had been worked or kneaded 
until of uniform consistency, and spread on the 
bottom in a layer about eight inches thick. It had 
then been dressed off at the sides until the top was 
a rectangle twenty-four by thirty inches, the corners 
being neatly rounded. A depression twelve by 
eighteen inches, with a depth of four inches, the 
corners rounded, like those of the outer perimeter, 
was then excavated, leaving a rim or border with a 
uniform width of six inches. After this the entire 
altar had been subjected to an intense heat, for we 
found it burned red and hard throughout, the basin 
being filled with ashes and small fragments of 
human bones almost destroyed by the heat. There 
was no means of ascertaining whether the altar had 
been burned before the cremation had taken place, 
or whether it had been allowed to dry in the air and 
hardened by the same fire that had consumed the 
body. We were very desirous of securing this 
altar, for no one had ever succeeded in removing 
one entire. 1 The men dug carefully around it, 

1 Since these notes were made Prof. Putnam has taken out, near Madison- 
ville, Ohio, one of the largest that has ever been found, if we except the re 
markable one at Mound City, mentioned by Squier and Davis. W. K. M. 



EXCAVATIONS AT FRANKFORT. I2Q 

leaving what we considered a safe margin of earth 
on every side, and then endeavored to lift it out. 
In spite of all our efforts it broke in two pieces, but 
each part was removed without further injury and 
placed in a large box. Unfortunately, we allowed 
it to dry out too rapidly, in consequence of which it 
cracked and scaled badly, and in a few days was in 
fragments. 1 

Directly east of it, twenty-five feet distant, was a 
mass of burnt clay (T), irregular in outline, about 
four feet across, and four inches in thickness. T he 
surface was flat, and had no remains of any kind 
placed on it. 

Seventy-eight feet from the starting-point and ex 
actly on the middle line were two extended skeletons, 
laid near together, with feet to the north. Near the 
head of one (u) was a plate of copper six by seven 
inches, and four spool-shaped ornaments. The plate 
had fragments of thread adhering to both sides, as 
though it had been wrapped in cloth. Under the 
head of the other (v) were four more spool-shaped 
ornaments. Eleven wolf teeth were found among 
the cervical vertebrae. They were neatly drilled 
for suspension. Two perforated ornaments made 
from a mussel shell were also excavated. No doubt 

It is placed on exhibition in the rooms of the Cincinnati Society of Natural 
History ; on account of its great weight, Professor Putnam feared to risk 
its shipment to Cambridge, as it would certainly be injured or broken. 
Several altars have likewise been shipped to Professor Putnam from the 
Turner group of mounds, near Milford, Ohio. 

1 This was in 1888. In September and October, 1891, and January, 1892, 
we removed entire three large altars for the World s Columbian Exposition, 
one for the Smithsonian Institution at Washington, and two for the Peabody 
Museum of Cambridge, Mass. \V. K. M. 
9 



130 PRIMITIVE MAN IN OHIO. 

these had formed a necklace. Between the jaws 
were fifty pearl beads which had evidently been 
placed inside of the mouth at the time of burial. 
The cranium was saved entire. 

The last thing in the mound was at a distance of 
eighty-two feet from our place of beginning. Here we 
came upon the edge of an ash-bed (w), which mea 
sured seven by ten feet, and two feet in thickness, its 




FIG. xx. Beads and panther teeth, from Porter mound, No. 
15. See page 122. 

long axis at right angles to that of the mound. Scat 
tered about through the ashes with no regularity as 
to position, we found a number of flint flakes and 
twenty-six fine leaf-shaped flint implements, five 
plates of mica, cut to perfect circles somewhat larger 
than a silver dollar ; a celt of symmetrical form, 
highly polished, together with great quantities of 
the calcined bones of various animals and birds. 



EXCA VA TIONS A T FRANKFOR T. 1 3 1 

Nearly a half bushel of charred hickory nuts were 
also discovered, and hundreds of fragments of 
pottery. The most interesting find was that of 
fourteen earthenware pots, each of a capacity of 
about two quarts. They had been placed in the 
ash-bed, most of them with the mouth turned 
downward. Owing to the looseness of the ashes, 
we could easily uncover them sufficiently to deter 
mine their size and shape. It was impossible to get 
any of them out, as they were very soft and much 
broken, although all the pieces remained in their 
proper positions thus proving the vessels had been 
entire when deposited. 

It appears that this mound therefore contained 
many interesting features throughout almost its en 
tire extent ; while others much more imposing in 
appearance held nothing worth digging for. 

MOUND NUMBER SEVENTEEN. This is the largest 
mound of a group of five others on the farm of Mr. 
Coiner, on the high table-land three and a half miles 
southwest of Frankfort. It is eleven feet high and 
sixty feet in diameter. 

Success with the Porter mound had raised our 
hopes to a high pitch, and we began on the west 
side with a trench twenty-two feet in width, which 
was increased until at the centre it was thirty feet. 

About ten feet from the centre, we came upon 
five skeletons lying close together; these were 
two feet above the original surface, with heads to 
the east. Four of them had been buried without 
any ornaments or relics. Under the head of the 
fifth was a broken arrow-head and a diamond-shaped 



132 PRIMITIVE MAN IN OHIO. 

stone ornament. At the side of the head were 
thirty-two disk-shaped shell beads, and a piece of 
slate the size of a dollar, with some peculiar mark 
ings on it. 

A small copper bead lay one foot below the sum 
mit and was discovered accidentally. Finds of such 
nature do not signify anything, as many articles are 
lost in mounds during their construction. 

Upon the base line exactly at the centre were re 
mains of a skeleton. It was not ascertained whether 
any objects were with the bones, for a few moments 
after observing them the mound caved in, owing to 
an excavation which had been previously made. 
Mr. Moorehead was caught by the falling earth and 
so seriously injured that he was compelled to aban 
don the work. 



CHAPTER XL 

MOUND NUMBER THIRTY-EIGHT. 1 

THE three mounds heretofore mentioned, situated 
on Mr. Porter s land, south of the Chillicothe and 
Washington pike, are nearly in a straight line, and 
built so closely together that the bases of each unite. 
The northern mound has a height of fifteen feet, 
with a diameter of one hundred and twenty. The 
mound farthest to the south measures nine feet high 
and seventy-two feet across the base. The other, 
built between these two, has a height of six feet, 
with a breadth from east to west of about sixty-five 
feet. It reaches nearly four feet up the slope of 
the mounds which stand on either side. If this 
structure were to be removed and the others con 
tinued to a general level with the same slope that 
they present at other parts, their distance from each 
other, at the surface of the ground, would be about 
thirty feet. 

Mr. Porter was unwilling that the large mound 
should be defaced, but allowed us to open the one 
next in size. 

We began on the south side with a trench which, 
as we progressed, was enlarged sufficiently to unearth 
every deposit that had been made. Besides removing 

1 April, 1889. 
133 



PRIMITIVE MAN IN OHIO. 



all the earth for several feet beyond where any de 
posits were found, we dug minor trenches at short 
intervals into the portion not worked, in order to 
make sure that nothing had been overlooked. 

The only objects found in the upper portion of 
the mound were at a point twenty feet from the 
southern margin, three feet above the general surface 
and five feet below the top. Here were three copper 
celts, upon which rested eight spool-shaped orna 
ments. With them were portions of three human 
ribs, preserved by the copper. There may have been 
an intrusive burial at this place, but it seems im 
probable, for no traces of other bones could be found 
with the specimens, and there is no reason why a 
skeleton should not last a long time in earth such as 
that which surrounded them. Neither did the layers 
above seem to be disturbed. On the other hand, 
the number of specimens and the evident care in 
their arrangement preclude the idea that they had 
been unwittingly cast in with the earth. While the 
identity of the ornaments with those found at the 
base warrants the supposition that they are of the 
same age, the reason for depositing them at a distance 
from any other objects is not manifest. 

The disposition of the various layers is such that 
this may be called a stratified mound, although the 
strata have little regularity in either extent or thick 
ness, and sections taken at different points would all 
present a different appearance. Our best section was 
made from east to west, at a point seven feet north 
of the centre, where the layers are more plainly 
marked than elsewhere. Beginning at the top we 



MOUND NUMBER THIRTY-EIGHT. 135 

find first the soil which had been removed by cultiva 
tion and erosion ; then- 
Yellow clay . twelve inches, 

Dark clay . six 

Gravel . six 

Yellow clay . twelve 

Coarse gravel . four 

Yellow clay . eight " 

Gravel . . . four 

Yellow clay . . streak. 

Gravel . six " 

Yellow clay . . forty 

The thickness of the lowest stratum is given from 
its top to the bottom of the mound. From this is 
to be deducted the thickness of such deposits as 
occurred beneath it, thereby causing a considerable 
variation in its amount at different points. 

The first step in the work of erecting the mound 
consisted in levelling and burning over the area to 
be covered. This made a hard, smooth surface, on 
which were placed the many interesting remains now 
to be described. 

The south side of the mound, for a distance of 
twelve feet from the margin had been hauled away 
to fill a hole near by, and we began on that portion 
of the bank which remained. 

Within two feet we made our first find, and for 
thirty feet we unearthed one interesting object after 
another, until our discoveries here surpassed those 
made in any other mound that it has been our fortune 
to excavate. 



136 



PRIMITIVE MAN IN OHIO. 



The accompanying diagram, Figure xxi., which is 
made on a scale of seven feet to an inch, shows the 
limit of our excavation. The position of everything 
discovered is also indicated, so that it will only be 
necessary to refer to the different finds by the cor 
responding letter. 




Ground plan of Porter mound, No. 38. 

At A we found a mass of charcoal and ashes con 
taining many bones of animals and birds in a broken 
and charred condition, as if the whole had been taken 
from a fire-place or ash-bed where a meal had been 
partaken of. Similar masses were found frequently, 



MOUND NUMBER THIRTY-EIGHT. 137 

but as none contained anything more than the one 
mentioned, they are not indicated on the plan. 

West of this charcoal, at the point marked B, we 
found a large pyrula shell and the upper jaw of a 
ground-hog, imbedded in a small amount of soft, 
black earth, which seemed to have resulted from de 
cayed organic matter of some kind. 

The first skeleton unearthed is shown at E. It 
lay extended with the head toward the north, the 
bones being badly decayed. Two bear teeth lay 
close to the cranium. 

The next skeleton, c, lay to the southeast of this. 
The bones were much better preserved than those 
of the previous interment. No relics were placed 
with it. 

At D was found a skeleton with head to the 
northwest, on the head of which lay a copper plate. 
It is five by eight and one quarter inches, and the 
surface was covered with a network of fibre, the im 
pression of which cloth was plainly perceptible on 
the salts of copper covering it. Near the right hand 
were three spool-shaped ornaments and a copper 
celt. 

To the east of D was another skeleton, F, with 
head toward the west. Nothing was found with 
it, and the bones were so soft that they crumbled 
away in a short time after it was uncovered. The 
bones of the next skeleton, K, lying east of r, with its 
head to the north, were in a similar condition to 
that described in the preceding interment. 

An interesting discovery was made at the point 
marked G. A skeleton in a fair state of preserva- 



138 PRIMITIVE MAN IN OHIO. 

tion, except that the feet and skull were badly 
crushed and decayed, lay with its head to the south, 
in a mass of soft black earth, six inches above the 
base line. Upon the ground at its feet was a copper 
plate, seven by twelve inches in length, which was 
covered on both sides with the remains of cloth 
and a fragment of wood. About the head and neck 
were six hundred and six beautiful pearl beads, 
which were much larger than those discovered in 
Number Fifteen ; many of them were half an inch, 
and some fully three fourths of an inch in diameter. 
All were drilled, and most of them still retain their 
lustre. Among the vertebrae, as if they had been 
placed on his breast, were eight perforated bear 
tusks ; three spool-shaped ornaments lay by one, 
which was discolored by the oxidized copper. Be 
tween the femurs were found twenty disk-shaped, 
double perforated beads, cut from mussel shell and 
well polished. 

One more body, marked 11 on the plan, had been 
placed in this group ; it lay near and parallel to G, 
and had four of the spool-shaped ornaments near the 
head. These were so badly corroded that they 
could only be taken out in small fragments. 

From the appearance of the earth about these 
remains and the position of such articles as had 
been buried with them, it was plain that the bodies 
had been interred without having the flesh removed. 

Eight feet west of the last skeleton we uncovered 
an altar (i). A hole a foot deep had been dug in 
the natural soil, the bottom paved with small burnt 
stones, and clay packed in until the hole was filled 



MOUND NUMBER THIRTY-EIGHT. 139 

to the general level. The surface of the clay had 
been flattened and smoothed, though no effort was 
made to give any regularity to its outline, and in it 
was excavated a basin which measured twelve by 
twenty inches and four and a half inches deep. This 
was not placed at the centre, the breadth of the 
border around it varying from eight to twenty inches 
in different parts. Nothing was found except the 
earth of the overlying stratum, and the clay was 
only slightly burned. The builders had evidently 
abandoned work without carrying out the intention 
which led to its inception. 

North of skeleton K we came upon a mass of loose 
black dirt (enclosed by dotted lines on the plan), and 
removing all the earth that lay above this we found 
it to extend over a space of nine and a half by four 
teen feet, with a thickness of one and a half to two 
and a half feet. Under this, upon the original sur 
face, were the remains of seven cremated bodies, 
each lying in a little pile by itself, and occupying a 
space from twenty by twenty-four inches to twenty- 
four by thirty inches. A few of the vertebrae and 
several of the ribs remained intact in two of them, 
though much charred. With the exception of these, 
no entire bones were found. The fragmentary skele 
tons are indicated by the letters M to T inclusive. 

With isr no articles whatever were found ; with o 
was a copper plate ; close to p we found three 
spool-shaped ornaments ; with K were a copper plate 
five by six inches, and a pipe in small fragments. 
Enough of this remained to show that it was of the 
"platform " or " mound-builder " type. All the objects 



PRIMITIVE MAN IN OHIO. 




enumerated had been 
greatly injured, some 
of them almost de 
stroyed, by the in 
tense heat to which 
they had been sub 
jected. 

Near s was a small 
celt, unhurt by the 
fire, and with T were 
four spool-shaped or 
naments, only slightly 
burned. In every case 
the relics were lying 
directly on top of the 
bones. The earth 
lying below had no 
indications of such a 
large fire as the con 
dition of these objects 
would lead us to be 
lieve had been neces 
sary ; yet their posi 
tion, together with 
the charcoal and ashes 
that w T ere scattered 
throughout the mass, 
makes it reasonable 
to suppose that crema 
tion had taken place. 
Whether all the bod 
ies or only the skele- 



MOUND NUMBER THIRTY-EIGHT. 141 

tons had been burned, we cannot say. If the former, 
then they must have been folded or doubled up, 
so as to occupy as small a space as possible. The 
plate that lay upon the skeleton marked R, and the 
celt with the one marked s, are shown at the left 
and right, respectively, of Figure xxn. 

Three feet from the northern edge of the black 
dirt was a large sea-shell, marked u on the plan. 

Contrary to what is usual, this mound had few 
remains, not even an ash-bed, at the centre or within 
several feet of it. 

At a distance of twelve feet, a little north of west 
from the centre, were two cremated bodies, marked 
v and w. Eight feet northeast of them lay the badly 
decayed bones of another skeleton, x, which did not 
show any marks of burning. No objects were found 
with any of these skeletons, except a few flint frag 
ments with the first. 

About six feet east of the last skeleton was an 
other altar, Y, similar to the one above described, 
except that it did not extend quite so far into the 
ground, and had no stones under it. A mass of 
ashes and charcoal filled the basin, but no bones 
were among them. In one corner was a pipe of the 
platform pattern, made of rather soft but very fine 
grained stone. It was well finished and almost per 
fect, a small piece being broken off one end of the stem. 

Just north of this altar, with head to the north, lay 
a large skeleton, z, whose bones were in better condi 
tion than any other we had found. Nothing was 
placed with it. A noticeable feature was a peculiar 
curvature of the left femur, the middle being fully 



142 PRIMITIVE MAN IN OHIO. 

two inches within the normal "line from the hip to 
the knee. The bones were too soft to be removed. 

To the east of z was a pit resembling the cavities 
in the mound altars, being rectangular with rounded 
corners, though it had not been burned in the least. 
It measured ten by twelve inches at the bottom, 
eight inches deep, and contained the remains of a 
young child, which had been laid on its side. The 
bones were tolerably well preserved, though no cov 
ering of any kind had been placed over the body. 
Two perforated panther teeth and some small snail 
shells were found with the bones. This pit is 
marked A A on the plan. 

West of the pit was a cremated skeleton, BB, with 
head northeast. Nothing was found buried with 
it, but near the right side was a mass of ashes and 
fragments of pottery occupying a space nine by six 
teen inches and one inch thick. 

At cc we found a shallow pit, the sides of which 
had been slightly burned. In this lay the remains 
of a large but badly decayed skeleton, the head 
being turned toward the northeast. The body had 
evidently been folded, as the pit was less than four 
feet in length. 

This completed the exploration of mound Num 
ber Thirty-eight. 

An inspection of the plan will show that, if we 
omit the mass of cremated skeletons on the east side, 
the deposits here were scattered at random, as in 
Number Fifteen. 

The mounds on the hill-tops have yielded nothing 
to repay our labor, and there being no other mounds 



MOUND NUMBER THIRTY-EIGHT. 143 

in the bottoms that we could obtain permission to 
excavate, our work in the neighborhood of Frank 
fort was brought to an end. Removing to Chilli- 
cothe, we made some examinations in that vicinity, 
the results of which will be set forth in the next 
chapter. 



CHAPTER XII. 

EXCAVATIONS NEAR CHILLICOTHE. 

THE beautiful scenery in the immediate vicinity 
of this city has called forth expressions of admira 
tion from travellers who are familiar with the noted 
landscapes of the world. Almost every feature 
essential to natural beauty is to be found within a 
few miles. The views from the rugged hills, some 
of them nearly seven hundred feet in height above 
the streams that flow at their base, are equal to 
many that have been celebrated in song and story, 
or transferred to the canvas of the painter. The 
broad level valleys that stretch to the limits of 
vision along the sparkling waters of the Scioto River 
and its main tributary which joins it near here ex 
ceed in fertility even the famous "Blue Grass" 
region of Kentucky. 

It is not, then, a matter of surprise, but is rather 
only what we should expect, to find this favored 
region the chosen abode of the race who built the 
great earthworks in the three sister States whose cor 
ners meet at the point near which so many streams 
pay their tribute to the Ohio. These unknown peo 
ple were thus afforded facilities for easy transit from 
place to place within the region over which they 
held dominion. 

144 



EXCAVATIONS NEAR CHILLICOTHE. 145 

In Ross County are to be found more of the 
large enclosures erected by the American Race than 
on any other equal area in the country. At the 
first settlement of this territory by the whites, 
mounds were to be seen everywhere. They existed 
on the level lands in almost as great numbers as 
do the farm-houses at the present day. Scores, 
even hundreds, have been opened, and at present 
very few are intact. 

It was here that Squier and Davis carried on the 
work and collected the material which they used as 
the foundation for their celebrated volume on the 
aboriginal remains of the Mississippi valley. Here 
are to be seen many private collections of surface 
specimens whose symmetry and finish would seem im 
possible of attainment by the methods at command 
of a rude or barbarous people. 

MOUNDS ON THE FAKMS OF REDMAN AND JANES. 
Three miles from Chillicothe, on the east side of 
the Scioto, the drift deposits form three terraces, 
the highest having an elevation of considerably 
more than one hundred feet above the river, resting 
against a slope that ascends by an easy grade to the 
hills farther back. 

Formerly a number of mounds and small enclo 
sures were to be found on this slope and the two ter 
races next below it. At the time our work was 
undertaken only five mounds remained, all of which 
we opened. 

The first three were on the farm of Mr. Jesse 
Redman, which lies partly on the hillside and partly 
on the highest terrace. 



146 PRIMITIVE MAN IN OHIO. 

MOUND NUMBER THIRTY-FOUR. This was the 
smallest of the three, being only twenty-five by 
thirty-eight feet and three and a half feet high. We 
removed almost the entire mass of earth, finding one 
fragmentary skeleton a foot below the top, at the 
centre. Immediately below it was a small quantity 
of ashes. Nothing else was found. 

MOUND NUMBER THIRTY-FIVE. This is five hun 
dred feet northeast of the last. It was very regular 
in form, never having been disturbed by cultivation. 

The height was seven and a half feet, the diameter 
at the base fifty-five feet. A trench twenty feet 
wide was begun on the south edge, widened to 
thirty feet at the centre, and carried to within 
fifteen feet of the opposite side. 

At fourteen feet from the margin, one foot above 
the base, were the decayed bones of two skeletons. 

Twenty feet in, and near the east side of our 
trench, was a slight depression in the original soil, 
covering a space five by six feet. It was filled with 
a deposit of ashes, charcoal, burnt bones, shells, etc., 
more than thirty entire mussel shells being taken 
out. About three feet west of this and one foot 
above the base was a well preserved skeleton with 
head to the north. Three feet north of the ashes, 
lying on the base, was a number of small pebbles, 
placed so as to form a circle eight inches in diameter, 
which had nothing else in or near it. At the same 
level was another skeleton, near the west side of our 
trench, in a fragmentary condition. None of these 
had any objects buried with them. Lying among 
the cervical vertebrae of one six feet east of the 



EXCAVATIONS NEAR CtflLLICOTHE. 147 

centre, three feet above the bottom, were forty-two 
copper beads, one mussel shell, and five snail shells, 
which had at one time, no doubt, formed a necklace. 




FIG. xxin. Ground plan of mound No. 36, 14 skeletons. See page 148. 

The only variation from the yellow clay of which 
the mound was built was a stratum, about three 
inches in thickness, of clay burned to a bright red. 
It had nearly the same curvature as the mound s 
surface, the edge resting upon the general level at 
about ten feet from the centre on every side. 



148 PRIMITIVE MAN IN OHIO. 

MOUND NUMBER THIRTY-SIX. This, the third of 
the mounds on Mr. Redman s place, is nearly south 
from the other two, and on lower ground. It meas 
ured eight feet in height and fifty feet across the 
base. A trench twenty-five feet in width was car 
ried into it from the south side. 

A plan and vertical section are presented (Figs, 
xxm. and xxiv.) which will give a clear idea of the 
structure and its contents. The same letters serve 
for both drawings, so far as it is necessary to use 
them. 

At a point seven feet from the margin, on the 
bottom of the mound, was a small amount of black 
earth (A), containing over two hundred pieces of 
pottery, the fragments of vessels which were perfect 
when deposited, but had afterward been crushed by 
the weight of the earth resting upon them. 

For a space of twelve feet on every side of the 
centre the earth had been burned quite hard, and of 
a bright red color, forming a floor (B in the figures), 
upon which rested the remains of fourteen adults 
and one child (c in Fig. xxm., G in Fig. xxiv.). 
Among the bones of the right hand and wrist of the 
latter were three shell beads and two copper rings, 
only large enough for a child s finger. The rings are 
shown in Fig. xxvi. They were made by bending 
a small rod until the ends overlapped, and then 
pounding them as closely together as possible. 
Specimens were found near two of the adult skele 
tons. With the first (D) was a tube of soft clayey 
sandstone, two celts, one of hematite, the other of 
granite, and twelve flint knives and spear-heads. 



EXCAVATIONS NEAR CfflLLICOTHE. 



149 



These were all deposited 
by the outer side of the 
right femur. Between the 
femura of the other skele 
ton (E), reaching from, the 
pelvic bones almost to the 
knees, was a fine celt, two 
perforated ornaments, an 
unfinished pipe of ferrugi 
nous sandstone, and ten 
finely worked flint imple 
ments. Some of these rel 
ics are shown in Figs. xxv. 
and xxvi. All of the 
skeletons were so decayed 
that we could only re 
cover the skulls and a few 
other bones of three indi 
viduals. 

The bodies had been cov 
ered with a layer of char 
coal (F) fully a foot in 
thickness ; in this were 
pieces of a size to show 
that logs at least six inches 
through had been burned. 

o 

The charcoal was piled over 
the entire space included 
by the burnt earth, and 
had settled down until the 
bones were covered and 
surrounded with it. 



w. 



EXCAVATIONS NEAR CHILL1COTHE. !$! 

The other two mounds in this group are on the 
farm of Mr. Joseph Janes, between Mr. Redman s 
and the river. 

MOUND NUMBER THIRTY-SEVEN. This is on the 
second terrace, in a field where a great many relics 
have been gathered from the surface, and which has 
some indications of having once been the site of an 
Indian village. 

The mound is fifty by ninety-five feet, the longer 
axis nearly east and west. The height is thirteen 
feet. 

A trench thirty-two feet in width, begun at the 
east end and carried twelve feet beyond the centre, 
showed that it was built of the sandy clay forming 
the surrounding soil. A large depression, a hundred 
yards to the north, holding water the greater part of 
the year, was probably the source whence the dirt 
composing it was taken. From the size and situa 
tion of the mound, it had been a matter of common 
belief that the excavation would result in valuable 
discoveries, but it yielded almost nothing. 

At twenty feet from the margin, upon the bottom 
of the mound, we came to a stratum, three inches 
thick, of ashes and burnt bones, which extended 
eighteen feet in the direction of our trench, and 
reached beneath the walls at both sides. It meas 
ured not less than twenty-five feet in length ; per 
haps more. Some squirrel and bird bones were 
found, but most of the mass was so broken and 
burned that the character of the remains could not 
be determined. A few charred hickory nuts were 
also found. 




152 



EXCAVATIONS NEAR CHILLICOTHE. 153 

On the bottom, at the centre, we found the skele 
ton of a child not more than ten years of age, with 
its head to the east. By the neck were one hundred 
and nineteen beads, of small marine shells perforated 
at the apex. 

Six feet above these remains was found the par 
tial skeleton of a man almost a giant in size. It was 
not an intrusive burial, for the earth above was un 
disturbed. Neither had the construction of the 
mound ceased at this height for any appreciable 
period, for there was no line of demarkation between 
the earth above it and that below, such as would 
result from the growth of grass or weeds, had any 
considerable time elapsed. There was no evidence 
at any point which indicated that the work had not 
been carried on steadily to its completion. 

It will be seen from the sketch made at the time 
(Fig. xxvn.) that the death of this individual had oc 
curred a considerable time before the interment of 
the bones ; for not only are many of them absent, 
but those present are not in their proper order. The 
cervical and lumbar vertebrae are missing, as are 

o? 

some bones of the hands and feet. The right radius 
is turned almost at a right angle to the ulna, and the 
right tibia is lying across the left fibula, which is 
itself several inches out of the true position. The 
bones are unusually large and heavy. The breadth 
across the shoulders, with the bones correctly placed, 
was nineteen inches. The only relics found with it 
were forty shell beads by the right wrist. 

It seems scarcely credible that a mound of such 
magnitude should be erected in honor of a young 



EXCATATIONS NEAR CHILLICOTHE. 155 

child. This conclusion is forced upon us by the 
facts disclosed that the adult s skeleton was not 
placed here until the structure was more than half 
finished. No other remains were found that would 
indicate additional burials. 

The skull of a wolf was found two feet above and 
a little south of the larsre skeleton referred to. Al- 

O 

most the entire framework of another lay at a point 
some ten feet south of the skull. 

MOUND NUMBER THIRTY-NINE. This is on the up 
per terrace, three hundred yards northeast of Num 
ber Thirty-seven. It had been plowed over a great 
many times, reducing its height to about six feet, 
the diameter of the base being seventy feet. 

The ground rises in every direction from the 
mound, except toward the southeast, consequently 
the interior was very wet, and digging quite diffi 
cult the earth clinging to the shovels so that con 
stant scraping was necessary. For a like reason the 
bones we found were in a condition almost like 
wet ashes. 

A twenty-two-foot trench was carried from the 
south side nearly through the mound. Near the edge 
we found a chalcedony spear-head, and twenty feet 
farther in, a small copper bracelet. The presence of 
both of these was accidental. Pieces of burnt sand 
stone and bits of charcoal were scattered promiscu 
ously through the mound, and we could easily detect 
below it the sod line forming the original surface. 
The bracelet lay just at the edge of a thin stratum 
of burned clay, which had been carried from some 
outside point and deposited upon this sod. It ex- 



EXCAVATIONS NEAR CHILLICOTHE, 157 

tended beyond our trench on each side, but ran out 
just before we reached the centre. 

We found the badly decayed bones of two indi 
viduals, both extended on the back, with heads to 
the east. The first was on the burned clay, five feet 
from its southern edge. The head of the second lay 
over a hole eighteen inches deep, which had been 
dii in the original soil at the centre of the mound ; 

O O 7 

at the bottom of this hole were some flakes of mica 
and small pieces of charcoal. On the head of the 
second skeleton was a fine slate gorget (see Fig. 

XXVIII.) 

At a foot northwest of the centre was a child s 
tooth, and close by a small amount of red ochre. 
No traces of bone were discovered. Three feet 
north and five feet west of the centre, was a hole 
three feet deep and two feet in diameter, which con 
tained pieces of human bones possibly it was a 
sort of vault in which a folded body or skeleton had 
been placed. 

Nothing else was unearthed, except some frag 
ments of pottery, enough to form a small vessel, 
which lay at the edge of our trench, northwest of 
the centre. 



CHAPTER XIII. 

NEAR SLATE MILLS, ROSS COUNTY. 

FOUR miles west of Chillicothe, near the station of 
Slate Mills at the point where the Cincinnati Pike 
crosses the Ironton branch of the C., H., & D. Rail 
way, is a group of three small mounds, two of them 
being on the farm of Mr. W. D. Fullerton, the other 
on Mr. John Madeira s land. 

In one, at eight feet north of the centre, was a 
skeleton, with head northwest, of which only frag 
ments remained. In the second we found on the 
south side another in the same condition ; also small 
pieces of three other skulls. 

Both of these mounds had been dug out for a 
space of several feet around the centre by some pre 
ceding explorer. We were not aware of this fact 
until the condition of the mounds made it apparent. 
It was impossible to learn who had opened them or 
what the results had been, as the work had ruined 
them for our purpose, and we did not proceed with 
our investigations upon discovering this fact. 

MOUND NUMBER FORTY-FIVE. This is the most 
eastern of the three. A trench was excavated 
through from the east side and disclosed nothing 
until we were within six feet of the centre. Here 

158 



MOUNDS NEAR SLATE MILLS, ROSS COUNTY. 



59 



we came upon a layer of rotten wood, near the edge 
of which we found some portions of a skull, including 
the zygomatic arch and mastoid process, unaccom 
panied by any other bones. 

On following this wood, we found that a rude 




FIG. xxix. Group of skeletons from mound No. 45, with objects. 
See page 160. 

enclosure or pen, about twelve feet square, had 
been made with poles of various lengths, some 
of them only reaching to the corners, while others 
projected four or five feet beyond its sides. A floor 
had been formed within this pen by layers of bark 



160 PRIMITIVE MAN IN OHIO. 

or split wood, on which had been deposited five 
bodies. Over them had been placed other poles 
covered with a roof similar to the floor, on which 
had been cast the earth forming the mound. The 
entire mass of wood had an average thickness of 
twelve inches what space may have existed be 
tween the floor and roof at the time of its construc 
tion cannot be told ; probably only sufficient to 
allow room for the bodies. The wood at the time 
of exploration presented the appearance of ashes 
having about as much consistency as fine earth. 

The positions of the skeletons, with accompany 
ing objects, are shown in Fig. xxix. All were 
extended at full length, and all were on the back 
except one. 

The first uncovered was that of a young person, 
marked A, with feet to the southwest. Among the 
bones of the head, as though they they had been 
laid on the forehead, were thirty small shell beads. 

The second body, B, had been laid on its left side, 
with its feet almost at the exact centre of the mound, 
and head toward the northwest. The bones of the 
feet were lying upon the left side of the child s head, 
the top of which was in contact with the tibiae of 
the adult. No objects were found with this body. 

The third was an adult (c), whose feet rested 
against the hips of the second, its head being toward 
the northeast. Near its right thigh lay a disk of 
yellow ochre, D, one side of which had been rubbed 
off, probably for use as paint. Under the back 
was a mass of burnt and broken bones in soft black 
earth, perhaps the remains of food deposited with 
the body. Near the left hand was a broken arrow- 



MOUNDS NEAR SLATE MILLS, ROSS COUNTY. l6l 

head, E, a fine hematite cone, F, and a point of deer 
antler, G, about six inches long. 

With the bones of the middle portion of this 
skeleton were intermingled those of an infant (j). 
On the forehead of the child had been placed several 
pieces of mica (i), cut in the form of a half -crescent, 
with smooth edges and rounded points. Each plate 
had several small holes punched in it. A number 
of beads, some of them copper, others of small 
marine shells, the remainder perforated disks made 
of mussel shells, were scattered about the necks of 
the two, but the bones were in such confusion that 
we could not say what portion of them belonged to 
each. A small copper bracelet was on the left 
wrist. It is mai ked K. 

The fifth skeleton was that of a child (H), with 
its head near the waist of the last adult, and feet to 
the southwest. On its forehead was a single plate of 
mica like those above described, but much thicker, 
and long enough to reach down over each temporal 
bone. About the neck were one hundred and six 
beads of small sea-shells. 

The relics of this mound are shown in Figure xxx. 

Mounds on the Worthington Estate. 

Our next field of operation was in the Scioto 
bottoms, northwest ofthe city. 

Most of the mounds in this direction have been 
opened. There are a few which, partly on account 
of their large size and the consequent expense of 
careful investigation, and partly owing to the reluc 
tance of their owners to have them disturbed, have 
remained untouched. 



1 62 PRIMITIVE MAN IN OHIO. 

The largest and best preserved are on the estate 
of Thomas Worthington, one of the early governors 
of Ohio. His heirs, respecting his wishes, have 
never allowed them to be injured in any way. 

A portion of the estate, however, on which four 
of them stood, had recently passed into other hands, 
and the new owners gave us permission to excavate 
them. 

The four form a connected group, being built in 
such a manner that the adjacent edges unite several 
feet above the level of the ground, in the same 
manner as those noticed in the description of Num 
ber Thirty -eight. Figure 57, page 170, of An 
cient Monuments of the Mississippi Valley, giving a 
view from above downwards, will show their pe 
culiar arrangement. They are numbered in the order 
of their exploration. 

MOUND NUMBER FORTY. This is the second in 
size, and stands at the southwest extremity of the 
group. The diameter at the base from north to 
south is about sixty -five feet, and the height thirteen 
feet, making the sides quite steep. 

A trench thirty-three feet in width was begun at 
the southwest side, and widened somewhat toward 
the centre. At first the earth was dry and loose, but 
a few feet farther in became wet, and soon was so soft 
and sticky that the workmen sank half-way to their 
knees, and found it impossible to shake the mud 
from their shovels. We were compelled to engage 
a team and scraper to remove this mire, which would 
ooze out from the sides of the trench and flow slowly 
down the track left by the scraper. The whole up- 



164 PRIMITIVE MAN IN OHIO. 

per portion of the mound, to a depth of four feet at 
the summit, was in this condition, giving rise to 
many speculations as to its cause. 

When we succeeded in getting it out of the way, 
the reason was apparent. In erecting the mound 
the builders had carried it up to a height of nine 
feet with a very fine dark sand which had become 
so compact as almost to equal mortar in hardness. 
This was impervious to water. The rain and snow 
melting and soaking into the ground was checked by 
it as by a floor. Coming from above more rapidly 
than it could escape along the surface of the sand 
core through the overlying clay produced the mud. 

When we finally reached the original level, we 
found under the central portion of the mound a 
floor of bark or split wood on which had been built 
a rectangular enclosure of small logs. This had an 
inside measurement of seven by eleven feet, being 
longest from north to south. In it were the remains 
of a single individual, with head toward the north. 
It was evident that the skeleton had been buried 
after the flesh had been removed from his bones, as 
the lower jaw and bones of the hands w r ere covered 
with a coating of red ochre of uniform thickness, 
while the surrounding earth, except that immediately 
in contact with the bones in question, show r ed no 
traces of the coloring matter. This could not have 
been the case had the flesh not been removed before 
burial. Why no other bones had been colored is, of 
course, impossible for us to explain. Over this 
vault had been placed another layer of wood or 
bark, and the whole thing then covered with sand. 



MOUNDS NEAR SLATE MILLS, ROSS COUNTY. 165 

The pen was about eighteen inches high, the logs 
forming it being four or five inches in diameter, and 
extending out for two or three feet at the corners. 

o 

The floor and covering were each about three inches 
thick. Of this only a soft, ashy mass remained. It 
could not be determined whether the material was 
bark, or split wood, like puncheons. Enough of the 
logs remained, in places, to show that they were of 
some soft wood like poplar or willow. 

Nothing whatever had been buried with the skele 
ton. 

MOUND NUMBER FORTY-ONE. This lies at the east 
ern end of the group, and is the smallest of the four, 
being fifty feet in diameter and seven feet high. It 
had been opened by Squier and Davis in their cus 
tomary manner by sinking a shaft from the summit 
to the base. 

While it is not the intent of the writer to offer any 
criticisms on the work done by others, it may not be 
out of place here to reproduce what the authors 
mentioned have to say about this group, and allow 
the reader to see wherein their work was deficient. 

Figure 57 in Ancient Monuments of the Missis 
sippi Valley, page 170, represents the group as it 
appeared in 1845. 

While the depressions between the mounds, along 
the line #5, are much greater as shown here, than they 
were when our work was begun, it is probable that 
the measurements taken at the time this sketch was 
made are correct. The mound A (our Number For 
ty), however, is made too far toward the south as 
regards its position relative to g (our Number Forty- 



1 66 



PRIMITIVE MAN IN OHIO. 



three). The authors inform us (page 171) that this 
group- 

" occurs upon the plain in the immediate vi 
cinity of Chillicothe, and is numbered 4 on the map of a 
section of the Scioto Valley, Plate II. The small one 
indicated by the letter j was excavated, and found to 
contain the skeleton of a girl enveloped in bark, in the 
manner already described. The largest of the group is 
about thirty feet in height." 




FIG. xxxi. Peculiar construction of mound No. 43. A. Clay con 
stituting the upper portion of the tumulus. F. Gravel and small 
stones. H. Sand and fine gravel patches strangely intermingled. 
D. Charcoal layer coming up from below, c. White ashes. E. Burnt 
earth on base line. H. Variations of charcoal and burnt earth. 

The statement in the last sentence in regard to the 
height of the largest is one half in excess of the true 

o O 

measurement. The mound j in their description is 
the one we have numbered Forty-one. 



MOUNDS NEAR SLATE MILLS, ROSS COUNTY, l6/ 

The skeleton they exhumed was not " enveloped 
in bark " but placed between two layers of split wood. 
The explorers had done their work in such a way 
that the feet and skull of the skeleton had not been 
touched, although they had disturbed all the other 
bones, even taking away the lower jaw. The Wood 
extended several feet beyond their line of excavation 
on every side, and retained its texture to a degree 
that admitted of no doubt on the subject. An old 
man, who, by a lifetime of work in timber, was quali 
fied to judge, said that he could distinguish beech, 
sycamore, and black walnut among the fragments. 

The head lay to the southwest ; and not more than 
a foot to the west of it was the skull of another 
skeleton which had been placed parallel to the first, 
and which the former explorers had not discovered, 
as their shaft was not extended far enough to reach 

o 

it. The bones of this were so soft that they would 
not hold together when the contiguous earth was 
removed. 

MOUND NUMBER FORTY-TWO. This is between the 
largest mound and the one last described. Its height 
is thirteen feet. In construction it resembled Number 
Forty a core of very fine sand seven feet in height 
covered by six feet of soft, muddy clay. This being 
removed by scraper, we ran a trench fourteen feet 
wide through the mound from north to south. 

o 

In a little pocket at the bottom near the centre of 
the mound, we found a small animal bone, four mus 
sel shells, a few flakes of charcoal, and about a pint 
of ashes. 

There was nothing else in the entire mound, to 
repay us for more than a week of steady work. 



CHAPTER XIV. 

MOUND NUMBER FORTY-THREE. 

THE altitude of this, the largest mound in the 
group, was twenty feet above the general level of 
the ground around it, except that on the side 
toward the south. Here much of the earth com 
posing the four had been gathered, thereby lowering 
the surface from two to three feet over a consider 
able area. 

A few rods north of the group is a hole fifty or 
sixty feet across, and now about four feet deep, 
which may be the place whence was obtained the 
fine sand, or at least a part of it, that formed the 
core in all but Number Forty-one ; such sand is found 
near by, at a depth of about two feet. 

Owing to the height of this mound and the loose 
ness of the earth composing the upper portion, we 
deemed it best not to run a trench from side to side, 
as in the others. The risk of injury from possible 
caving in of the walls was great, and besides, if we 
should come upon any deposits occupying a large 
space, the difficulty of uncovering them properly 
would be greatly increased by the amount of mate 
rial above. Consequently after marking out a line 
on the surface to include all that portion which we 

168 



MOUND NUMBER FORTY-THREE. 169 

considered it necessary to excavate, work was begun 
on the slope at a point half-way between the sum 
mit and the base, the earth above this level having 
been hauled away that it might not interfere with 
subsequent operations. 

Near the centre, four feet from the top, were a 
few decayed bones, among which were thirty-three 
discoidal shell beads ; these belonged to an intrusive 
burial. 

Ten feet to the northwest of this deposit we found 
twenty-six copper beads lying close together at the 
bottom of a hole, three and a half feet deep, that had 
been dug at some time after the completion of the 
mound and refilled. The line between the undis 
turbed earth and that thrown back was quite plain. 
No trace of bone was found, nor was the hole large 
enough to contain a human body unless the skeleton 
alone had been packed into a small bundle and 
buried. 

Just west of the centre, over a space ten feet 
across, and with a vertical range of two feet, were 
twenty-five copper beads (see beads in Fig. xxx.) 
that seemed to have been gathered up from the 
earth and thrown in without any knowledge of their 
presence, as they were scattered at random in the 
space indicated. Unlike those found in the hole, 
which were of nearly uniform size, they varied con 
siderably, some being more than twice as large as 
others. Among them was one which had corroded 
in such a way as to show how it was made. A thin, 
flat piece of metal, with parallel edges, had the ends 
brought to a bevel on the opposite sides, and was 



I/O PRIMITIVE MAN IN OHIO. 

then bent around a cord or thong of leather until the 
ends overlapped, after which they were beaten 
closely together. Probably this was the method 
used in making all the heavier beads. 

o 

Another deposit of the same character, containing 
eighty-four large beads, was found about fifteen feet 
north of the centre, at a depth of four feet. Like 
the first lot, these lay at the lower part of a mass of 
disturbed earth. Instead of there being a small hole 
as in that case, the earth for a distance of seven or 
eight feet around the deposit seemed to have been 
upturned. No trace of human remains was found, 
except one tooth that lay under the beads, and, from 
contact with them, was almost as green as the cop 
per itself. It would appear that the beads, except 
the scattered ones, must have been buried here for 
concealment. Had they been placed with persons 
interred at the spots where they were found, such 
portions of the bones as they may have rested upon 
would certainly have been preserved by them. 

At a depth of eight feet below the summit we 
found sand similar to that in the other mounds. We 
disturbed this as little as possible, the workmen 
removing the overlying clay along its slope, thus 
leaving our terrace or fioor about two feet higher at 
the centre than at the margin. On the north side, 
near the centre, just below the surface of the sand, 
we found at intervals of a few inches what seemed 
to be the remains of short boards, about eight inches 
wide and four to five feet long. The ends were on 
nearly the same level, but the edge of each was 
raised so as to give the face an angle of about forty- 




S h -S 



172 PRIMITIVE MAN 1 IN OHIO. 

five degrees. Were it not for this we might suppose 
them to have been found unnecessary for some pur 
pose for which they were brought here, and thrown 
aside. The apparent care taken to place them at 
equal distances apart and at the same angle, would 
tend to show there was some design in so arranging 
them, though nothing whatever could be discovered 
to indicate what this may have been. 

At the same distance below the summit, and seven 
feet north of the centre, was a layer of peculiar sub 
stance, the nature of which cannot be determined by 
any one who has seen it. It has a greasy feel, and 
is about the consistency of wet clay. In some parts 
it is a bright yellow, while other portions are of a 
dull green. It covered a space of three by five feet, 
with a very irregular outline, was nowhere more 
than an inch in thickness, and the margin was four to 
five inches higher than the central portion. It was 
surrounded by the clay composing the upper portion 
of the mound, the lowest part being a few inches 
above the level of the sand at this point. 

This constituted the sum of our finds in the upper 
half of the mound, and we proceeded to an examina 
tion of the lower portion. 

The trench in Number Forty-two had been carried 
through on a level slightly below the base, and its 
western wall made a good starting-point from which 
to work the larger mound. We began a trench 
with a width of sixteen feet, which we carried to a 
distance of fifty feet toward the northwest, widen 
ing it to twenty-five feet at the centre. 

Almost at the beginning, we found on the north- 



MOUND NUMBER FORTY-THREE. 173 

era side a layer of charcoal and burnt earth, the 
whole varying from an inch to three inches in thick 
ness. This was not horizontal, being in some places 
a foot higher than in others, and nowhere less than 
a foot above the original surface. It seemed as if a 

o 

low, flat mound or platform had stood there, upon 
which fires had been made, before the erection of 
the mound proper was undertaken. Between the 
charcoal and the clayey soil, forming the upper por 
tion of the mound, lay several feet of the sand com 
posing the lower part. 

Finding the thickness of the mass before us too 
great for working conveniently, we divided it into 
two benches, each five feet in thickness, by removing 
the upper one entirely before disturbing that which 
formed the base. 

At five feet from the beginning of our trench, 
and three feet below the surface of the mound, was 
a lens-shaped mass of fine, black earth, about as 
much as a man could easily carry, and quite notice 
able in the close yellow dirt surrounding it. In 
this earth apparently a single basketful carelessly 
thrown here were several fragments of bone, and 
twenty teeth of a child, eight or ten years of age, 
all strongly colored as if from contact with copper. 
Careful search failed to reveal a particle of the 
metal. Only the caps remained of most of the 
teeth. The coloring was as marked on the interior 

O 

of these as on the outer surface. 

Nothing further was found until we had gone 
about fifteen feet beyond the point at which the 
green teeth had been found. Here the stratum of 



1/4 PRIMITIVE MAN- IN 

charcoal before mentioned ascended into the upper 
bench and continued to the end. As the work pro 
gressed we found remains of logs, some of them 
nearly a foot across, while those with a diameter 
from four to eight inches were abundant. There 
were also a great number of small poles, or saplings, 
and a considerable amount of swamp-grass and 
weeds. The grain of the wood was preserved to a 
remarkable degree ; so much so that we could 
readily recognize among it black and white walnut, 
dogwood, elm, hickory, ash, maple, red and white 
oak, red bud, honey-locust, chestnut, and basswood. 

As we found later, this stratum covered a space 
of fifty feet across, and in some places was fully 
three feet thick. In it were many logs and branches 
that had been cut off with stone axes, the marks 
being quite distinct. "We secured a number of these 
logs, including two that measured eight inches in 
thickness. They are shown in Figure xxxm. 

Before reaching this charcoal, the bottom of the 
upper bench had passed out of the clay and into the 
sand core. On approaching the centre, the clay 
reappeared below its proper place, and the sand and 
charcoal were mingled in confusion. This was due 
to a fact which, so far as we are aware, had never 
been observed in any other mound. Intrusive 
burials of modern Indians, made by digging a hole 
.into the top of the mound, are not uncommon ; but 
here w^as a clear case of intrusive burial by the 
original builders themselves. 1 After the sand had 

1 Professor Thomas Wilson, of the Smithsonian Institution, and Dr. 
Cresson remarked two periods of construction in the large mound upon Mr. 
Hopewell s farm, Anderson, Ross Co., Ohio. See pages 186 el scq. for full 
description. \V. K. M. 



1/ PRIMITIVE MAN IN OHIO. 

been piled up, it was left undisturbed for several 
years, as is proven by the fact that we found on its 
top impressions left by the stumps of saplings, some 
of them four or five inches in diameter, the holes 
left by the roots being in some cases easily traceable 
by means of the darker color. As there was no 
trace of the trunks in the dirt above, these must 
have been broken or cut off. 

A large hole had been dug into the top, the 
material removed being thrown in three or four 
piles on different sides. It was evidently one of 
these piles to which we had come in hauling away 
the clay from the upper part of the mound. 

The hole had been carried fully six feet down, and 
reached a foot into the charcoal stratum. The sides 
sloped so as to give it somewhat the shape of an in 
verted cone. In order to make a level space within this, 
several logs, some of them more than a foot in diameter, 
had been laid with the ends resting on the sides of the 
slope. These logs were of white oak and so was all 
the other timber, its fibres being distinct enough for 
its kind to be determined. Wood or bark was 
placed on them to form a floor, on which lay three 
skeletons, side by side, with the heads toward the 
south. 

By the head of the first was a small stone tube, 
and beneath its lower jaw 299 large beads made 
from a conch or similar shell. There was nothing 
with the second, but with the third were two 
arrow-heads and 2,542 beads, some of small entire 
sea-shells, others cut from mussel shell. 

More wood, or bark, had been placed over them, 



MOUND NUMBER FORTY-THREE. IJJ 

on which a small amount of sand was thrown. To 
the west, at a little higher level, were found three 
other skeletons lying on a platform or shelf cut out 
on the side of the depression. It may have been 
the sand removed here that was thrown on those 
first found. Nothing was placed with the last 
bodies, and the bones of all six were so badly 
decayed that none of them could be saved. 

After this burial the mound was built to the 
height which we found it, with the soil lying about 
its base. It is possible that up to this period there 
had been only three small sand mounds with con 
joined bases, all of which were covered with earth 
at the same time. The smaller one to the east was 
probably constructed when these .additions were 
made. 

Nothing further was found in this bench, and our 
workmen now began the removal of the lower one. 
In doing this we kept well below the original sur 
face of the ground, in order that any excavation 
which may have been made prior to the erection of 
the mound mi^ht not be overlooked. 

o 

The charcoal stratum increased in thickness, the 
surface rising gradually until, as stated above, it 
came into the upper bench. Altogether we threw 
out not less than one hundred bushels of it. Nothing 
else worthy of note was discovered, until we had 
nearly reached the centre, where, on the north side 
of the trench, were five holes in a north and south 
line, two feet apart, from twelve to sixteen inches 
across, and reaching well down into the sand, which 
is found under the soil at a depth of two to three 



17 o PRIMITIVE MAN IN OHIO. 

feet. Four feet south of the most southern of these, 
were found three of the same character, in an east 
and west line. All were filled with loose earth, and 
the sand which had been taken from the bottom was 
spread out in a smooth, even layer above them. 
They contained no trace of wood or anything else 
to indicate the purpose for which they had been dug. 

On coming to the central part of the mound, we 
found a skeleton on the charcoal just beneath the 
logs on which had rested the remains due to intru 
sive burials. Whether this had been deposited at 
the same time as those above it, or placed here when 
the sand mound was first built, we cannot tell. 
Fifty large discoidal shell beads lay by the cranium 
of the skeleton. 

A few inches lower than this skeleton, and imme 
diately under it, was a very peculiar deposit. Ex 
tending east and west was a mass five feet long, 
from twelve to sixteen inches wide, having an ellip 
tical section four inches thick at the middle. This 
was composed almost entirely of small fragments of 
human bones. They had been burned until almost 
entirely destroyed, and were mingled in utter con 
fusion as though hastily gathered up from the place 
of cremation. We secured a few of the pieces, 
enough to learn that some belonged to the frame of 
an adult, while others were from the remains of a 
child not more than half grown. Scattered here 
and there among them were over thirty drilled shell 
beads, none less than three fourths of an inch in 
diameter, but all so injured by the heat that they 
crumbled in a few moments. One showed that in 



MOUND NUMBER FORTY-THREE. 1/9 

the process of perforating the maker had allowed 
his drill to work too far to one side of the centre 
line. Another trial sent it as far toward the other 
side. Reversing the bead, he began at the other end 
a hole twice the size of those first attempted, and 
this time was successful in his efforts. 

The most curious object found among these cal 
cined remains was about one half of the top of a 
human skull, bearing no traces of fire such as marked 
everything else in the deposit. It had evidently 
been used as a cup or vessel before being broken. 
All the thicker portions of the bone had been cut 
away, and the edge thus left carefully trimmed, 
leaving a smooth rim entirely around it. 

These remains were in a mass of charcoal at a 
place where much earth was mingled with it, 
and had been carried in from the outside. The 
manner in which they were placed shows they could 
not have been burned here. The piece of skull 
alluded to had been thrown upon them after they 
were deposited. 

Just north of the centre, on the original surface, 
the earth in a space of four by six feet was burned 
until to a depth of six inches it was as hard as a 
brick. Over this lay a mass of white ashes measur 
ing nine feet east and west, and twelve feet north 
and south, five inches deep where thickest, and run 
ning out to an edge on every side. The northern 
margin of the burnt earth reached to a trench that 
had been dug after the fire had died down. The 
layer of ashes extended to the trench, was broken 
for the space this occupied, and then continued for 



l8o PRIMITIVE MAN IN OHIO. 

two or three feet beyond it, while the sand that 
came from the bottom of the trench was thrown on 
top of the ashes on either side. 

For more than a foot above the surface decayed 
wood, charcoal, and earth were intermingled, and on 
this mass rested two rows of loss crossing; each 

o o 

other at a right angle. The trench below made a 
sharp turn, both it and the logs running into the 
earth on the north wall of our excavation. To de 
termine their character and extent, it was necessary 
to make a side cut fifteen feet in width and carry it 
sixteen feet toward the north, removing the over 
lying earth that extended to a height of thirteen feet 
above the logs. 

When this was done, we found that a hut or pen 
ten feet wide and twelve feet long, made from logs 
of six to eleven inches in diameter, had been built 
up by crossing the logs at the corners in the ordi 
nary way. All were now converted into charcoal, 
and had settled down until each side of the pen 
formed a compact mass about three feet in breadth 
and thickness, so that it must in the first place have 
been not less than seven or eight feet in height. 

After clearing away this charcoal, and the con 
fused mass below it, we came to the trench and 
found it to extend around a rectangular area twelve 
by sixteen feet, with slightly rounded corners. It 
was quite narrow, nowhere more than twelve inches 
across, though reaching down into the sand sub 
stratum, and contained a row of posts or logs, in the 
form of a stockade. They were set as closely to 
gether as possible, no gap being left for entrance or 



MOUND NUMBER FORTY-THREE. l8l 

exit. In some places several in succession had been 
in contact, so that no earth had settled between 
them, while occasionally there was a space of three 
or four inches filled with soil as compact as that on 
either side of the trench. 

The marks left by the tools used in digging were 
still very plain in the earth on the sides, some of them 
being vertical as though made by a spud, others hori 
zontal as if the instrument had been used in the 
fashion of a pick ; they were evidently made with 
an antler or sharpened stick. We were so fortunate 
as to discover one of the tools. It is a piece of wood 
five inches long, one end sharpened, the other broken 
with a ragged fracture, the user apparently having 
put too much strain on it in prying. It is shown in 
Figure xxxm., although the striations caused by its 
use, which are very distinct in the specimen itself, 
are not well shown. In the same figure some pieces 
of logs that have been cut with stone axes may be 
seen. 

The depths to which the posts extended varied 
from eighteen to thirty inches. Some of them rested 
upon gravelly sand and clay; others, more than half 
the entire number, reached into the underlying sand. 
The remainder were set upon small deposits of what 
seemed to be a mixture of mud, sand, and ashes, put 
into the bottom while wet, and in some places bear 
ing on the upper surface the imprint of the end of 
the post which it had supported. The mixture was 
almost as hard as stone ; pieces an inch thick could 
scarcely be cut through with the spades. The posts 
were cut or burned off at the top, none of them, ex- 



1 82 PRIMITIVE MAN IN OHIO. 

cept one, reaching more than eighteen inches above 
the surface. In some of the holes only traces of de 
cayed wood remained, while in others was a little 
mass of charcoal. In some instances the charred 
posts retained their original form. 

At the corner farthest from the observer may be 
seen a post which extends upwards four feet. The 
part of this above the surface had only about half 
the thickness of the portion remaining in the trench, 
while the manner in which the top is burnt shows 
that it was once higher than now. 

All through the mound, from the base to within 
five feet of the top, and from the centre for twenty 
feet out, were masses of earth from a shovelful to 
several cubic yards in size. There was every shade 
of yellow and red, according to the burning to which 
they had been subjected. The white, brown, and 
yellow of the decayed wood, the black of the char 
coal, and the varying natural colors of the earth 
gathered from different places, gave a diversified 
appearance that was quite novel, and some of the 
combinations were very pleasing. 

A part of the last week s work here was a severe 
trial to our patience and endurance. We were in a 
pit, with w r alls from ten to fifteen feet high all around 
us, so that the air was always still. The sun shone 
in for several hours during the hottest portion of the 
day, and the ashes, fine sand, decayed wood, and 
pulverized charcoal arose in clouds that w^ould some 
times hide from view a person on the opposite side 
from where the work was being carried on. The 
thermometer, hanging in the shade outside, marked 



MOUND NUMBER FORTY-THREE. 183 

from 86 to 96. After an hour s time we would all 
look like coal miners coming out of a shaft at the 

o 

end of a day s labor. 

In order to show the complex arrangement of the 
material constituting the large mound, we present 
two sections made in different parts of the trench. 

Figure xxxi. represents a section of the face of the 
upper bench, taken at the point where the heavy 
charcoal stratum came into it from below ; only the 
northern portion appears here, the southern side 
being shown in the next figure xxxii. 

Figure xxxii. will show how exceedingly compli 
cated were the various substances at the point where 
we began the side cut for the purpose of uncovering 
the log pen and space enclosed by the stockade 
trench. Only a painting could do justice to the 
vivid colors presented here over a space several feet 
square. Some of the charcoal was iridescent, like 
peacock coal, and there was every shade of yellow 
and red that burnt earth could present. It seemed 
almost like vandalism to destroy it ; but perhaps 
many think that the whole work of mound excava 
tion is only a form of vandalism, after all. 



CHAPTER XV. 

HOPEWELL S TUMULI. 

FKOM September 1, 1891, until the middle of 
January of the following year, we were investigating 
the tumuli and village sites of Mr. Cloud Hope well s 
farm, one mile west of Anderson, in the interests of 
the World s Columbian Exposition. 

It would not be just to Professor Putnam and the 
World s Fair Commissioners to speak specifically of 
these remains and our finds, as the excavations were 
carried on at the expense of the Fair; hence, our 
remarks will be more of a general character. The 
farm overlooks the valley of the North Fork of 
Paint Creek, and its ancient remains are described 
in Squier and Davis volume, pages 24 to 29 inclu 
sive, and 156 and 255. At the time of their survey 
the place was known as the Clark Works. 

Twenty-four mounds of various dimensions are 
enclosed by an embankment of no great height. The 
remains lie principally upon the second river terrace, 
the wall of the fortification extending backwards and 
upwards to the edge of the third or earliest terrace. 
It has not materially changed since the survey of 
1845. There are four or five small mounds situated 
upon the third terrace, several hundred yards north 

184 



HOPE WELLS TUMULI. 185 

of the fortification, which were not mentioned in the 
early survey. There are two small mounds three 
hundred feet northeast of the large group enclosed 
in the circle, which were also not included. 

One of the third terrace mounds and thirteen of 
those enclosed by the embankment were thoroughly 
examined. As in the case of all mounds on hi^h 

o 

ground, nothing of note was uncovered. The other 
structures opened varied from one foot to twenty- 
eight feet in altitude, having diameters ranging from 
twenty to five hundred feet. Plate x., page 26 of 
Squier and Davis Ancient Monuments of the Missis 
sippi Valley, gives the correct representation of the 
North Fork Works. The mounds which we exam 
ined and numbered by the authors of the volume 
just named were One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, 
Seven, Eight, Eleven, Fourteen, and Sixteen ; and of 
the mounds unnumbered, the one to the ri^ht of 

O 

Eleven, one in the northeast corner of the enclosure 
near the base of the third terrace, the large one in 
the southeast corner, being oblong in outline, the 
three enclosed in the semicircle, and two lying 
between two springs just north of the words " area 
111 acres." 

The half circle surrounding the large group has 
nearly disappeared. From the external appearance 
of the group before excavation and the internal ap 
pearance after the work was completed, we are of 
the opinion that one large mound in the shape of the 
human trunk had been constructed. Messrs. Squier 
and Davis convey the idea in their plan that three 
mounds were built close together within the circle. 



1 86 PRIMITIVE MAN IN OHIO. 

We do not think it was the intention of the builders 
to represent three distinct mounds, although there 
are variations in the height of the mound. The in 
ternal structure would indicate that it had been 
built gradually, some ten or fifteen separate addi 
tions being noticeable. 

Before stating conclusions derived from the exam 
ination of the mounds upon Mr. Hopewell s farm, it 
will be well to sum up the peculiarities of construc 
tion and to remark upon the position of skeletons 
and accompanying objects. All the mounds were 
erected upon a hard burnt floor. In the instance of 
the large oblong mound and the great effigy, gravel 
and clay intermixed have been subject to a heat 
sufficiently intense to form a cement of equal tough 
ness to that of an ordinary cellar floor. As remarked 
in foot-note upon page 174 the oblong mound was 
constructed at two different periods. When first 
completed its altitude did not exceed ten feet. A 
few years later gravel, sand, and boulders were 
heaped upon it to a thickness of six or eight feet in 
the centre. The gravel has since been affected by 
erosion, and when we examined the structure we 
observed the stratum of gravel near the east and 
west ends to be five feet in thickness, while in the 
centre it was but two or two and a half feet. Figure 
xxxiv. shows a ground plan of this mound and the 
lettered objects, skeletons and layers, are described 
on page 188. The large busy con shells, and stone 
bowl from this mound are shown in Figures 
xxxvni. and XLIV. 

It will be seen by comparison of these illustra- 




FK;. xxxiv. (Iround plan of Hopewell s mound. See pai^e 186. 



187 



1 88 PRIMITIVE MAN IN OHIO. 

tions with those of Squier and Davis, as published 
in the latter part of their book, that the objects 
exceed in beauty and workmanship those of the 
same character taken from the " Mound City Group." 

Fig. xxxiv. The oblong mound, Hopewell s 
Group. Nos. 197 to 235, inclusive, are skeletons. 
Fourteen or fifteen were accompanied by objects or 
ornaments. Near Nos. 199 and 209 are two altars of 
good form. Both were taken out entire. 

An enormous log was found below No. 221 and 
is indicated upon the map. 

c is a seventeen-pound copper axe, 12^ by 5f 
inches, and 1|- inches in thickness. 

D is a stone bowl. This is shown in Fig. xxxvin. 

p p B are shells. B and p are shown in Fig. XLIV. 

p H indicates a post-hole. 

The dark streaks represent charcoal and black 
earth. The boulder layers are shown in the lower 
portion of the figure. 

Figure xxxvi. will give the reader an idea of the 
skeleton of a young person surrounded and covered 
by numerous copper objects, shells, tablets, and 
beads. The body lay but two feet from the surface 
in a very small mound, numbered Eleven upon 
Messrs. Squier and Davis 7 plan. Near it was anoth 
er skeleton from the hand of which we took a beau 
tiful granite pipe, highly polished, and exhibiting 
the finest workmanship of any object of that nature 
exhumed from the mounds. It is shown to the left 
in Illustration XL. 

Fig. XL. (p. 207) shows cut mica ornaments, a pipe, 
and three copper objects perforated for suspension as 



HOPEWELL S TUMULI. 189 

pendants. The bear tusks and shell ornaments are 
from the Effigy Mound. 

Fig. XLI. The copper spool-shaped ornaments, 
mica sheets peculiarly cut, and a broad wrist-band 
of copper exhibited in this figure are all from Squier 
and Davis 7 mound No. Eleven. 

Fig. XLIII. In this is shown the long copper cres 
cent found under the head of skeleton No. 176, 
mound No. Eleven, Squier and Davis. The long 
knife placed above the crescent has been described 
in Chapter vm. under the head of Oregonia. 

Mound No. Two lies nearly in the centre of the 
enclosure arid was partially explored by Squier and 
Davis. They refer to it briefly upon page 158 of their 
volume. Their statement, made with great modesty, 
that four thousand flint disks were deposited in the 
structure, six hundred of which they took out, is 
considerably less than one half the original number. 
The following table was prepared in our official 
capacity as assistant in Department M of the World s 
Columbian Exposition : 

DISKS. 

Excavated from the mound by our men 7*232 

Taken out by Squier and Davis 600 

Taken out by Mr. Steel 200 

Given M. Hopewell prior to official count 80 

Found upon the surface near mound afterwards 42 

From other sources 31 



Total 8,185 

A large shouldered spear-head, was the only imple 
ment in the entire number differing from the circular 



1 90 PRIMITIVE MAN IN OHIO. 

and leaf-shaped outline of the disks. It can be seen 
in Fig. XLIL, together with various forms of the 
disks. 

Squier and Davis report that the disks were 
placed upon edge in several layers. Their error is 
due to a hasty examination. In taking the mound 
entirely out we found the disks lying in little pock 
ets or bunches of twelve to fifteen each with layers 
of sand around each mass. The deposits covered 
an area, nearly circular in form, of tw T enty-two by 
twenty-six feet. In places they ran from a foot to 
eighteen inches in depth. The builders of the 
structure had apparently carried in their hands and 
arms all the disks they could transport readily and 
deposited them upon the same level, while others of 
their friends poured sand between and over each 
man s deposit. Having completed so much of the 
mound, a second series of deposits was made exactly 
like the first. 

Most of the disks are of a light blue color; some 
are gray. They are made from flint nodules which 
occur two miles northwest of Mr. Hopewell s farm. 
There are extensive chippings upon several estates 
in the neighborhood. 

The magnitude of the find surpasses any discovery 
previously made. Fig. xxxv. represents the speci 
mens heaped at the side of our tent. They cover 
a space of fifteen by eight by three feet and weigh 
nearly six thousand eight hundred pounds. It re 
quired four horses to haul them from the mound to 
the camp site. 

Mr. W. H. Holmes, of the Bureau of Ethnology 




FIG. xxxvi. Skeleton 176 from mound No. 20. See page iSS. The 
objects are unusually numerous and unique in form. 



191 



IQ2 PRIMITIVE MAN IN OHIO. 

at Washington City, and Dr. Thomas Wilson, of the 
Smithsonian Institution, both visited Camp Hope- 
well before the disks were shipped, and expressed 
their surprise at the importance and extent of the 
discovery. Both gentlemen have made a special 
study of the flaking and chipping of implements, 
and gave it as their opinion that many thousands of 
nodules were broken and partially worked in order 
to produce the eight thousand disks. Mr. Holmes 
stated that four in five nodules contained flaws or 
seams which would render the fashioning of perfect 
disks an impossibility. 

The finely chipped circular disk shown in the 
upper part of illustration No. XLII. (to the left 
of the shouldered spear-head) was undoubtedly a 
finished implement, but we question whether the 
great majority of the disks are complete. 

We think the mound to have been a place of 
storage, where the natives living within the en 
closure kept material to be subsequently worked 
into implements. Flint, freshly taken from the 
earth, is much more easily worked than that which 
has been lying exposed to the air for a long time. 
The aborigines were undoubtedly aware of this fact. 

The finds at the Hopewell mounds during the 
latter part of November and the first half of Decem 
ber exceed in importance all previous discoveries. 
The examination of the Effigy Mound at the writ 
ing of the present page was but half completed, yet 
two deposits of copper aggregating two hundred 
and thirty-five pieces have been taken out. There 
were sheets worked into fantastic designs; squares 



HOPE WELL S TUMULI, 193 

and semicircles ; Swastika crosses ; effigies of birds 
and fishes; anklets and bracelets; combs and pen 
dants; large and small celts, one weighing thirty- 
eight pounds, twenty-two and a half inches in length, 
and an inch and a half in thickness ; and, in short, 
every known form of copper implement or orna 
ment. When the report of the World s Columbian 
Exposition surveys is published the details of this 
marvellous find will be made public. 

Although Squier and Davis examined most of 
the mounds upon the Hopewell farm, and took 
altars and objects from them, had we not trusted to 
their report it would have been impossible to dis 
tinguish the explored froni the unexplored. In 
most of the mounds, there were no burials in the 
exact centre. After Squier and Davis, such farmers 
as made up their minds to ruthlessly intrude upon 
the structures which only the competent should ex 
plore, acting upon this belief, sank shafts from the 
summits downward. Fortunately for us they found 
little, and our broad trenches, taking in the great 
body of the mounds, secured everything. In the 
case of mound Number One there is no elevation to 
mark where it stood, but we suppose from the num 
ber of beautifully carved bones and fragments of 
discoidals and ornaments found northwest from the 
" dug hole " indicated upon their map, that we have 
found where it stood. One of our men excavating 
for three weeks carefully with a hand trowel for a 
radius of one hundred yards northwest of the dug 
hole found near the surface the bits of carved bone 
exhibited in Fig. XXXLX. The attention of the 



194 PRIMlTirE MAN IN OHIO. 

reader is called to the designs upon the fragments in 
the upper row. The carving 1 is much finer in 
detail than that upon any of the shells occasionally 
found in Tennessee. 

" These carved traceries or engravings upon bone, even 
in fragmentary state, evince an artistic aptitude much 
beyond the mineral and vegetable stain, and by their 
almost microscopic delicacy of execution and unfaltering 
precision of linework, show a high degree of manual skill. 

" Though some are undoubtedly portions of barbaric 
and desultory design, and unsystematic application of 
indefinite ideas, others bespeak a clearly conceived idea, a 
definite motive, and vigorous execution, not inferior to 
the predominant motives of early Mediterranean decora 
tive art. 

" They are clearly not of an illustrative or imitative 
design, either realistic or conventional, but created design 
founded on purely mechanical motive, with good concep 
tion ; and it is regrettable that no complete examples 
remain to enable a correct artistic valuation of the purpose 
of the whole." 

The mound enclosed in the semicircle, which 
Squier and Davis have considered as three or four 
mounds built together, we named the " Effigy," on 
account of its resemblance to the human trunk. 

Figure i., the frontispiece of this volume, gives the 
head-dress of a most singular skeleton found upon 
the base line, northeast of the centre of the mound. 
The Cincinnati Commercial Gazette published a brief 

1 Dr. Cresson, who is familiar with carved bones from the caverns in 
southern France, holds these to be in no way inferior to carvings from 
Langiere-Basse, Bruniquel, and Grotte de Lortet. 

2 The three paragraphs referring to bone carvings were written by our 
artist, Mr. Jack Bennett. W. K. M. 




r 

o 



HOPE WELL S TUMULI. 195 

despatch, the morning after the discovery (November 
17, 1891), from which we copy the following: 

" If the number of implements is evidence of the 
esteem in which a prehistoric man is held by the people, 
he was certainly the most important Cacique of the Scioto 
Valley. At his head were imitation elk horns, neatly 
made of wood and covered with sheet-copper, rolled into 
cylindrical form over the prongs. The antlers were 
twenty-two inches high and nineteen inches across from 
prong to prong. They fitted into a crown of copper, bent 
to fit the head from occipital to upper jaw. Copper 
plates were upon the breast and stomach ; also on the 
back. The copper preserved the bones and a few of the 
sinews. It also preserved traces of cloth similar to coffee- 
sacking in texture, interwoven among the threads of 
which were nine hundred beautiful pearl beads, bear teeth 
split and cut, and hundreds of other beads both pearl and 
shell. Copper spool-shaped objects and other implements 
covered the remains. A pipe of granite and a spear-head 
of agate were near the right shoulder. The pipe was of 
very fine workmanship and highly polished." 

The bear teeth and tusks in Figure XL. exhibit cut 
and sawed ends. Several of them have bone plugs 
inserted in perforations. 

We should be pleased to refer to boulder outlines 
representing panthers, skeletons, the interesting con 
struction, etc., of this mound, but, as before said, the 
notes taken this summer are not our property. 

The strong mixture of the two races, brachy- 
cephalic and dolicocephalic, as exhibited on several 
of the mounds on Messrs. Hopewell s farm, was to us 
at first inexplicable. But as excavations brought to 
light new finds we could come but to one conclusion, 



196 PRIMITIVE MAN IN OHIO. 

both from an inspection of the crania and the imple 
ments. The short-headed race, predominating to 
such an extent in the river valleys of the Tennessee, 
also controlled the Scioto and Miami settlements. 
The few long-heads present were undoubtedly sub 
servient to the short-heads. 



CHAPTER XVI. 

CONCLUSIONS. 

WE labor under considerable difficulty in making 
our conclusions, for what may be perfectly clear to 
the explorer may not be so apparent to the reader. 

We ask, therefore, most careful attention on his 
part while we make an explanation which must 
necessarily be long, because of the great mass of 
material that is to be considered. 

It has been demonstrated that tribes did not 
occupy the northern portion of the State for any 
great length of time. The hilly regions do not con 
tain sufficient evidences of early man s presence to 
enter into these conclusions. It follows, therefore, 
that our arguments deal entirely with the large river 
valleys. 

The field work shows that both the brachy cephalic 
and dolicocephalic races intermingled largely in all 
the valleys save the Muskingum, and from this 
various complications arise. 

The reports of the Madisonville Historical Society 
and those of Dr. Metz and Professor Putman have 
proved the predominance of the short-headed stock 
in that great cemetery. Our own observations lead 
to a similar conclusion in regard to Fort Ancient. 

197 



198 PRIMITIVE MAN IN OHIO. 

In the Scioto valley, afc Hope well s Earthwork 
and other parts of Ohio and the Miami valley, Dr. 
Cresson has noted a large predominance of the 
brachycephali over the dolicocephali, the osteological 
affinitives of these people resembling those of the 
stone-grave people of Tennessee so closely that there 
is little doubt that the builders of Hopewell s 
Earthwork are but an advanced offshoot to the north 
of tliis people. 

In the Muskingum valley, as was observed in 
Chapter in., the mounds contain the crania of the 
long-headed stock. The other valleys of Ohio 
inhabited by the short-heads were just as fertile 
and attractive to primitive man as the Muskiugum. 
Why, then, did not one race or the other occupy 
the whole valley ? An examination will reveal 
the reason. 

The long-heads established toward the east in the 
Muskingum valley were too strong to be dislodged 
by the short-heads, an offshoot of whom we have 
already stated had probably advanced from the 
south and southwest, through Tennessee and Ken 
tucky into the valleys of the Miami and Scioto, and 
they, in their turn, were too powerful in the west to 
be driven back by their enemies from the land which 
they had taken possession of. 

The long-heads were the more combative of the 
two, because they established small villages in Cler- j 
mont and Clinton counties, but twenty-five to forty 
miles from Fort Ancient, the great fortress of the\ 
short-heads. Had the short-heads entered a vigor 
ous campaign against the long-heads in the Mus- 




CL 

8 
o 



I 



CONCL US10NS. 1 99 

kingum valley, they might have crushed the latter 
aiid taken possession of the area which they occu 
pied. They were probably the more timid of the 
two, for throughout their territory are numerous 
fortifications, while in the Muskinguni valley there 
is but one, and that is the magnificent work upon 
the site of the present city of Marietta. Undoubt 
edly the few scattered villages of long-heads were 
composed of the rougher element of the nation, the 
fierce fighters, the relentless foes of the more peaceful 
short-heads. 

We would say that the presence of dolicocephalic 
skulls at HopewelPs Earthwork, Fort Ancient, or at 
Madisonville indicates the adoption and gradual 
absorption of the former people captured by the 
short-head stock. It is possible that the crania of 
the long-headed type which we found near the short- 
heads were those of slaves, placed thus to indicate 
their vassalage. It is more than probable that they 
did not enter the tribe of their enemies of their own 
free will. We never find them buried with orna 
ments or implements, as we do those of the short- 
heads in the same mound. There are so few 
skeletons of the dolicocephali found at Fort Ancient 
and at Hopewell s Earthwork that we are inclined 
to the opinion that their attacks were generally 
repulsed. 

Nothing more than the upper status of savagery 
was attained by any race or tribe living within the 
limits of the present State of Ohio. All statements 
to the contrary are misrepresentations. If we go by 
field testimony alone (not to omit the reports of 



200 PRIMITIVE MAN IN OHIO. 

early travellers among North American tribes), we 
can assign primitive man high attainments in but 
few things, and these indicate neither civilization 
nor an approach toward it. 

First, he excelled in building earthen fortifications 
and in the interment of his dead ; second, he made 
surprisingly long journeys for mica, copper, lead, 
shells, and other foreign substances to be used as 

* O 

tools and ornaments ; third, he was an adept in the 
chase and in war ; fourth, he chipped flint and made 
carvings on bone, stone, and slate exceedingly well, 
when we consider the primitive tools he employed ; 
fifth, a few of the more skilful men of his tribe 
made fairly good representations of animals, birds, 
and human figures in stone. 

This sums up, in brief, all that he seemed capable 
of, which we in our day can consider remarkable. 
On the other hand, he failed to grasp the idea of 
communication by written characters, the use of 
metal (except in the cold state), the cutting of stone 
or the making of brick for building purposes, and 
the construction of permanent homes. Ideas of 
transportation, other than upon his own back or 
in frail canoes, or the use of coal, which was so 
abundant about him, and which he frequently made 
into pendants and ornaments, and a thousand other 
things which civilized beings enjoy, were utterly 
beyond his comprehension. Instead of living peace 
fully in villages and improving a country unequalled 
in natural resources, of which he was the sole pos 
sessor, he spent his time in petty warfare, or in 
savage worship, and in the observance of the gross- 



CONCL U SIGNS. 2O I 

est superstitions. He possessed 110 knowledge of 
surgery or the setting of bones, unless we accept as 
evidence two neatly knitted bones found at Fosters , 
which by some extra effort he may have accom 
plished. But, while admitting these two speci 
mens to be actually and carefully set w r ith splints, 
we have scores of femora, humeri, and other bones 
from Fort Ancient and Oregonia which are worn flat 
against unnatural sockets, formed after the bones 
had been displaced. We have broken fibulae and 
tibiae which had never been reset. They were bent 
like a bow, and nature alone had aided them in 
coming together. 

It has been the mistake of many writers upon the 
antiquities of Ohio, to accept as evidence of the 
civilization of these peoples the mere fact that they 
could build circular and square embankments and 
great fortifications. Any school-boy know r s that he 
can form a perfect circle by taking hold of the hands 
of his comrades and placing one of their number at 
ten feet from the line to observe that the rest keep 
properly stretched out. The boy at one end acts 
as a pivot, the others swinging in a circle, w r hile 
the boy at the end farthest from the pivot marks 
upon the ground with a stick as far out from the 
line as he can reach. Four hundred men, placed in 
four lines of one hundred each, can easily mark a 
square which will be but two or three feet out 
of geometric proportions. 

We mention these facts to call the attention of the 
reader to some things to which many persons give 
undue prominence. 



202 PRIMITIVE MAN IN OHIO. 

Our study of primitive man leads us to a belief in 
two tribes of savages, not two tribes of semi-civilized 
people. The impression usually conveyed by the 
term " Mound Builders " will not stand in the light 
of modern science. While it is more or less of a 
disappointment to many not to be able to place 
primitive man in Ohio on an equality with the status 
of Mexican or South American tribes, yet it is a 
gratification to know that the vexatious question 
concerning his movements and every-day life has 
been very nearly settled. There is a fascination in 
studying him even as a savage and investigating the 
numerous remains which attest his occupancy of this 
territory. 

This volume has been written in the field while 
the facts given in the preceding pages are fresh in 
memory. It is testimony noted down while un 
covering the relics of a people long since departed 
which has suggested to us the use to which he put 
implements, how primitive man made his burials, 
his peculiar sacrifices upon clay altars, the singular 
head-dresses of copper which he sometimes placed 
over distinguished leaders of his tribe, yet we regret 
there is no means of ascertaining his language. Dr. 
D. Gr. Brinton, the distinguished American ethnolo 
gist, in his admirable book The American Hace, has 
given archaeologists an idea of the languages of all 
Indian tribes of historic times. Would that he could 
give us the language of the two races that it has been 
our purpose to describe. This can never be, how 
ever, for that delicate mechanism which aided them 
to communicate one with the other is now silent. 



CONCLUSIONS. 203 

With the exception of the languages of the 
brachycephalic and dolicocephalic races we under 
stand their movements quite clearly. During the 
long ages spent in occupation of beautiful Ohio they 
constructed earthworks, erected their villages, buried 
their dead amidst pomp and ceremony, travelled 
from one part of the State to another, stoically re 
sisting the attacks of their enemies. Where they 
lived and enjoyed savage pleasures, indulged in 
barbaric pursuits and semi-religious festivals, the 
Shawnee Indian afterward erected towns and vil 
lages. Close upon his heels followed the white 
settlers. Then was instituted a real civilization in 
the Ohio valley. 



CHAPTER XVII. 

CRANIA AND SKELETONS WITH TABLE OF MEASUREMENTS. 

DURING the summer of 1891 a large and interesting 
osteological collection excavated from the mounds of 
the Miami and Scioto valleys by Mr. Moorehead, of 
the World s Columbian Archaeological Survey, was 
stored at the camp on the North Fork of Paint Creek, 
near Anderson, Ohio. This material, together with 
that which was daily accumulating from the explora 
tions in progress at the Hope well Earthworks, was 
awaiting shipment to Chicago. A thorough study 
of such a large number of crania and skeletons would 
necessarily occupy an indefinite period, even if ample 
time could be devoted to it, but our duties in con 
nection with the archaeological explorations, which 
are still in progress for the World s Columbian Ex 
position, make it impossible to give any more than a 
resume of the subject, taken in spare moments from 
notes made in the field. In this connection it may 
be well to mention that the study of osteology and 
craniology has, with a few exceptions, been neglected 
by archaeologists in this country, which fact has been 
severely criticised by European students. To omit, 
therefore, even a brief consideration of the subject 
would be inconsistent, and oblige the readers of this 
work to remain uninformed as to the anatomical 



204 




205 



206 PRIMITIVE MAN IN OHIO. 

characteristics of the people whose remains were 
excavated from the various earth works and mounds 
referred to in the preceding pages. 

During a visit to Washington made a couple of 
years ago, Dr. Thomas Wilson, Curator of Pre 
historic Anthropology at the Smithsonian Institution, 
courteously allowed us to examine the crania and 
skeletons of the mound collection deposited tempor 
arily in that museum by Mr. Moorehead. A portion 
of this material had been excavated from stone 
graves within Fort Ancient and the stone heaps 
which lie upon the terraces without its walls. The 
other part came from various village sites on the 
bottoms of the Little Miami River which are 
covered by alluvial deposits, and from various other 
portions of the State of Ohio. Notes taken at that 
time have greatly aided in the preparation of this 
chapter. During the residence of the archaeological 
survey at Chillicothe various archaeological collec 
tions were placed at our disposal for examination, 
and much valuable information obtained. This dis 
position to aid investigation was not only apparent 
at that place, but in all parts of the State which it 
was necessary to visit in order to obtain the neces 
sary data for comparison. 

It is difficult to classify the crania found through 
out the mound-building and stone-grave areas of 
the State of Ohio (Fig. XLV.). The same variations 
in form and capacity are to be remarked in them as 
among those of the Mississippi and Cumberland 
valleys, and types as wide apart as those of the 
Caucasian and Ethiopian are not uncommon. Still 




207 



208 PRIMITIVE MAN IN OHIO. 

if we may judge from the careful investigations of 
Professor Putnam, Dr. Metz, Mr. Fowke, Messrs. 
Moorehead and Cresson in the Big and Little Miami 
valleys, and that of the Scioto, and other portions 
of Ohio, the predominant type of the crania exca 
vated is brachy cephalic (Fig. XLVIL). Traces of these 
short-headed people are to be found in Peru, Central 
America, Mexico, New Mexico, and Arizona, and 
may be traced across from the south and west until 
we find them intermingled with the long-headed 
peoples of localities east of the Mississippi their 
burials extending even as far as the Atlantic coast. 
These migrations of the brachycephali seem to have 
been more hotly contested at some points than at 
others by the people whom they finally encountered 
and absorbed in Ohio, Kentucky, and Tennessee. 
At Fort Ancient the struggle seems to have been a 
bitter one, as indicated by Mr. Moorehead s descrip 
tion of the condition of the osteological material 
from the Middle Fort. No friendly relations seem 
to have existed. The long-heads (Fig. XLVI.) were 
evidently the attacking people, who beseiged the 
earthwork and were buried apart outside of its walls 
under the stone heaps. At Hope well s Earthwork, 
farther to the eastward, the burials do not indicate 
this marked separation, for we find both types inter 
mingled together, the short-headed greatly predomi 
nating, the other people in fact almost absorbed by 
them. This same predominance of the short-heads 
over the dolicocephalic type is also to be remarked 
at Madison ville cemetery, southwest of Fort An 
cient, and at Hopewell s Earthwork. 








20Q 



2IO PRIMITIVE MAN IN OHIO. 

At the aboriginal cemetery near Madisonville, 
twelve hundred crania out of fourteen hundred 
were classed as brachy cephalic. Further references 
might be made to the short-headed people in other 
groups of mounds and cemeteries of Ohio, but as 
we are considering the osteological material from 
certain specified localities already referred to, we 
shall confine our remarks to it alone. 

The general characteristics of the brachycephalic 
skulls in the collections of which we speak are not 
unlike those of the stone-grave people of Tennessee. 
In fact their modes of burial at Fort Ancient, 
Oregonia, and at Hopewell s Earthworks on the 
North Fork of Paint Creek are similar, as indicated 
in Chapter vm. An examination of several thou 
sand stone graves in Tennessee has also led us to the 
same conclusions, especially since abundant oppor 
tunities have been afforded for comparison while 
superintending work in different parts of Ohio. 

The crania of the brachycephalic type in the vari 
ous Ohio collections that we have examined are 
short, round, and in some cases quite heavy (Fig. 
XLVII.). A skull excavated at Hopewell s Earthworks, 
Ross County, Ohio, weighed thirty-three and a half 
ounces. The frontal bones retreat somewhat tow 
ard the parietals, which are full and moderately 
elevated. 

The face is a little shorter perhaps than the aver 
age mesaticephali and dolicocephali who are found 
at times intermingled in their burials, and has large 
and prominent cheek-bones. The brows in the 
crania before us are nearly straight, the superciliary 




211 



212 PRIMITIVE MAN IN OHIO. 

ridges heavy, and the orbits open and square. The 
supranasal depression in most cases is not strongly 
marked and in some of the crania does not exist. 

The nasal spine in front of the ethmoidal notch 
projects downwards and forwards, and is generally 
well developed (Fig. XLIX., A), but exceptions are to 
be noted in which the spine is short and blunt. The 
nasal bone is oblong, and varies in size with different 
individuals. The concavity from above downward, 
of the outer surface, in two cases before us, is greatly 
exaggerated, amounting to a positive deformity (see 
illustration, Fig. XLIX., B). It cannot be attributed 
to the distortion of earth pressure, as the specimens 
referred to were taken from stone graves where the 
slabs of stone at the side and above prevented direct 
contact of the earth with the bones. 

The jaws are heavy and at times prognathic, with 
marked projection of the mental protuberance. 
Prognathism is not a constant feature of this collec 
tion. The dental foramen varies in its position to 
the right and left of a line drawn perpendicularly 
through the centre of the second bicuspid tooth. 
The external oblique line is strongly developed with 
marked inclination of the ridge upward and back 
ward. The tubercles for the attachment of the genio- 
hyo-glossi muscles in some cases are quite long, while 
those below for the genio-hyoideus are scarcely per 
ceptible. Sometimes but one side of the tubercles 
is developed. At times the tubercles for the attach 
ment of the muscles just referred to are almost imper 
ceptible. 

The occipital bone is trapezoidal in form and 



CRANIA AND SKELETONS. 

somewhat curved upon itself. Both it and the 
parietals, which articulate at the superior border, 
are at times found flattened into one plane, this 
being advanced well forward. Various forms of 
distortion seem to have been produced without any 
special tendency to design in moulding that particular 
portion of the head, but rather from strapping to 
a cradle-board during infancy. This is suggested 
by the fact that the occipital bone is flattened, in 
some cases, from its superior angle well back toward 




FIG. XLIII. Fourteen inch flint dagger from Taylor s mound, Oregonia, 
and copper crescent, mound No. 20, Hopewell s Group. See pages 102 
and 189. 

the attachment of the ligamentum nuchaB, or it may 
be centred somewhat toward the superior angle of 
the bone. 

To say that the cranium is flattened posteriorly in 
all cases is too sweeping an assertion, and to avoid 
confusion in future research it may be suggested 
that the exact position on the lateral region of the 
skull be indicated. Where force has been applied 
to both the frontal and occipital bones at the same 
time, the distortion is of course more easily recog- 



214 PRIMITIVE MAN IN OHIO. 

nized. " Accidental flattening of the head," as we 
shall designate it, is not so common among the 
specimens that we have examined from the Great 
and Little Miami and Scioto valleys, as in those 
found among the stone graves and mounds of Ten 
nessee and Kentucky. In some cases, however, dis 
tortion by accidental flattening is so great as to 
interfere with accurate measurements of the skull. 
Post-mortem compression, too, must be considered, as 
it modifies the original form of the skull, and both it 
and accidental flattening may increase its width. 
We have had the opportunity of excavating with 
our own hand various skeletons and crania from the 
lower levels of large mounds at the Hopewell Earth 
works. The superincumbent masses of earth com 
prising the structures measured respectively twenty- 
two feet and twelve feet. Above the bones, in both 
instances, were masses of pebbles cemented together 
by the percolation of water from above through 
layers of earth and clay impregnated with ferrous 
oxide, forming a hard concrete. This was so hard 
as to almost defy the picks of our workmen. It 
might naturally be supposed that this stout covering 
would protect the skeletons buried beneath, yet so 
hard was the pressure from above that in the major 
ity of cases the bones were flattened, and, to use the 
expression of the foreman of the laborers employed 
in excavating, " the bones looked as if they had been 
drawn between iron rollers." This gives us a good 
example of the pliability of the bones of the skele 
tons when directly exposed to earth pressure. Where 
the interments are protected by coverings as in the 




215 



2l6 PRIMITIVE MAN IN OHIO. 

stone grave, its effects are seldom perceptible. The 
effects of earth pressure cannot be too carefully con 
sidered, especially in material from earth mounds 
where clay predominates in the structure. As a 
general thing we have remarked less distortion in 
osseous material excavated from gravel pits and 
mounds in which this material is in direct contact 
with the bones. 

For convenience in the classification of crania 
where accidental flattening has occurred, the method 
adopted by Mr. Lucien Carr, Assistant Curator of 
the Peabody Museum, Harvard University, is un 
doubtedly the best. He has established, to use his 
own words, " A purely arbitrary fourth class of flat 
tened skulls, to which is relegated all those having 
an index of .900 and over." 

Resuming our description of the principal feat 
ures of the brachycephalic skull, it may be said 
that the squamous portion of the temporal bone is 
slightly thicker than in the European, and the zy 
goma slightly heavier and more prominent. The 
post-glenoid process is well marked. The naastoid 
portion of the temporal bone is heavy in many cases, 
but not sufficiently marked to distinguish those in the 
skulls before us, from those of the dolicocephali and 
mesaticephali of the regions which we are consider 
ing. The digastric fossa is deeply marked, also the 
groove for the occipital artery. The fossa sigmoidea 
is very broad and deep in the specimens which are 
being excavated at Hope well s Earthworks, much 

1 Eleventh Annual Report of the Peabody Museum, 1878, vol. ii., No. 2, 
P- 37i. 




13 

I 
I 



CRANIA AND SKELETONS. 



more so we think than in 
ated as we are in the field, 
means of comparison with 
localities, it is impossible to 
The surfaces, spines, and 
attachment, upon the bases 



the European, but situ- 
without the necessary 
specimens from other 
speak with exactitude, 
processes, for muscular 
of the crania are well 



developed. 

The pneumatic spine of Hyrtl was observed in 
three crania. 




FIG. XLVI. Skull from Hopewell s Group. See page 223. 

Large Wormian bones are to be noticed in many 
of the brachycephalic skulls corresponding to num 
bers three, four, and five of Broca s scale, and in 
seven crania epactal bones are found complicated 
with a multitude of minute Wormian bones. These 
bones seem to predominate among the brachycephali 
of the collection now before us. 

The incomplete os incce of Anoutchine was found 



218 



PRIMITIVE MAN IN OHIO. 



in two, and the true quadrate bone in four crania. 
The ossa apicis of Virchow is to be remarked in 
five of the Scioto valley skulls and three of those 
from Fort Ancient. 

In eight of the brachycephalic skulls the squa- 
mosal suture was closed. In sixteen the sagittal 




FIG. XLVII. Skull, side view, Fort Ancient, stone grave. See pages 
208 and 223. 

suture was closed. In ten specimens the coronal and 
sagittal sutures were both obliterated. Three had 
the coronal and sagittal sutures partly obliterated, 
while in seven the coronal, sagittal, and lambdoidal 
were entirely closed. 

We shall speak next of the mesaticephalic crania, 



CRANIA AND SKELETONS. 219 

having begun with that of the short-headed people, 
because they predominate so largely over the dolico- 
cephali in the collections before us from the Little 
Miami and Scioto valleys. 

Mesaticephalic Crania. 

The bones of these skulls are not so heavy as in 
the brachycephalic type, and the posterior parietals 
less sloping. The forehead is retreating, with heavy 
superciliary ridges. The glabella is not prominent, 
and with but few nasal depressions. The occiput 
is, as a general thing, heavier and raised higher than 
the alveolar plane of the dolicocephali with which 
they have been compared. The mastoid processes 
of the temporal bone are narrower and shorter, and 
not so well developed as in the long skulls. Neither 
are the planes and processes of attachment on their 
bases so well marked as in the two other types 
under consideration. 

The sutures are like those of the short-headed 
people in character, and the Wormian bones not so 
well developed, seldom measuring over number three 
of Broca s scale. The majority of the males are 
platyrhine, the females and children mesorhine. 

Dolicocephalic Crania. 

The bones of the skull are not heavy. Viewed in 
front, the skull presents an oval with the large end 
extending well behind, caused by a somewhat narrow 
bulging occiput. The forehead is generally high 
and narrow, with strongly marked superciliary 



220 PRIMITIVE MAN IN OHIO. 

ridges. Posterior condyloid and mastoid equilib 
rium are noticeable features of a few of the crania, 
but, as a general thing, ordinary equilibrium occurs 
most frequently. At the OPHYKON the outline of 




FIG. XLVIII. Perforated skull, Hopewell s Group. Occipital perforation. 
See page 234. 

the carinated ridge is somewhat narrow, gradually 
widening as it approaches the bregma. Above the 
obelion a bifurcation in the specimen before us is 
apparent, disappearing upon the parietal bone, and 



CRANIA AND SKELETONS. 221 

in other cases diverging somewhat toward the larnb- 
doid suture. The outline of the majority of the 
Scioto valley dolicocephali is somewhat retreating, 
more marked in this respect than those of Fort 
Ancient and Oregonia. 

The mastoid process is long, full, and broad, with 
its posterior border directed obliquely downward 
and forward. Following an imaginary line upward 
and backward, we arrive at the posterior part of the 
temporal ridge on the side of the head. It is well 
developed and prominent, curving well forward over 
or above the parietal eminences, its highest point 
generally extending back of the coronal suture. The 
styloid process in two of the crania, one specimen 
excavated from a stone grave at Fort Ancient by 
Mr. Moorehead, and another excavated by Dr. Ores- 
son at Foster s, measured four and a half and five 
centimetres respectively (Fig. LII., B). 

The diameter of maximum breadth ends, in some 
of these crania, at a point a little below half-way 
between the parietal eminences and the squamous 
suture. It is, in most cases, to the rear of the auric- 
ulo-bregmatic line. 

There is no constant relation, so far as we are able 
to discover, between the capacity of these crania and 
the size of the foramen magnum. 

The coronal and sagittal sutures and the lambdoid 
increase in complexity posteriorly with few excep 
tions. The sutures are quite frequently opened in 
those crania from the Scioto valley, but not so much 
as at Fort Ancient and Oregonia. The sutures varied 
in complexity from two to five of Broca s scale. 



222 



PRIMITIVE MAN IN OHIO. 



The " pterion in H " of Broca was remarked in eight 
out of one hundred skulls. The internasal sutures 
were remarked closed in eight out of thirty crania 
from the Little Miami, Scioto, and Ohio valleys. 

The number of Wormian bones in the dolicoce- 
phalic crania are fewer in number than in those of the 
two other types already spoken of. 






FIG. XLIX. Fragments of crania showing low facial angles. Hopewell s 
Group. See pages 212 and 232. 

The nasal bones are long and of medium width. 

The crania from Foster s are blunt along the lower 
border of the nasal aperture. The nasal spine is 
usually blunt in the majority of crania from the 
Scioto valley in the collection before us. 

At Hopewell s Earthworks sixty-nine skeletons 



CRANIA AND SKELETONS. 22$ 

were excavated, and of these, so far as we were 
able to determine, thirty were brachycephalic (Fig. 
XLVII.), ten dolicocephalic (Fig. XLVL), four rnesa- 
ticephalic, and the remainder were so injured by the 
great length of time which had elapsed since their 
burial, and the distortions of earth-pressure, that it 
was impossible to determine their classification. 
Fifty other crania were examined in the Moorehead 
and various other private collections. Of this 
latter number forty were brachycephalic, twelve 
dolicocephalic, and six mesaticephalic. This gives 
us from the valleys of the Big and Little Miami, 
the Scioto, and the Ohio a total of seventy 
brachycephalic, twenty-two dolicocephalic, and ten 
mesaticephalic, a total of one hundred and two 
crania. 

In determining age, sex, and dentition, the meth 
ods of Broca, Topinard, and Flower were used. 

In thirty males and five females from the Hope- 
well Earthworks (Scioto valley), the males were 
from eighteen to seventy years old, the females, 
seventeen to forty-five years, and children eight to 
fifteen years old. 

In thirteen crania from Foster s we have eleven 
males, from twenty to seventy-five years of age ; two 
females, eighteen and thirty-nine years respectively. 

The male crania from Oregon ia range from twenty 
to eighty years, females eighteen to forty-five, chil 
dren eleven to sixteen years. 

At Fort Ancient, we are informed by Mr. Moore- 
head, that the males range from about eighteen to 
seventy-five years of age, the females from about 



224 PRIMITIVE MAN /AT OHIO. 

twenty-one to forty-eight years, and the children 
from eight to fifteen years. 

DENTITION. The lower jaw in the three types of 
crania which we have just briefly noted is somewhat 
prognathic and heavy, but exceptions are quite fre 
quent. The direction of the front teeth is in many 
instances slightly oblique, ranging from this to ver 
tical. The chin projects, in some cases, about two 
millimetres, the height in front being greater than 
that of the last molar ; but in some cases the lower 
jaws from Fort Ancient, Foster s, and the valleys of 
the Scioto and Ohio are slightly retreating, their 
height in front measuring about the same as at the 
first molar. We note a recession in a single case of 
one and a half millimetres approaching somewhat 
the jaw of La Naulette. 

The teeth of the dolicocephalic skulls in the speci 
mens before us are larger than the brachycephalic. 
They correspond in wear to the first and second 
degree of Broca. The roots of several molar teeth 
from the lower jaw, measured to the base of the 
crown, give one and a half centimetres. From the 
end of the shortest root to the top of the crown, 
although much worn, gives two centimetres. Cur 
vature at the end of the roots in the molars, bicus 
pids, and incisors of both upper and lower jaws was 
remarked in a great many of the teeth from the 
Hopewell Earthworks. These peculiarities were also 
remarked in teeth excavated from the aboriginal 
cemetery on Burton s farm, Foster s. Also in those 
from Oregonia, in the same valley, not many miles 
distant from the last mentioned place. 




225 



226 PRIMITIVE MAN IN OHIO. 

The teeth of the brachycephalic people of the 
Miami valley in the specimens before us are shorter, 
and in wear correspond to the first, second, and third 
degrees of Broca and Topinard ; the second degree 
being marked in eighteen out of thirty teeth from 
the upper and lower jaws. The third degree of 
Broca was remarked in five out of thirty crania. 
Five of these were from the superior maxillary 
and three from the inferior maxillary bones. The 
dental indices of all the crania examined may be 
classed as mesodont according to the formula of 

T7M d X IOO 

Blower, B N =d. 

The forms of the alveolar arches, considered accor 
ding to the aspects of Broca, were as follows : hyper 
bolic and parabolic. Parallelism and convergence 
were noted in a few cases, which, according to Broca 
and Topinard, is rare. 

A supernumerary tooth was noticed in one instance 
at the inner side of tlie lower jaw alongside of the 
second bicuspid. 

The consolidation of the roots of many of the 
teeth of the upper and lower jaws was noticeable in 
specimens at the Hope well Earth works, and in various 
other localities of Ohio. We are informed, however, 
by those who have made a special study of dentition, 
that this is not uncommon among European and 
Ethiopian races. 

In this connection, while considering the dentition 
of the upper and lower jaws, it will be interesting 
to mention a peculiar habit of the people who erected 
the tumuli at Hopewell s farm, that of placing along 
side of their dead, ornaments made of the superior 



CRANIA AND SKELETONS. 22? 

and inferior maxillary bones. In mounds Numbers 
Eighteen, Twenty-three, and Three at the above 
mentioned earthwork, the upper jaw was found 
placed alongside of the left humerus about four 
inches below the articulation of the glenoid process 
of the scapula. The specimens in question (Fig. L., 
A, B, E, H) had been in two cases cut across the 
alveoli a little below the level of the incisors and 
bicuspids, and in another instance just above. The 
work of cutting across the bone and teeth had evi 
dently been done by some sharp instrument, proba 
bly of metal. It has been suggested that the speci 
mens had been sawed across and then ground down, 
but the incisions are so sharp, and the marks of the 
instrument with cutting edge so plain, that we deem 
this to be impossible. A fragment of a jaw from an 
aboriginal cemetery on Burton s farm, which we 
explored in the latter part of August, 1891, has two 
round perforations, which extend entirely through 
the bone, one of these below the coronoid process 
and the other a little in front of the dental foramen. 
Since then another specimen of this kind has been 
discovered with two perforations on either side, just 
above the mental process of the lower jaw. It was 
found at Hopewell s Earthworks in mound Number 
Three. The specimen in question has been for 
warded to Chicago, where it will be exhibited at the 
World s Columbian Exposition. The other speci 
men of a perforated inferior maxillary is in our own 
possession. The total number of these specimens 
discovered is three incised superior maxillary bones 
and two perforated inferior maxillary bones, one 



228 PRIMITIVE MAN IN OHIO. 

from the Scioto valley and the other from that of 
the Little Miami. 

The bones of the brachycephalic peoples that we 
have examined from various parts of Ohio indicate 
that they were strongly built, their height averaging 
about five feet four to five feet six inches, basing our 
calculations upon the length of the femur (Fig. LIL), 
as .275 of the height of the skeleton. The largest 
skeleton of the brachycephali discovered measured 
six feet one inch. 

The height of the dolicocephali examined aver 
aged about five feet two inches. 

The humeri of the male skeletons are strong and 
frequently twisted, especially those from Foster s, 
Oregonia, and Fort Ancient. At Hope well s Earth 
works, the frequency of perforation of the olecranou 
(Fig. LI.) is remarkable. Variations are to be no 
ticed in the shape of these perforations. In some, 
the bones of both sides are perforated, others on one 
side only ; perforations of the left side predominat 
ing. Sixteen perforated humeri out of fifty-four 
skeletons that were fit for examination give us a 
percentage of 34^. Of these fourteen humeri, eleven 
were of males and four of females ; one of a child. The 
humeri of three skeletons were perforated on both 
sides ; two on the right side, and the remainder on 
the left side. At Hopewell s, the majority of per 
forations of the humerus were observed on the skel 
etons of the short-headed people. It is not impos 
sible, as suggested by learned authorities on the 
subject, that perforations of this kind were produced 
by impact of the coronoid or olecranon processes of 




22Q 



23O PRIMITIVE MAN IN OHIO, 

the ulna. In one case, especially, from mound Number 
Thirty-five, Hopewell s Earthworks, it has been sug 
gested that the sharp elongated spine of the latter 
process (olecranon) had produced it, as it projects 
much farther into the opening than in some other 
specimens of this collection. It would be safer, how 
ever, to consider that it may be caused by a defi 
ciency of bone structure in the olecranon fossa, for it 
is wanting in some of the mammalia, and evidently 
not produced by continued extension of the forearm. 

Incurvation of the upper portion of the ulna is to 
be remarked in eleven specimens. 

The femur (Fig. LIL), in the male skeleton of the 
long- and short-headed people, is generally thick and 
strong and the linea aspera carinated. 

Channelled fibulae, with enlarged grooves, and the 
femur a colonne, are to be remarked in several cases 
at Fort Ancient. 

Platycnemism is to be remarked in numerous cases. 
Of one hundred tibiae from the various localities men 
tioned in this chapter, when compared with those of 
Europeans, eighteen were flattened and ten bent. 
The flattest tibiae, in the majority of cases, were on 
the left side. 

The tibiae, when compared with those of Euro 
peans, were found to exceed the latter in length in 
many cases ; a distinct majority being noticed among 
those of the stone-grave people of Fort Ancient, and 
those of the tumuli at Hopewell s Group. 

Fracture of the humerus was noted in two cases 
at Hopewell s Earthwork, and of the radius and ulna 
in three specimens from Foster s. The injuries of 



CRANIA AND SKELETONS. 



231 



the bones, from the latter place ? had been quite 
skilfully treated. Figure LIV., A and B shows the 
two fractures. 

An anterior dislocation of the head of the right 
huinerus from a mound in the Scioto valley had 

A 




FIG. LII. Skulls and femura, fragmentary. Hopewell s. See pages 221 

and 228. 

evidently baffled the skill of the medicine-man, who 
did not succeed in resetting it (Fig. LIV., E). The 
glenoid cavity has been absorbed and a new cavity 



232 PRIMITIVE MAN IN OHIO. 

for articulation been formed on the inner side of the 
neck of the scapula, extending from the attachment 
of the triceps muscle to within one centimetre of the 
coracoid process. A new formation of bone is to be 
remarked upon the anterior surface of the head of 
the humerus, consisting of a plate of bone three and 
a half centimetres long, and as many broad. Its sur 
face is convex and fits into the new articular cavity. 
The motion of the arm must have been somewhat 
limited. 

Certain occipital bones in our collection from the 
Little Miami, Muskingum, Scioto, and Ohio valleys, 
we think, present anomalies of the cerebral surface. 
It is impossible to obtain material for comparison 
with European races, situated as we are at present 
in the exploration camp at North Fork of Paint 
Creek, yet some of the peculiarities are so marked 
that a short description may be interesting to the 
archaeologist. There is an abnormal enlargement of 
the cerebral and cerebellar fossae in several cases 
(see Fig. XLIX., r), sometimes on one side of the 
crucial ridge and sometimes on the other. Out of 
the six occipital bones in our collection, enlargements 
of the fossae which receive the posterior lobes of the 
cerebrum are to be noticed on the left side and one 
on the right. The two inferior fossae, which receive 
the hemispheres of the cerebellum, are enlarged, viz. : 
three on the left of the occipital sinus and one on 
its ris;ht side. The sinuses between the four fossae 

o 

named are frequently distorted, and the internal 
occipital protuberance, which is generally poorly 
developed, is placed to one side or the other, the 



CRANIA AND SKELETONS. 233 

corresponding fossae on the opposite side being 
reduced in size, and in some cases almost obliterated. 
Corresponding slight protuberances on the exterior 
surface of the occipital bone generally mark the site 
of the depressions within ; in some cases, however, 
there is scarcely any indication, the superior and 
inferior curved lines being quite broad and thick, 
and the occipital protuberance for the attachment of 
the ligamentum nuchce enlarged. It is true that the two 
inferior fossae of the internal surface of the occipital, 
in the normal condition, are the largest of the four 
to be found in this bone, but marked changes in 
depth and size in either of these fossae, or in those 
that support the posterior lobes of the cerebrum, 
together with the distortion of the sinuses, are cer 
tainly interesting. Whether it is due to cradle 
pressure, as suggested by a professional friend in 
Cincinnati, we are not prepared to say. The 
anomaly has been found in specimens from several 
parts of Ohio, widely separated, as already men 
tioned, and it would be valuable to know what 
number and type of crania there are in museums 
possessing the same peculiarities. It can, of course, 
be studied best in disarticulated or broken skulls. 
Certain it is, that the endocranial surface of the 
skulls of our aboriginal people ought to be more 
seriously compared with those of other races, and 
any differences that may exist, however slight, should 
be carefully noted. 

The peculiar American characteristics of the 
occipital bone, somewhat flattened externally and 
internally, presenting the " Aymarian depression," 



234 PRIMITIVE MAN IN omo. 

has been observed in quite a number of cases in 
crania excavated from the mounds and graves of the 
Big and Little Miami valleys, the Scioto, and in the 
crania before us from different portions of Ohio. 

Crania excavated from different portions of the 
mound areas of the United States have been noted 
in which incisions have been made in various regions 
of the skull. A cranium found in an interment at 
Hope well s Earthwork, placed alongside of the 
skeleton of a brachy cephalic type, upon examination 
was found to have been perforated (Fig. XLVIII.) 
through the occipital bone, at a distance of about a 
centimetre and a half to the left-hand side of the fora 
men magnum. The incision was quite small, perhaps 
three millimetres in width, and was evidently post 
mortem in character. This peculiarity of perforating 
the different bones of the skull with small incisions, 
to which reference has already been made in this 
chapter, is interesting, and, so far as we are aware, 
peculiar to the aborigines who built Hopewell s 
Earthwork in the Scioto valley. 

The collection of bones which we have been con 
sidering; has. of course, as among; other races, indica- 

O O / 

tions of morbid changes due to forms of inflammation, 
such as periostitis, osteitis, caries, exostosis, sclerosis, 
etc. We have also noticed several cases of curvature 
of the tibiae (Fig. LIII.) approaching, somewhat, to the 
degree shown in the illustrations of Fournier, and des 
ignated by this distinguished specialist "Lame-de- 
Sabre." Another pair of tibiae excavated from the lower 
level of mound Number Twenty-three, Hopewell s 




235 



236 PRIMITIVE MAN- IN OHIO. 

Earthwork, indicate a diseased condition of the bone. 
These were forwarded to Chicago and it was impos 
sible to examine them, except in a superficial manner, 
in the short time that elapsed between their exhuma 
tion and their shipment west. We hesitate to say 
that any of the remains of the people before us show 
indications of specific affections. There is an 
absence of gummatous and nodular lesions of the 
various sizes and conditions which is peculiar to 
bone syphilis. Neither are the larger lesions, which 
are found in laminated and eburnated conditions, 
present. The osseous material which we have ex 
amined from Fort Ancient, Oregonia, arid the Scioto 
valley mounds, is remarkably free from syphilitic 
indications. We have to note, however, some ex 
ceptions in the southern portion of the valley of the 
Little Miami, where there is a slight suggestion of 
specific taint in the bones, namely, the fragments of 
a skull found at the Madisonville cemetery, and por 
tions of crania from an aboriginal bury ing-place on 
Burton s farm, near Maineville, Ohio. The frag 
ments from Madisonville cemetery are those of a left 
parietal, probably that of a female. It was excavated 
during a visit made to the spot in the summer of 
1890, from the Peabody Museum camp at the Turner 
group of mounds, not far distant from Batavia Junc 
tion. Certain degenerations in the cerebral surface 
of this bone may be the result of gummatous involve 
ment. The indications, however, require comparison 
with other material, which at present it is impossible 
to obtain. The two frontal bones from Burton s 
farm have small nodes of bone on their exterior sur- 



CRANIA AND SKELETONS. 



237 



faces and certain indications of the cerebral surface 
which may or may not be specific, but well merit 
the careful study of a specialist. One of the most 
thorough articles yet written upon pre-Columbian 
syphilis in America 1 is that of Professor Hyde of 




FIG. Liv. Fracture of head of humerus, and of the ulnae. See page 231. 

Chicago. Those of our readers, especially the 
anthropologists, who may be interested upon the 
subject, will do well to read this carefully prepared 
contribution to science. 



1 See the American Journal of the Medical Sciences for August, 1891, 
edited by Edward P. Davis, A.M., M.D., Philadelphia. 



238 PRIMITIVE MAN IN OHIO. 

Exostoses of the external auditory meatus are to 
be remarked in seven out of fifty skulls examined. 
The cerebral surfaces of several of the crania suggest 
that inflammatory action may have caused certain in 
dications that are present, but this cannot well be 
determined on account of the decayed condition of 
the bone. 

Ankylosis of axis and the third cervical vertebra 
is to be noticed in a single instance, and partial osteo- 
arthritis of the spinal column in two cases. 

One case of marked indentation of the skull is to 
be seen in a cranium from Foster s, Ohio. It is in 
the angle formed by the interparietal and occipito- 
parietal sutures. The inner table of the skull had 
only been slightly injured, repair having taken 
place. 

The average capacity of twenty-five crania, given 
in the table at the end of this chapter, is 1319 c. c., 
even below the average of the much flattened skulls 
with an index at or over .900, quoted by Mr. Carr 
from Dr. Jones collection, 1 standing between three 
of the series of Mr. Carr s measurements of stone- 
grave crania, viz. : 

30 2 18 15 

1341 c. c., 1335 c. c., and 1284 c. c. (the latter av 
erage probably female). The maximum capacity, it 
will be seen by reference to the table, is 1 600 c. c., 
the minimum capacity is 1118 c. c., and the range is 
482. The mean capacity of the whole is therefore 
less than that of the American Indian, or 1376 c. c., 

1 Eleventh Ann. Rep. Peabody Museum, vol. ii., No. 2, page 378. 

2 These small figures denote the number of crania measured in Carr s 
tables. See pp. 368-373 (ibid.). 



CRANIA AND SKELETONS. 239 

and greater than that of the ancient Peruvian, which 
is only 1250 c. c. 

The rest of the crania referred to in this chapter, 
from Ohio, numbering one hundred and two speci 
mens, are in such a condition, from the effects of 
earth pressure and long burial, that the exactitude 
of measurements is out of the question. 

The majority of the crania are microcephalic. 

Nine of the twenty-five skulls are platyrhine, six 
are leptorhine, and six mesorhine. 

The range of the cephalic index is .121, or .774 to 
.895. The average of the index of breadth is .837. 
The total of skulls with an index above .800 is 
twenty-one. Those with an index between .750 and 
.800 are four in number. 

Conclusions. 

The skeletons of the brachycephalic people in the 
collections examined from the Great and Little 
Miami valleys, and those of the Scioto and Ohio, 
suggest that they were strong and well built, and in 
stature slightly superior to the dolicocephali. 

No skeletons of gigantic size were discovered, and 
there is but little doubt that the progenitors of the 
American race were in height subject to the same 
variations in stature which are to be remarked among 
our recent tribes. 

In anatomical peculiarities, the people of the 
Scioto, Ohio, and Great and Little Miami valleys 
closely resemble those of the stone-grave people of 
Tennessee, and are in all probability but a prolonga- 



240 PRIMITIVE MAN IN OHIO. 

tion of that short-headed stock northward into the 
localities named. 

In some of the large mounds, especially those of 
Hope well s Earthwork in the Scioto valley, and 
mounds of the Little Miami valley, the crania are 
remarkable for their great thickness and low, retreat 
ing, narrow foreheads, with heavy superciliary ridges, 
these at times being replaced by a flat plane similar 
to that shown in Fig. XLIX., E, running backward 
somewhat horizontally, and then losing itself in the 
rest of the frontal bone as it mounts toward the 
parietals. The sketch given is a faithful reproduc 
tion of the fragment of a cranium now in our posses 
sion from mound Number Three. 

We cannot overlook the fact that the crania and 
skeletons examined by us, many of them excavated 
by our own hands, approach, somewhat, the negro 
in their anatomical characteristics. They are those 
of an inferior race with strong meso- and brachy-ce- 
phalic affinities. None of the characteristics of the 
Mongolian or of Mongoloid types are present in any 
of the Ohio crania which we have examined. They 
are evidently those of a people whose racial type 
was created and fixed on the American continent 
in other words, the American Race. 



CRANIA AND 



2 4 I 



MEASUREMENTS OF CRANIA FROM MOUNDS AND STONE 
GRAVES OF OHIO, 1 .780-800 + . 













1 


~ ! 





2 


c 












W 


"5 


So 


6 


c 

V. 

h 


J" 


/ 












"H ! **-* 


c 


~ Where From. 




1 


1 


u 


_= 




1 


1 


1 i 2 






J 





S 




c 




53 


1 






















1 

I 1150158 


137 


135 


.860 


.891 


.5637 


35 


87 Little Miami Valley 


2 

3 


1300 164 
1385167 


133 
132 


126 
141 


.835 

774 


.769 

.815 


.5241 
.4241 


3890 
3498 


* 4 


4 


1390 1 70 1 39 


133 


.815 


.783 


5243 




92 


" 


5 


1210 168,122 


142 


.812 


.780 


.5740 


3i 


96 


" 


6 


1600 170 147 


140 


.895 


.802 


.4837 


3786 


" 


7 


1490 169 135 


132 


.820 


.763 


52|39 


32 


84 Great Miami Valley 


8 


I2IO 


l62 129 130 


.835 


.784 


.5438 


3887 


" 


9 


I5OO 


170 


145 


140 


.865 


.810 


.4838 


31 


84 




10 


1335 


1 6O 


146 


147 


.825 


.839 


45 37 


37 


39 


" 


ii 


1250 


I69I35 


128 


.840 


.894 


.6043 


37 


84 


" 


12 
13 


1490 
1125 


165 148 

175 133 


137 

130 


.889 
.805 


.802 

.763 


54383291 
.59423786 


;; 


14 


1330 


159140 


137 


.890 


.867 


45 37 


33 


90 


" 


15 


1215 


167 135 


129 


.812 


.827 


.60 40 38 


Ml 


Scioto Valley 


16 


1345 


175 132 


127 


.880 


.790 


45140 




94 


1 


17 


1483 


176,139 


135 


789 


775 


.4938 


$2 


93 


" 


18 


1210 

1118 


178 143 
162 145 


130 
136 


.865 

.882 


.825 
.845 


.50423697 
.60 37,31 92 





20 


1450 


175 134 


138 


757 


.779 


45 42 38 


90 


" 


21 


1290 1 66 


135 


130 


.800 


.789 


4839 


3491 Ohio Valley 


22 


1360 169 


142 


137 


.840 


.811 


5935 37 


90 


" 


23 


1147 162 143 131 


.880 


.845 


.493831 


83 


" 


24 


1330 157 141 


138 


.885 


.865 


.444137 


92 


" 


25 


1275 162 134 


130 


.787 


.778 


49 39 32 


84 


" 


Average, 


1319167137 


134 


.837 


.811 


51 39 


J4 


89 


Total of Brachycephalic 


Maximum, 


1600 178,148 


147 


.895 


.894 


.6043 


J8 


skulls -- 21. 


Minimum, 


IIlS 157 122 


126 


774 


.763 


42 35 


J] 


Mesaticephalic = 4. 


Range, 


482 


21 


26 


21 


.121 


.231 


.18 8 


7 







1 The measures of capacity are in cubic centimetres taken with selected 
peas. The other measurements are in millimetres and decimals. 



INDEX. 



Abbott, I)., 2 

Aboriginal man, 30 

Alluvial bottom, 22 

Altar, contents of, 26 

Ancient Monuments of the J/iss 

ii 

Anklets of copper, n<> 
Antelope horns found in grave 
Appey, Prof., 18 
Ash-bed, 86, 130 
Asheo, preservative quality of, 
Ash-pits, 17, 23, 25, 51, 54 
Austin farm, no 

B 

Baryte, 35 

Beads of pearl, 128 

Bear Creek, 22 

Bituminous coal, 32 

Black flint implement, 2 

" Blocking out " shop, 42 

Bone awl, 62 

Bracelet of copper, 155 

Brachycephalic race, 57 

Brown County, 69, 74 

Brush Creek, 21 

Buckhorn Creek, 5 

Burials, 90, 96, 102 

Burned earth and charcoal, 70 

Burton farms, 224, 227 

Busycon shells, 18, 1 86 

C 
Ccesar Creek, 82, 101 



87 



Cannel coal, 32 

Carr, Lucien, 216 

Cat s Creek, 26 

Celt of Greenstone, 62 

Ceremonial stone, no 

Chalcedony, 17, 31, 38, 65, 155 



I Charcoal, flakes, 63 



layers, 60 

Child s skeleton, 53, Sb 
Chillicothe, 113 
Chipped limestone pebble, 4 
Clinton County, 79, 107 
Cloud Hopewell Farm, 184 
Columbia County, 14 
Cooper, W. F., 95 
Copper, beads, 169 

bracelets, 23 

Coshocton County quarries, 43 
Cowen Creek, 109, no 
Crania and skeletons, 204, 210 
Cremated bodies, 24, 120, 141 
Cresson, Dr., 20 
Curwen, Mr., 78 



D 

Darke and Shelby counties, 14 
Davis, estate, 23 

Willard II., 21 
Dentition, 224 
Disks of flint, 189 
Doliocephali, 20, 21, 112 
Doliocephalic, crania, 29, 57, 199, 219 

stock, 19 

Drainage system, 41 
Duck Creek, 94 

243 



244 



INDEX. 



E 

Earthenware vessels, 24, 84 
Earthworks, 12, 37 
East Fork tumuli, 59 
Eden Park Museum, 57 
Elliptical stone mound, 22 
Excavations, 31, 37, 42, 44, 80, 92 
near Chillicothe, 144 

F 

Femur ft colonne, 230 
Flint, deposits, 31, 44 

Ridge, 31 

Formation of rock flint, 47 
Fort, Ancient, 51, 80, 197, 223 

Hill, 13 

Fowke, Mr., 20 
Franklin Township, 32 



Galena, 74 

Glaciers in Alaska, 1 1 
Graham, A. A., 6 
Granville, 12 
Graves, 62, 79, 95 
Guest tablet, 108 

II 

Hall, Mrs. Mary, 24 
Hematite objects, 25, 27 
Hollow tombs, 94 
Hopewell, earthwork, 208, 228 

group, 109 

tumuli, 184 
Hughes, John, 98 
Hutchison farm, 75 

K 

"Kitchen-middens," 85 
Kittaning coal, 32 



I. 



Lake Erie, early inhabitants, 14 
" Lame-de-Sabre," 234 



La Naulette, 224 
Licking County, 13, 18, 28 
Little Miami River, 104, 206 
Loess deposits, 4 
Long heads, 20 
; Loveland, 4 

M 

| Madisonville, 2 
cemetery, 49 
crematory, 208 

Man s occupancy of America, 9 
Mastodon Amcricanus, 52 
Maumee River, 15 
Mesaticephalic crania, 219 
Metz, Dr. C. L., 2, 4, 56 
Miami valley, 65 
Microscopic organic bodies, 46 
Mill Creek, 4 
Mills, W. C., 5 
Mississippi and Cumberland valley, 

206 

Moorehead, Mr., So 
Morgan County, 21 
Mound, builders, 202 
Mounds, on Davis estate, 24 

on Tighlman Porter s estate, 115 
on Worthington estate, 161 
near slate mills, 158 
No. 38, p. 130 

Nos. 34, 35, 36, pp. 146, 147 
No. 37, p. 151 
No. 39, p. 155 
No. 45, p. 158 
No. 40, p. 162 
No. 41, p. 165 
No. 42, p. 167 
No. 41, p. 168 
No. 43, p. 168 
Muskingum, River, 12 

valley, 198 
Myer, W. G., 107 

I N 

Newark Fair Ground Enclosures, 
1 6 



INDEX. 



New Comerstown, 5, 7 

North Fork of Paint Creek. 114, 

212 



Objects buried with children, 96 

Obsidian, 30 

Old Fort, 104 

Opossum Mound, 16 

Oregonia, 106 

Ornaments in mounds, 38, 54, 124, 

146, 189 

Os iiidz of Anoutchine, 217 
Ossa apicis of Virchow, 218 

P 

Paleolithic type of Southern France 

and Southern England, 6 
Palseoliths, 4, 6, 8 
Patina, J 

Peabody Museum, 56 
Perry Township, 45, 67 
Pipe of granite, 188 

Pit, 43 

Pocket post-holes, 
Porter, Tighlman, 115 
Pots, 22, 131 
Pottery, 22, 87, in 

Field, 50 

Pre-Columbian inhabitants, 20 
" Pterion in H " of Broca, 222 
Putnam, Hill limestone, 32 

Prof. F.W., 2, 13, 56, 105- 
Pvrula shell, 137 



Q 



(Quarries, 3 
(Quartz crystals, 35 



R 



Raccoon Creek, 19 
Redman and Janes farms, 145 
Richardson pottery, 107, in 
Rix Mills, 13 



Ross County, 145 
Rush baskets, 18 



Sandstone tablets, 24, 25 

Sarcophagi, 101 

Scenery around Chillicothe, 144 

Sea shells, nS, 120 
Semicircle of mounds, 13 
Serpent Mound, 75 
Shawnee, Indians, 98, 105 

relics, 114 

Shell beads, 132, 169 
Short heads, 21, 28 
Simeon Cass farm, 107 
Skeletons, 24, 25, 51, 55, 61, 64, 72, 
81, 88, 101, 105, 118, 153, 167, 

171 

Slate objects, 24, 28 
South Fork cemetery, 104 
Spells, 37 

Squier and Davis maps, 12 
Stockaded villages, 40 
Stone memorials, 17, 24 
Sunfish Hills, 13 

T 

Tablets, 56, 108 
Taylor s Mound, 25, 102 
Thurston, Gen. G. P., 94, 100, 105 
T odd s Fork, 109 
Tools, 42 

Trees, growth above village site, 98 
Tunnels, n, 12, 60 
Tuscarawas, 5 

U 

Upper village site, 92 
V 

Vessel of clay, 78 

Village sites, 12, 15, 16, 18, 19, 22, 

23, 27, 84, 86 



246 



INDEX. 



W 



Walhonding River, 43 

Wayne Township, 67 

Welsh Hills, 16 

Wilmington, 109, no 

Wilson, Dr. Thos., 206 

World s, Columbian Exposition, Si 



Fair at Oregonia, 101 
Wormian bones, 217 
Wright, Prof. G. F., i, 6 
Wyandot County, 15 



Zanesville road, 37 



RETURN TO the circulation desk of any 

University of California Library 

or to the 

NORTHERN REGIONAL LIBRARY FACILITY 
Bldg. 400, Richmond Field Station 
University of California 
Richmond, CA 94804-4698 

ALL BOOKS MAY BE RECALLED AFTER 7 DAYS 
2-month loans may be renewed by calling 

(510)642-6753 
1-year loans may be recharged by bringing books 

to NRLF 
Renewals and recharges may be made 4 days 

prior to due date 

DUE AS STAMPED BELOW 



OCT o 9 iq 



20,000 (4/94)