USA > Ohio > Hamilton County > Madisonville > Indian Village Site and Cemetery Near Madisonville, Ohio > Part 29
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From the Central Altar of Mound 3: a, Massive shell beads; b, Marginella shells perforated for stringing; c, Leptoxis shells ground for embroidery; d. Pearls; c, Pearls perforated for stringing. (About 1/4.)
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confined smoke. The pearls shown in the lower pile, e, are per- forated, and were used as beads; those in the upper pile, d, are without perforations. A selection of some of the larger beads are illustrated in plate 13, a. It is probable that most, if not all, of the pearls from this altar were derived from various species of the Unio which were common in the fresh water streams of the South and West.
Pearls were found with several skeletons in the graves and mounds of this group, and a few were taken from two of the other altars. They were used for necklaces, bracelets, and probably for bead embroidery. They were employed as eyes for various effigies, and were inlaid in bear teeth toggles, stone tobacco pipes, and ornaments of shell. By far the greater number had a single perforation, and the surface was otherwise unworked. Fre- quently, however, and especially when used as an inlay or button, one side of a large pearl would be ground flat, or nearly so, and the perforations made by drilling two holes diagonally inward from the base until the holes met in the center, as shown in the third pearl from the left in the lower row, plate 13, a. In this way, the attaching cord would not be visible when the pearl was in place.
Two other large deposits of pearls were obtained from the Hopewell Group by Mr. Moorehead, in 1890. Approximately nineteen thousand were taken from altar 1 of the great mound, and about sixteen thousand from an extensive deposit of objects above two skeletons in the same tumulus.
Pearls were highly prized and eagerly sought by the more ad- vanced tribes of the eastern and central portions of the United States. In a Fidalgo of Elvas narrative of De Soto's expedition, he tells us that upon the arrival of the Spaniards at Cutifachiqui, a town on the Savannah River, Georgia:
The Cacica, observing that the Christians valued pearls, told the Governor that, if he should order some sepulchres that were in the town to be searched, he would find many; and if he chose to send to those in the uninhabited towns, he might load all his horses with them. They examined those in the town and found three hundred and fifty pounds weight of pearls, and figures of babies and birds made of them.1
1 Narratives of the Career of Hernando de Soto, Edward Gaylord Bourne Edition, Vol. I, p. 66.
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The " figures of babies and birds " were probably embroidered upon fabric or buckskin.
At Mauilla, a town in southern Alabama, the pearls which had been collected by De Soto from the Indians were destroyed when the village was burned. When the Governor learned that Mal- donado was waiting for him at the post of Ochuse, he caused Ortiz to keep the news secret, because the pearls which he wished to send to Cuba, that their fame might raise the desire of coming to Florida, had been lost.1
There are many references, by early writers, to the pearls found in possession of the Indians. Strachey writes of having seen
FIGURE 22
From the Central Altar of Mound 3: Shell beads of various forms. (Nearly full size.)
"manie chaynes and braceletts " of pearls worn by the Virginia Indians; and " wee found plentie of them in the sepulchres of their kings though discoloured by burning the oysters in the fier, and deformed by gross boring." 2 Numerous other references might be quoted, but the above are sufficient to show how highly the Indians valued these beautiful objects.
Shell Beads. Nearly five thousand shell beads were taken from the altar. They ranged from small discs, about } of an inch in diameter, to those of globular or oval shape, approximately an inch in length, as illustrated in a, plate 14. On plate 12, d, are shown about two thousand of the ordinary form. Nearly an equal number, barrel-shaped, and somewhat larger, were also recovered. The various shapes and sizes of shell beads from this altar are shown in figure 22.
1 Ibid., pp. 97-98.
: William Strachey, A History of Travail into Virginia Britannia, Hakluyt Society.
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A group of marginella shells with the apex ground away for the passage of a cord is illustrated in plate 14, b.
Embroidery Shells. Approximately seventeen thousand fresh water shells (Leptoris carinata), about a third of which are illus- trated on plate 14, c, were recovered. Each of these is ground upon the side having the aperture, until the wall of the whorl above the aperture is perforated. This allows the thread used in attaching the shell to the fabric to pass through the perforation and out of the aperture; the ground side of the shell is in this way brought snugly against the fabric or buckskin to which it is fastened.
The best example of shell embroidery of this nature known to the writer is the so-called Powhatan mantle entered, about 1685, in the manuscript catalogue of the Ashmolean Museum, in the handwriting of Dr. Plot, and which is illustrated on plate xv of the Tenth Volume of the Bureau of American Ethnology. Ac- cording to Dr. Taylor's description, thirty-three of the thirty- four figures still remaining on this garment are made with beads ground as above described, although of a different species of shell.
Canine Teeth. The canine teeth of various animals were highly prized as ornaments by many Indian tribes, and a large number were obtained from this altar. A group of the best preserved teeth of the bear is illustrated in plate 12, f. These are black with the confined smoke of the altar fire, and many others were destroyed by burning.
Most of these large teeth were perforated by drilling two holes upon one side, at an angle to each other, until they met near the center of the tooth. Through this angular perforation, the cord or thong which fastened the tooth to the garment doubtless passed. They were probably used as ornaments or toggles, and where found in graves were usually in one or more pairs, as will be seen by referring to plate 6. Sometimes they have an additional lateral perforation near the root end, and some are without the diagonal drilling. A few neatly cut bear teeth were also taken from the altar, two of which have holes for a pearl inset. Several artificial bear teeth made of shell, and one or two of bone, were also re- covered.
A large number of the canine teeth of small mammals, per- forated near the root end, for use as ornaments or for stringing as
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necklaces, are shown in e, of the above plate. Among the various animals represented are the dog, fox, raccoon, bay lynx, badger, and opossum.
Mica Objects. In addition to the three large crystals of mica which capped this sacrificial deposit, there were many ornaments or ceremonial objects cut from thin sheets of this mineral. The more important of these are illustrated on plate 15. There were two grotesque human heads, one of which is shown in c. These are duplicates of each other, both in outline, and in the incised lines upon the surface which indicate the hair, the eyebrow, the lips, and the circle about the eye. At least a portion of the profile was painted, for traces of red paint still adhere to the neck. There are four or five small perforations along the upper lip, as though something had been sewed to the effigy at his point.
There are five representations of the upper portion of a bear, three of which are shown in the plate. These are excellent ex- amples of the artistic skill of this people. The accuracy of the outline of the head and back is remarkable. In addition to the incised lines which mark the designs, portions of the surface of each of these effigies are painted with a dark red pigment. There were fifteen of the designs figured in b, which represent a conven- tionalized bird upon or against a long and narrow background. Some of these, while reproducing the same design, are not exact duplicates of each other. Portions of the wing and lower part of the bird are indicated by incised lines, and certain parts are painted red.
In addition to the above are several discs, some of which have a hole in the center. A few of these have concentric circles in in- cised lines, and traces of what appears to be white pigment. Many pieces of narrow serpentine figures were also recovered, and several hundred fragments of other designs, destroyed beyond the possibility of restoration.
Mica was highly valued by the Great Earthwork Builders. It was probably obtained by them from the Indians of Virginia and North Carolina, where it was quarried in prehistoric times.
Incised Drawings. Among the most remarkable specimens from the altars and graves of the Great Earthwork Builders are the incised designs upon bone, some of which have already been described (see plate 2).
PEABODY MUSEUM PAPERS
VOL. VIII, No. 3, PLATE 15
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From the Central Altar of Mound 3: Effigies, rings, and discs cut from mica, some of which are painted. (1/3.)
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Figures 23 and 24 illustrate two of these from the altar under consideration. The discs are cut from the parietal bones of a human skull. Like all work of this class its technical quality is excellent. The lines are clear-cut and uniform, and the work is carried out with great precision.
These discs were broken into many pieces, and partially de- stroyed by burning, but practically the whole design of each can
FIGURE 23 From the Central Altar of Mound 3: Disc cut from the parietal bone of a human skull, and ornamented with bird forms in incised lines. (2/3.)
be made out, for it is the same in both, although reversed. A composite bird is represented. The main or central portion is doubtless intended for an owl, as it has the usual ear tufts and large legs, each of the latter terminating in four claws, character- istic of this bird. Near the edge of each disc is the well-drawn head and shoulder of a crested bird whose wings, with convention- alized feathers, extend upward and across the upper half of the disc. Upon the opposite side of each is another bird's head, which seems to form a part of the leg or wing of the central figure. Two
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large eye-like designs with angular arms are in the upper half of each disc.
A few fragments of other carvings of a similar nature were found among the ashes of the altar. There was also a spatula-like object of tortoise shell about 8 inches long, It inches wide near its broader end, and tapering to § of an inch at the opposite extremity. The broader end is neatly rounded, and upon one side has been incised
FIGURE 24
From the Central Altar of Mound 3: Disc cut from the parietal bone of a human skull and ornamented with the same design as figure 23, but reversed. (2/3.)
a well-executed scroll. The greater portion of the unit of the design is repeated once. Unfortunately, the surface of the tortoise shell is so disintegrated that the lines of the design cannot be followed with accuracy, and a satisfactory drawing cannot be made.
Stone Implements. Comparatively few stone implements were taken from the altar. Six broken flint blades, 5 or 6 inches in length, of ordinary workmanship; about a dozen perfect knife blades of obsidian and flint, five of which are shown on plate 16,
PEABODY MUSEUM PAPERS
VOL. VIII, No. 3, PLATE 16
From the Central Altar of Mound 3: a, Knife blades of flint and obsidian; b, Ceremonial blades (?) of micaceous schist. (2/5.)
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a; and many fragments of similar blades, broken by the fire, were recovered.
Eleven imitation chipped blades or spear points, made of mica- ceous schist, were also taken from the altar, eight of which are shown on the above plate. The lower portion of most of these is perfo- rated for attachment. It is possible that they may have been used as pendants, but, in the opinion of the writer, it seems more prob- able that they are ceremonial spear points. The surface of each appears to be ground in imitation of the facets upon chipped blades.
Miscellaneous Objects. Only a few remaining objects from this altar are worthy of special mention. Among them are two large
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FIGURE 25
a-d, Copper-covered buttons; e, f, Sandstone forms for covering with metal: a-c, e, f, Altar of Mound 3; d, Mound 4. (About 1/2.)
hemispherical button-like objects of sandstone, which are illus- trated in figure 25, e, f. The metal coverings of both are missing. One of the specimens, f, is perforated near its base for the passage of a cord. This perforation is above its center, evidently for the purpose of allowing the ornament to hang properly when attached to the garment, or when suspended against the body. The second example, e, is grooved at one side of the center for the same purpose. The metal plate which covered its base held the cord in place. A third and complete example is illustrated in d. This was found during the excavation of mound 4. It is covered with thin copper plates, the edges of the outer plate overlapping those of the under
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one. Similar examples from the Hopewell Group are covered with sheets of native silver.
There are three terra-cotta rings grooved at the outer edge, which were probably used as ear-ornaments. Two of them are of the same type, but are not mates, one being larger and more crudely made than the other. The better example of the two is illustrated in figure 26, a. Several beautifully formed rings of this type, made from the brown micaceous schist called " gold stone " by Squier and Davis, were taken from an altar of the Hopewell Group, and are now in the Field Museum. The largest of these is about 2} inches in diameter. Similar rings were also found by the above explorers. These stone rings are among the most interesting objects from the mounds. Technically they are perfect; their outlines form true circles, and their surfaces are exactly symmetri- cal. They could not have been made without some mechanical device based upon the principle of the lathe.1 The terra-cotta rings, however, are modeled by hand, and afterward baked. Like some of the stone rings, the one illustrated (a) is perforated later- ally by eight holes arranged in four pairs. It is not improbable that these perforations were used for attaching feathers or other ornaments placed within or hanging from the central opening. The third terra-cotta ring from this altar is shown in b, the only one of this type recovered.
Several fossils were taken also from the altar, and were probably used as fetishes. They are duplicates of those from the altar of mound 4 which are illustrated in d, plate 17. There were also many fragments of shell vessels, bone and shell rings, and other objects destroyed by breaking or burning.
Intrusive Pit. This was on the eastern side of the mound (2, figure 16), and had been dug to the depth of 7 feet. The clay filling was like the upper strata of the mound, but the layers of stone had been removed. A coating of ash-like substance covered the bottom of the pit, and extended 3 feet up its sides. The ex- tended skeletons of a man and a woman lay upon the bottom near its center. Covering their tibiae were ashes containing bits of burnt bone, both human and animal. Near the skeletons was a flat stone upon which rested a rounded sheet of mica about 12 inches across. About the two skeletons were sixteen crania of
1 Willoughby, op. cit., Holmes Anniversary Volume, plate 12.
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men arranged at regular intervals. Two or three other fragments were also recovered, one of which was part of an infant's skull. When found, the settling of the superincumbent mass of clay had broken, and misplaced some of the bones.
The sixteen skulls were unaccompanied by other bones. They were probably family relics, connected with or belonging to the man whose skeleton occupied the center of the grave. Thirteen of them have superficial scratches or cuts on their surface, appar- ently made with flint knives in the process of removing the flesh. Some of the skulls had been painted red, and red ocher still adheres to the surface of six. It is more common on the forehead, facial
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FIGURE 26
Terra-cotta rings, probably ear-ornaments: a, b, Altar of Mound 3; c, Ash-bed, Trench a, embankment of the Great Enclosure. (1/2.)
bones, and jaw, but in one skull it occurs about the base as well, and in this and one other on the temporal fossa. Five of the skulls have one to four perforations, about { inch in diameter, in the vault of the cranium. The sixth example has eleven perforations, and another apparently started. This skull is shown in plate 27 together with one having two perforations.1 The position of the holes seems to indicate that at least a part of them were intended for the passage of a suspending cord. Others may have been used for the insertion of feathers or other decorations.
During the exploration of Marriott mound 1, to the west of the elevated circle (see page 88), a skull was found occupying a small stone-lined grave, and unaccompanied by other bones. This was perforated near the great foramen, probably for the passage of a suspending cord.
Bones coated with red pigment are reported from Ohio by W. K. Moorehead as follows: from a mound at Omega, Ross County; from a Jackson County mound; from two mounds within the
1 The above description is from the manuscript notes of Cornelis Studley.
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corporate limits of Chillicothe; and from a stone-lined grave in Marion County.1
The following account from Romans of bone painting among the Choctaw throws an interesting sidelight upon these remains .?
The day [of the burial] being come, the friends and relations assemble near the stage, a fire is made, and the respectable operator, after the body is taken down [from the stage on which it has lain for two to four months], with his nails tears the remaining flesh off the bones and throws it with the entrails into the fire, where it is consumed; then he scrapes the bones and burns the scrapings likewise. The head being painted red with vermilion, is, with the rest of the bones, put into a neatly made chest (which for a chief is also made red) and deposited in the loft of a hut built for that purpose, and called 'bone
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FIGURE 27. Cross-section of Mound 4, looking south: 1, Clay just beneath the sand; 4, Yellow earth; 5, Clay and ashes; 6, Burnt clay; 7, Altar 1; 8, Altar
house.' Each town has one of these. After remaining here one year, or there- abouts, if he be a man of any note, they take the chest down, and in an assem- bly of relations and friends they weep once more over him, refresh the color of the head, paint the box, and then deposit him to lasting oblivion.
Mound 4. This was approximately 108 feet long by 66 feet wide, with its greatest elevation about 6 feet above the surrounding plain. A cross-section near its center, figure 27, from a drawing by Dr. Metz, shows the following stratification: beneath the thin top-soil were 2 feet of clay (1) resting upon a 7-inch layer of clay mixed with charcoal (2); then came 26 inches of mottled clay (3); an inch of sand, and 7 inches of yellow earth (4); layers of clay and ashes (5); and layers of burnt clay, probably the remains of hearths (6). Three pits with clay covers (9) are shown similar to those in mound 3, but without the accompanying tunnels. Thir- teen pits and one hundred and seven post-holes, not shown in the 1 Ales Hrdlicka, The Painting of Human Bones Among the Indians, Smithsonian Report, 1904, p. 612. * Ibid., p. 613.
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ground plan, figure 28, are recorded. As it is not possible to plot these with accuracy from the given data they are omitted. Several hearths with cup-shaped depressions were found in the north- western section, and nearly half of the mound area was paved with flat limestones at a point somewhat above the level of the sur- rounding plain.
At a depth of 5} feet near the center of the mound, altar 1 (number 7 in plan and section) was encountered. This is described by Dr. Metz in the following words:
The altar was almost quadrangular in form, being a little wider in one direc- tion than in the other. At each corner was a rounded projection. These cor-
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top-soil; 2, Clay mixed with charcoal; 3, Mottled clay resting on an inch of 2: 9, Pits covered with clay cone covers.
responded to the cardinal points of the compass. It measured about 6 feet diagonally from corner to corner, and the slope of the sides was 10 inches. Near the southwest side of the floor of the altar was a circular basin, 5 inches deep and 15 inches in diameter. In this were found a copper bracelet, several copper beads, and fragments of mica; a layer of pebbles covered the basin. Nearly the entire floor of the altar was covered with a layer of black ashes, 13 inches deep. Over one side of the floor, and extending nearly to its center was a 2-inch stratum of white ashes (bone ashes?). Over this was a 1-inch layer of black ashes. To the extreme left on the floor of the altar lay a large worked piece of cannel coal, its under surface charred. To the right of the bed of white ashes, and directly in the center of the altar lay a nugget of copper weighing 3 pounds and 10 ounces. Close to this were the fragments of the hollow stone effigy wrapped in pieces of mica. Next to this lay another nugget of copper, beside which were numerous fragments of terra-cotta images of the human form. Over these objects lay a large serpent cut from mica. Nu- merous copper beads were found throughout the black ashes, above which was a layer of gray ashes, 5 inches deep, containing great quantities of animal re- mains. These were covered with a layer of worked pieces of cannel coal. Cov- ering the coal and the entire altar was a 5-inch layer of pure sand which was in turn covered by a triple layer of flat stones. These were quite large, and were built over as a covering for the contents of the altar.
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After the removal of its contents, a cross-section was made through the altar. Its floor was found to be burned very hard to a depth of 2} inches, beneath which was a 2-inch stratum of pure clay, and below this 4 inches of red burnt earth. Then came a 1} inch layer of black ashes, upon which the altar had been built.
Beneath the northeastern edge of this altar (a) a second altar was found, square in form, the edges measuring approximately 4 feet. Its depth was 4
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13 PITS AND 107 POST-HOLES IN THIS MOUND NOT PLOTTED
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FIGURE 28
Plan of Mound 4: 7, Altar 1, from which many artifacts were taken; 8, Altar 2; 9, Adjoining pits with clay cone covers.
inches, and the inner slope of its side 5 inches. This altar contained only dark ashes.
The relative positions of these altars are shown in figures 27, 28, and 29.
Contents of Altar 1. After removing the ashes and other con- tents to the Museum, assorting the material and repairing the broken objects, the following specimens were listed: 26 pieces of cannel coal, all but one of which had been laid over the other objects in the altar (plate 17, a); 7 nuggets of native copper, the largest weighing 56} ounces (c of above plate); a nugget of meteoric iron, weighing 27} ounces (b); many fossils of various kinds, probably used as fetishes, some of which are shown in d; 284 astragali of deer and elk (e); 44 hollow cones made of antler tips; stones and concretions of natural forms used as fetishes (plate
PEABODY MUSEUM PAPERS
VOL. VIII, No. 3, PLATE 17
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From Altar 1, Mound 4: a, Cannel coal; b, Meteoric iron; c, Native copper; d, Fossils; e. Astragali of deer and elk. (1/4.)
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18, e); a bracelet, cones, and beads of native copper, and about 200 pearl beads (plate 18, a-d); 2 hollow stone effigies; a repre- sentation of the horned serpent cut from mica; and several terra- cotta figurines. In addition to the above there were many frag- ments of worked bone, shell, teeth and claws of animals, flint im- plements, etc. The more important of these specimens will be treated separately.
Meteoric Iron. Reference has been made, page 50, to the objects of this metal from the central altar of mound 3. No artifacts of
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FIGURE 29
Altars of Mound 4: a, Altar 1, with circular basin (b) at one side; c, Altar 2, partly beneath Altar 1.
this material, however, were found with the nugget from the altar of mound 4. This mass (plate 17, b) taken with the other objects from the ashes, weighed 767.5 grams. The following is an extract from the published account by Dr. Kinnicutt: 1
This mass consisted principally of metallic iron and olivine; the crystals of olivine have a diameter of 5 to 10 millimeters, and are enclosed within the iron. The specific gravity was found by Professor Lattimore of Rochester, New York, to be 4.72.
A section of the stone was made and polished, and the general appearance is shown by the following wood cut. The dark portions showing the size and shape of the crystals of olivine, which were of a dark green weighing from 200
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