|
|
Chillicothe Mound
"Its perpendicular height was
about 15 feet, and the diameter of its base about 60 feet. It was
composed of sand and contained human bones belonging to skeletons which
were buried in different parts of it. It was not until this pile of
earth was removed and the original surface exposed to view that a
probable conjecture of its original design could be formed. About 20
feet square of the surface had been leveled and covered with bark. On
the center of this lay a human skeleton, over which had been spread a
mat manufactured either from weeds or bark. On the breast lay what had
been a piece of copper, in the form of a cross, which had now become
verdigrise. On the breast also lay a stone ornament with two
perforations, one near each end, through which passed a string, by means
of which it was suspended around the wearer's neck. On this string,
which was made of sinews, and very much injured by time, were placed a
great many heads made of ivory or bone, for I cannot certainly say
which."
Mounds of Stone
"Two such mounds have been
described already in the county of Perry. Others have been found in
various parts of the country. There is one at least in the vicinity of
Licking River, not many miles from Newark. There is another on a branch
of Hargus's Creek, a few miles to the northeast of Circleville. There
were several not very far from the town of Chillicothe. If these mounds
were sometimes used as cemeteries of distinguished persons, they were
also used as monuments with a view of perpetuating the recollection of
some great transaction or event. In the former not more generally than
one or two skeletons are found; in the latter none. These mounds are
like those of earth, in form of a cone, composed of small stones on
which no marks of tools were visible. In them some of the most
interesting articles are found, such as urns, ornaments of copper, heads
of spears, &c., of the same metal, as well as medals of copper and
pickaxes of horneblende; works of this class, compared with those
of earth, are few, and they are none of them as large as the mounds at
Grave Creek, in the town of Circleville, which belong to the first
class. I saw one of these stone tumuli which had been piled on the
surface of the earth on the spot where three skeletons had been buried
in stone coffins, beneath the surface. It was situated on the western
edge of the hill on which the "walled town" stood, on Paint Creek. The
graves appear to have been dug to about the depth of ours in the present
times. After the bottom and sides were lined with thin flat stones, the
corpses were placed in these graves in an eastern and western direction,
and large flat stones were laid over the graves; then the earth which
had been dug out of the graves was thrown over them. A huge pile of
stones was placed over the whole. It is quite probable, however, that
this was a work of our present race of Indians. Such graves are more
common in Kentucky than Ohio. No article, except the skeletons, was
found in these graves; and the skeletons resembled very much the present
race of Indians."
The mounds of Sterling County, Illinois, are described
by W. C. Holbrook, [Footnote: Amer. Natural, 1877, xi, No. 11, p. 688]
as
follows:
"I recently made an, examination of a few of the many
Indian mounds found on Rock River, about two miles above Sterling, Ill.
The first one opened was an oval mound about 20 feet long, 12 feet wide,
and 7 feet high. In the interior of this I found a "dolmen" or
quadrilateral wall about 10 feet long, 4 feet high, and 4-1/2 feet wide.
It had been built of lime-rock from a quarry near by, and was covered
with large flat stones No mortar or cement had been used. The whole
structure rested on the surface of the natural soil, the interior of
which had been scooped out to enlarge the chamber. Inside of the
_dolmen_ I found the partly decayed remains of eight human skeletons,
two very large teeth of an unknown animal, two fossils, one of which is
not found in this place, and a plummet. One of the long bones had been
splintered; the fragments had united, but there remained large morbid
growths of bone (exostosis) in several places. One of the skulls
presented a circular opening about the size of a silver dime. This
perforation had been made during life, for the edges had commenced to
cicatrize. I later examined three circular mounds, but in them I found
no dolmens. The first mound contained three adult human skeletons, a few
fragments of the skeleton of a child, the lower maxillary of which
indicated it to be about six years old. I also found claws of some
carnivorous animal. The surface of the soil had been scooped out and the
bodies laid in the excavation and covered with about a foot of earth,
fires had then been made upon the grave and the mound afterwards
completed. The bones had not been charred. No charcoal was found among
the bones, but occurred in abundance in a stratum about one foot above
them. Two other mounds, examined at the same time, contained no remains.
"Of two other mounds, opened later, the first was
circular, about 4 feet high, and 15 feet in diameter at the base, and
was situated on an elevated point of land close to the bank of the
river. From the top of this mound one might view the country for many
miles in almost any direction. On its summit was an oval altar 6 feet
long and 4-1/2 wide. It was composed of flat pieces of limestone, which
had been burned red, some portions having been almost converted into
lime. On and about this altar I found abundance of charcoal. At the
sides of the altar were fragments of human bones, some of which had been
charred. It was covered by a natural growth of vegetable mold and sod,
the thickness of which was about 10 inches. Large trees had once grown
in this vegetable mold, but their stumps were so decayed I could not
tell with certainty to what species they belonged. Another large mound
was opened which contained nothing."
The next account relates to the grave-mounds near
Pensacola, Fla., and was originally published by Dr. George M.
Sternberg, surgeon United States Army. [Footnote: Proc. Am. Ass. Adv. of
Science, 1875, p. 288]
"Before visiting the mound I was informed that the
Indians were buried in it in an upright position, each one with a clay
pot on his head. This idea was based upon some superficial explorations
which had been made from time to time by curiosity hunters. Their
excavations had, indeed, brought to light pots containing fragments of
skulls, but not buried in the position they imagined. Very extensive
explorations made at different times by myself have shown that only
fragments of skulls and of the long bones of the body are to be found in
the mound, and that these are commonly associated with earthen pots,
sometimes whole, but more frequently broken fragments only. In some
instances portions of the skull were placed in a pot, and the long bones
were deposited in its immediate vicinity. Again, the pots would contain
only sand, and fragments of bones would be found near them. The most
successful 'find' I made was a whole nest of pots, to the number of half
a dozen, all in a good state of preservation, and buried with a fragment
of skull, which I take from its small size to have been that of a
female. Whether this female was thus distinguished above all others
buried in the mound by the number of pots deposited with her remains
because of her skill in the manufacture of such ware, or by reason of
the unusual wealth of her sorrowing husband, must remain a matter of
conjecture. I found altogether fragments of skulls and thigh-bones
belonging to at least fifty individuals, but in no instance did I find
anything like a complete skeleton. There were no vertebra, no ribs, no
pelvic bones, and none of the small bones of the hands and feet. Two or
three skulls nearly perfect were found, but they were so fragile that it
was impossible to preserve them. In the majority of instances only
fragments of the frontal and parietal bones were found, buried in pots
or in fragments of pots too small to have ever contained a complete
skull. The conclusion was irresistible that this was not a burial- place
for _the bodies_ of deceased Indians, but that the bones had been
gathered from some other locality for burial in this mound, or that
cremation was practiced before burial, and the fragments of bone not
consumed by fire were gathered and deposited in the mound. That the
latter supposition is the correct one I deem probable from the fact that
in digging in the mound evidences of fire are found in numerous places,
but without any regularity as to depth and position. These evidences
consist in strata of from one to four inches in thickness, in which the
sand is of a dark color and has mixed with it numerous small fragments
of charcoal.
"My theory is that the mound was built by gradual
accretion in the following manner. That when a death occurred a funeral
pyre was erected on the mound, upon which the body was placed. That
after the body was consumed, any fragments of bones remaining were
gathered, placed in a pot, and buried, and that the ashes and cinders
were covered by a layer of sand brought from the immediate vicinity for
that purpose. This view is further supported by the fact that only the
shafts of the long bones are found, the expanded extremities, which
would be most easily consumed, having disappeared; also, by the fact
that no bones of children were found. Their bones being smaller, and
containing a less proportion of earthy matter, would be entirely
consumed.
"At the Santa Rosa mound the method of burial was
different. Here I found the skeletons complete, and obtained nine
well-preserved skulls.... The bodies were not apparently deposited upon
any regular system, and I found no objects of interest associated with
the remains. It may be that this was due to the fact that the skeletons
found were those of warriors who had fallen in battle in which they had
sustained a defeat. This view is supported by the fact that they were
all males, and that two of the skulls bore marks of ante-mortem injuries
which must have been of a fatal character."
Writing of the Choctaws, Bartram, [Footnote: Bartram's
Travels, 1791, p. 513.] in alluding to the ossuary or bone-house,
mentions that so soon as this is filled a general inhumation takes
place, in this manner.
"Then the respective coffins are borne by the nearest
relatives of the deceased to the place of interment, where they are all
piled one upon another in the form of a pyramid, and the conical hill of
earth heaped above. The funeral ceremonies are concluded with the
solemnization of a festival called the feast of the dead."
Mr. Florian Gianque, of Cincinnati, Ohio, furnishes an
account of a somewhat curious mound burial which had taken place in the
Miami Valley of Ohio.
"A mound was opened in this locality, some years ago,
containing a central corpse in a sitting posture, and over thirty
skeletons buried around it in a circle, also in a sitting posture but
leaning against one another, tipped over towards the right facing
inwards. I did not see this opened, but have seen the mounds and many
ornaments, awls, &c., said to have been found near the central body. The
parties informing me are trustworthy."
As an example of interment, unique, so far as known,
and interesting as being "sui generis", the following is presented, with
the statement that the author, Dr J. Mason Spainhour, of Lenoir, N.C.,
bears the reputation of an observer of undoubted integrity, whose facts
as given may not be doubted.
"Excavation of an Indian mound by J. Mason Spainhour, D.D.S., of Lenoir,
Caldwell County, North Carolina, March 11, 1871, on the farm of R. V.
Michaux, esq., near John's River, in Burke County, North Carolina"
"In a conversation with Mr. Michaux on Indian
curiosities, he informed me that there was an Indian mound on his farm
which was formerly of considerable height, but had gradually been plowed
down, that several mounds in the neighborhood had been excavated and
nothing of interest found in them. I asked permission to examine this
mound, which was granted, and upon investigation the following facts
were revealed.
"Upon reaching the place, I sharpened a stick 4 or 5
feet in length and ran it down in the earth at several places, and
finally struck a rock about 18 inches below the surface, which, on
digging down, was found to be smooth on top, lying horizontally upon
solid earth, about 18 inches above the bottom of the grave, 18 inches in
length, and 16 inches in width, and from 2 to 3 inches in thickness,
with the corners rounded.
"Not finding anything under this rock, I then made an
excavation in the south of the grave, and soon struck another rock,
which upon examination proved to be in front of the remains of a human
skeleton in a sitting posture. The bones of the fingers of the right
hand were resting on this rock, and on the rock near the hand was a
small stone about 5 inches long, resembling a tomahawk or Indian
hatchet. Upon a further examination many of the bones were found, though
in a very decomposed condition, and upon exposure to the air soon
crumbled to pieces. The heads of the bones, a considerable portion of
the skull, maxillary bones, teeth, neck bones, and the vertebra, were in
their proper places, though the weight of the earth above them had
driven them down, yet the entire frame was so perfect that it was an
easy matter to trace all the bones; the bones of the cranium were
slightly inclined toward the east. Around the neck were found coarse
beads that seemed to be of some hard substance and resembled chalk. A
small lump of red paint about the size of an egg was found near the
right side of this skeleton. The sutures of the cranium indicated the
subject to have been 25 or 28 years of age, and its top rested about 12
inches below the mark of the plow.
"I made a further excavation toward the west of this
grave and found another skeleton, similar to the first, in a sitting
posture, facing the east. A rock was on the right, on which the bones of
the right hand were resting, and on this rock was a tomahawk which had
been about 7 inches in length, but was broken into two pieces, and was
much better finished than the first. Beads were also around the neck of
this one, but are much smaller and of finer quality than those on the
neck of the first. The material, however, seems to be the same. A much
larger amount of paint was found by the side of this than the first. The
bones indicated a person of large frame, who, I think, was about 50
years of age. Everything about this one had the appearance of
superiority over the first. The top of the skull was about 6 inches
below the mark of the plane.
"I continued the examination, and, after diligent
search, found nothing at the north side of the grave; but, on reaching
the east, found another skeleton, in the same posture as the others,
facing the west. On the right side of this was a rock on which the bones
of the right hand were resting, and on the rock was also a tomahawk,
which had been about 8 inches in length, but was broken into three
pieces, and was composed of much better material, and better finished
than the others. Beads were also found on the neck of this, but much
smaller and finer than those of the others. A larger amount of paint
than both of the others was found near this one. The top of the cranium
had been moved by the plow. The bones indicated a person of 40 years of
age.
"There was no appearance of hair discovered; besides,
the smaller bones were almost entirely decomposed, and would crumble
when taken from their bed in the earth. These two circumstances, coupled
with the fact that the farm on which this grave was found was the first
settled in that part of the country, the date of the first deed made
from Lord Granville to John Perkins running back about 150 years (the
land still belonging to the descendants of the same family that first
occupied it), would prove beyond doubt that it is a very old grave.
"The grave was situated due east and west, in size
about 9 by 6 feet, the line being distinctly marked by the difference in
the color of the soil. It was dug in rich, black loam, and filled around
the bodies with white or yellow sand, which I suppose was carried from
the river bank, 200 yards distant. The skeletons approximated the walls
of the grave, and contiguous to them was a dark-colored earth, and so
decidedly different was this from all surrounding it, both in quality
and odor, that the line of the bodies could be readily traced. The odor
of this decomposed earth, which had been flesh, was similar to clotted
blood, and would adhere in lumps when compressed in the hand.
"This was not the grave of the Indian warriors; in
those we find pots made of earth or stone, and all the implements of
war, for the warrior had an idea that after he arose from the dead he
would need, in the 'hunting-grounds beyond,' his bow and arrow,
war-hatchet, and scalping-knife.
"The facts set forth will doubtless convince every
Mason who will carefully read the account of this remarkable burial that
the American Indians were in possession of at least some of the
mysteries of our order, and that it was evidently the grave of Masons,
and the three highest officers in a Masonic lodge. The grave was
situated due east and west; an altar was erected in the center; the
south, west, and east were occupied the north was not; implements
of authority were near each body. The difference in the quality of the
beads, the tomahawks in one, two, and three pieces, and the difference
that the bodies were placed from the surface, indicate beyond doubt that
these three persons had been buried by Masons, and those, too, that
understood what they were doing.
"Will some learned Mason unravel this mystery, and
inform the Masonic world how they obtained so much Masonic information?
"The tomahawks, maxillary bones, some of the teeth,
beads, and other bones, have been forwarded to the Smithsonian
Institution at Washington, D.C., to be placed among the archives of that
institution for exhibition, at which place they may be seen."
If Dr. Spainhour's inferences are incorrect, still
there is a remarkable coincidence of circumstances patent to every
Mason.
Previous |
Index | Next
This site includes some historical
materials that may imply negative stereotypes reflecting the culture or language
of a particular period or place. These items are presented as part of the
historical record and should not be interpreted to mean that the WebMasters in
any way endorse the stereotypes implied.
Introduction to the Study of Mortuary Customs
Among the North American Indians
Native American Nations
|
