Page:Anthropology.djvu/74

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MISCELLANEOUS PAPERS RELATING TO ANTHROPOLOGY.
73

U.—There is a stone mound, like mound B, situated on a lofty eminence overlooking the Black Fork Valley northwestward, and eastward the valley near Loudonville. The author has never seen the work, but it has been described to him as a small stone and earth mound such as are usually found on high points.

V.—A short distance northwest of mound W, on the farm of L. Oswald, southwest quarter section 18, in the woods, is a mound about 30 feet in diameter and from 4 to 6 feet high. It was slightly opened at the center by the owner of the lands, who found part of a skull.

W.—This mound and earthwork are located upon the old Parr farm, now owned by C. Byers, in the northwest part of southwest quarter section 19, Green Township. The mound stands on the west side of the Black Fork, within 2 or 3 rods of the stream. It was quite large originally, perhaps 8 or 10 feet high and 35 to 50 feet in diameter. At present it is from 4 to 6 feet above the level of the bottom land and is spread over a considerable space. When the first settlers came, there was an earthwork running a little southwest from the mound for some 20 rods, then back eastward to the river. The place has been under cultivation for forty or fifty years and the work is now obliterated. The mound was encased with a wall of sandstone bowlders as large as a man can lift.

These stones must have been carried from the hill half a mile west, where they are found in place. The wall was carefully laid, as can be seen by excavations below the depth of the plow where the pile is still intact. The mound was examined in 1816 by some persons named Slater, who found in it bones, flint implements, a pipe, and a copper wedge which they thought gold. Accordingly they took it to a silversmith at Wooster, Ohio, who told them that it was copper, and bought it from them for a trifle. In 1878 the mound was explored by J. Freshwater and the author. The center of the mound, where not disturbed by former excavations, resembles an altar or fire-place where the fire had burned the earth to a brick-red. In the ashes and burnt earth were fragments of arrow-heads broken by the heat. The fire had been kindled on the mound when it was from 2½ to 3 feet high. No human remains were discovered in this last excavation. A few scrapers were found, which are in the cabinets of the above-named gentlemen.

X.—On the summit of a hill west of Perryville, and to the right of the road leading to Newville, was a mound, now entirely obliterated. In 1816-'20 it was opened by the Slaters, who found a pipe, human remains, and some other relics.

Y.—A large oval earthwork on the summit of the ridge between the valleys of Black Fork and Clear Fork. It is 210 feet wide by 350 feet long. About the center of the inclosure was a large pile of stone bowlders, most of which have been removed to the level of the ground. There is, however, a visible outline of the stone-work, which consisted of a paved circular space. No excavation has been made in either the stone or clay