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[ Serpent Mound of Ohio Index ] Archaeological finds at the southward knoll of 'The Serpent Mound of Ohio' written by Frederic Ward Putnam (1890). [ << Return to Previous Page | Continue to Next Page >> ] East of the "cherry tree knoll" is another point extending southward from the main plateau. The underlying rock of this knoll is probably a continuation of the limestone of which the outcrop is seen along the border of Brush Creek. On the southern slope of this point are many boulders derived from the breaking up of the devonian rock, and over them is a deposit of yellow clay like that covering the whole plateau. Over the clay at this point there are from six to ten inches of dark soil. Upon removing this soil five irregular groups of stones were found (27-31 on map); the three to the west covered graves, and the two to the east were ancient fireplaces. It is evident that these stones were placed upon the surface of the clay, and it seems probable that the loose and dark soil had formed over them as a natural deposit. The fireplace farthest east was formed by five small boulders in a line, four feet long on the southern side; and two feet from the eastern end of this row, three other stones, placed side by side, made a row nearly two feet long; between the two rows was a single small stone at the eastern end. All the stones and the clay between them showed signs of burning. In the crevices between these stones some ashes had been left when the rest was scraped up, and there were a few pieces of burnt bones, splinters of flint implements, flint chips, a broken hemisphere of hematite, several tubes or handles made of the leg-bones of deer, and a chisel-shaped implement carved from a piece of deer's antler, which, from being burnt, had the appearance of a piece of cannel coal. An excavation was made to the boulders below, but no signs of burial were found. The second fireplace was four feet south-west of the first, and was made of much larger stones, ten in number, which rested directly upon the boulders, from among which the stones had evidently been taken. There was no regularity in their arrangement, and the fire had been built upon them. Among them a small amount of charcoal, made by burning twigs and grass, was scraped up, but the place had evidently been carefully cleared of its ashes. About four feet north of the west end of this fireplace was the first grave, which was nearly three feet deep, and had been dug down to the boulders, between which a few stones had been placed to make an even bottom, upon which the body had been extended at full length, with the head at the eastern end of the grave. The bones were much decayed, and the portions preserved were deeply stained with iron. The skull was crushed, but so firmly impacted in clay that nearly all of it was secured in small pieces. There were neither ashes nor implements nor objects of any kind in the grave. Sixteen feet westward was a grave which proved to be of great interest. The twenty to thirty stones marking this grave were removed, and two feet below them, covered with clay, were two masses of burnt bones, ashes, charcoal, pieces of many points made from the leg-bones of deer, a chisel-shaped implement made of antler, and pieces of others, a number of chipped flint implements in various forms of knives, long points, and arrow-heads. One of the masses of burnt material was near the center of the grave and the other was at the southern end. Under them were two skeletons extended at full length side by side, with the shoulders against the hard clay at the northeastern edge of the grave. Remains of the clavicles and of the scapula bones were in place, but not a trace of the upper cervical vertebrae or of the skulls could be found, although for hours a careful search was made in all parts of the grave, and for two feet beyond all signs of former disturbance of the clay; and it was evident beyond all question that these two bodies had been decapitated before they were placed in the grave. These skeletons were lying in the clay eight inches above the boulders. The portions of the bones remaining, while thoroughly impregnated with iron, were much decayed, and only the more solid portions of the arm and leg bones held together, though the outlines or casts of nearly all the bones could be traced in the clay as it was carefully removed. The largest number of objects I have ever seen in a single grave was found with these skeletons. Lying on the left shoulder and chest of the skeleton on the east side of the grave was a long point, beautifully chipped from a blue flint, and under this were five flint knives, two chipped pieces of flint, and a small piece of sandstone with several grooves, which was evidently a stone used for sharpening points of bone and other implements. Near the outside of the left knee of this skeleton were twenty-three implements chipped from flint, - knives, points, etc., - and pieces of several long bone points made from the leg-bones of deer. A few inches outside of these were two large stone celts or hatchets, one of which was made from a green slaty rock, which had decomposed and split into several pieces since it was placed in the grave, as was shown by the fact that all the particles were in place. Several of these knives and one of the hatchets are shown, of a little less than half size, in the illustration above. Between the knees was another flint point, and near the left foot was a mass of red ocher in which was a finely made flint point and a point of bone. These points or knives are shown, of one-third size, as a and b of the illustration on page 884. On the outside of the right hip and along the leg of the other skeleton were twelve flint knives and points and a long bone point. On the inside of the right humerus of this skeleton were another flint knife and three flint flakes; and at the lower end of the humerus, with the flat surface resting against the bone, was an ornament cut out of a crystal of galena (lead). This ornament has two holes through it, evidently for the purpose of fastening it to some object or to the person. Similar ornaments of galena and of stone have been found in other graves and in mounds. Those of galena are very rare; probably not a dozen are known, this one being the third placed in the Peabody Museum. The burnt material in this grave is of the same character as that found on the first fireplace, and among the burnt bones are many fragments which can be identified as human. Not only this but there was also found in the grave another piece of the implement made of antler. This has a jagged edge exactly fitting the corresponding edge of the piece from the fireplace, and it cannot be questioned that they originally formed a single piece of a chisel-like implement. We therefore have reason to believe that at the time when the two headless bodies were buried the body of another person was burnt near by, and that the ashes containing the burnt bones, and various objects burnt with the body, were placed over the two individuals in the grave, partly over the legs and feet of one skeleton and partly over the right hip and leg of the other skeleton. Besides the fragment of the implement which matches the other piece from the fireplace, the burnt mass in the grave contained a piece of a sharpening stone, forty flint flakes and chipped pieces of stone, eighteen chipped implements of various kinds, several of which were splintered by the heat, a number of pieces of implements made of deer antler, the bones of animals, and four natural pieces of lead ore (galena). Resting on the burnt mass, but evidently put in afterwards, was a little red ocher in which was a much decayed point made from the metacarpal bone of a deer; and near by were the remains of several other bone implements of the same character, and a chisel-like implement made of antler. In the clay filling the grave above the ashes were two chipped implements of flint. Was this ceremony, and the depositing so many objects in the grave, a sacrifice and propitiatory offering to the two individuals, who perhaps had been beheaded by their enemies after some valiant deed,19 and whose bodies were afterward recovered and buried with extraordinary rites? Six feet farther to the west stones were scattered here and there on the surface of the clay, over an area of about four by eight feet, partly covering three closely adjoining graves, all of which had been dug down to the large boulders, a depth of three feet. At the bottom of one of these graves were several large flat stones resting on the boulders. The body had then been placed at full length in the grave, with the head at the eastern end; ashes containing considerable charcoal had been placed over the body, and over this about a foot of clay. The grave was then filled with stones, some measuring a foot or more in diameter, but the greater part much smaller. Two rows of stones, about seven feet long and two feet apart, marked the grave on the surface. There was nothing in the grave except the bones of the skeleton, very much decayed, the fragments of which were impregnated with iron. A stone had been placed over the head, which, while it had crushed the skull into many pieces, had so protected the cranial bones that they had become thoroughly charged with iron and were thus preserved. Adjoining this grave, to the south, was another, the bottom of which was clay, resting on the boulders. In this instance the body had been covered with clay. The enamel of a full set of teeth lay in the clay in their natural position, even to the wisdom teeth of the upper jaw, which were slightly above the line of the others, showing that they were just cutting through the bone at the time of death. The outline of the skull and of many of the bones of the skeleton could be traced in the clay, but only as minute particles of bone, the cells of which were filled with iron. Nothing more was found in this very ancient grave. West of this, and at the same depth, was another grave, about four feet long, in which were found only iron-stained fragments of a tibia and fibula and several of the bones of a foot. No other fragment of the skeleton could be discovered, not even bone particles in the clay; but just beyond these fragments was a mass of light gray ashes containing many small pieces of calcined bones, which proved to be human by the identification of the crown of one molar tooth, a small piece of occipital bone, and two small pieces of the under jaw. With these burnt remains were a few flint chips and small flakes, but nothing more. The surface stones did not cover the extreme western point, thirty-eight feet from the first fireplace, where these ashes were buried. Footnotes 19 That the skulls of individuals were considered important objects, perhaps trophies, as with the Dyaks, is evident from a singular burial which we discovered in a mound in the Little Miami Valley, where the skeleton of a man and that of a woman were found buried at full length in ashes, and surrounded by sixteen skulls, which showed by the scratches upon them that the flesh had been removed by scraping. Six of these skulls had small holes bored in them as if for the purpose of decoration, and at least two of them had also been partly painted red. [ Top of Page ] |
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