Ohio History Journal

EXPLORATIONS OF THE GARTNER MOUND AND

VILLAGE SITE.

 

 

WM. C. MILLS, CURATOR OF THE STATE ARCH. AND HIST. SOCIETY.

The Gartner mound, located partly upon the land of Mr.

Adam Gartner and partly upon that of Miss Elizabeth Lievy,

is situated about six miles north of Chillicothe, on the east side

of the Scioto river. The river bank, at this point, is quite high,

upward of 70 feet above low water mark, and is very irregular,

with here and there spurs running up to the river, which in

several instances are almost perpendicular. The mound in ques-

tion is located upon one of these spurs. However, this particular

spur is quite large and the banks are not quite so abrupt as in

other places along the river. The north side of the mound, or

the part situated upon the land of Miss Lievy and which con-

stitutes about one-third of the mound, had never been disturbed

by the plow and was covered with a dense tangle of grape vines

and small trees; while the other two-thirds upon the land of

Mr. Adam Gartner had been under cultivation for a number

of years, consequently that portion had been lowered about ten

inches. The mound at the time work began was 7 feet 6 inches

in height, having a diameter of 75 feet. Surrounding the mound

is the prehistoric village site similar to the Baum village site,

which surrounds a large truncated mound*. Around the mound,

upon all sides, particularly to the south, are traces of former

Indian occupation. Numerous fragments of pottery, similar in

texture and ornamental feature to those found in the mound,

bestrew the ground. Intermingled with these were the valves of

mussel shells, arrow-heads, pitted stones, implements and orna-

ments made of bone, stone, and shell and the bones of various

wild animals, which were used for food.

*The village site is situated along Paint Creek a few miles south-

west of the small village of Bourneville, Ross County, Ohio. A prelimin-

ary account is given in Vol. X. page 78, of the Society's publications.

Vol.XIII-9.            (129)

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130       Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.   The soil from which the mound was made had evidently been collected from the village site and from the subterranean storehouses as they were dug from time to time as evidenced by thin layers of fine gravel and sand placed over a number of the burials which had been procured from the bottom of these pits. But, in every portion of the mound, various implements and ornaments were found intermingled with the soil and gravel. Here also were found animal bones and mussel shells which had evidently been gathered up with the soil from the village, as each successive burial was added to the mound. The mound was made up of three separate and distinct sec- tions as is shown in Fig. 1. The burials in the first section differed greatly from those in the second and third, which were similar. In the first section the bodies had been cremated and

the ashes with the personal belongings had been deposited upon a prepared platform of earth; while in the second and third sec- tions the inhumation of the bodies were in every portion of the mound as well as below the base. Section No. 1, which is to the north, covers the site of an aboriginal domicile and was begun by carrying earth over an area 34 feet east and west, and 23 feet north and south to a depth of six inches. Over the top of this was placed tamped clay, which had evidently been secured while digging the subterranean pits used for the storage of corn, beans, etc., and which occur in every portion of the village. This clay had no doubt been puddled and then placed in position and made as level as a floor and this served as a platform to re- ceive the ashes of the cremated dead, which ashes irregularly covered the platform to a depth of from six inches to two and one-half feet. With the ashes were unburned animal bones, which had been intermingled with the incinerated human bones as well as implements and ornaments made of bone, stone and shell

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Explorations of the Gartner Mound and Village Site. 131

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which were no doubt the personal property of the deceased. The

animals identified as they were removed from these ashes were

the black bear, beaver, deer, elk, raccoon, wolf, gray fox, musk

rat, ground hog, opossum and mink. The bones of various birds

such as the wild turkey, great horned owl, trumpeter swan and

wild goose, were also found. Quantities of mussel shells, as

well as the bones of the fresh water drum, were also removed.

Of the implements, the awl, made from the tarsometatarsus of

the wild turkey, was perhaps the most frequently met with.

These awls were found in every portion of the ashes and in fact

every stage in the manufacture of this most useful implement

was procured. Scrapers, made of the metapodal bones of the

deer and elk were also removed in a perfect state from the

ashes. However, the broken halves of these scrapers were very

abundant in other portions of the mound, but only a few were

taken from the ashes on the platform.  Perfect fish hooks made of

bone, as well as those in various stages of the manufacture of this

implement were found intermingled with the ashes. Shell disks

or gorgets, varying in diameter from one to two inches, were

frequently found. These were made of shell both foreign and

of the common fresh-water mussel shells from the river. They

are circular in form, having two small perforations near the edge

for attachment and a much larger perforation near the center,

which was, no doubt, set with pearls as we were able to find in a

grave in section 3 of the mound, a small shell gorget set with a

fresh-water pearl.

The mound was entirely removed from the platform pre-

viously described and its extent fully known before examination

was made of the soil beneath. Fig. 2 shows a photograph of the

platform. Beneath the platform, as is shown in Fig. 1, were

found the remains of the refuse pits, fireplaces, and even the post

molds of their little tepees were visible. The pits, also the imple-

ments and ornaments taken from them, were similar in every re-

spect to those found in the village surrounding the mound as well

as those found in the Paint Creek valley. No burials, other than

those of the cremated, were placed directly upon the platform,

and a thorough examination of the ground beneath revealed no

burials there, but 3½ feet above the surface of the platform were

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Explorations of the Gartner Mound and Village Site. 133

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134       Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.

three burials which had been placed there before the second section

found, was begun. In the second section the burials were placed

below the base line as well as above it, but none were found di-

rectly on the base line. An interesting feature of several of the

burials was the finding of clay mixed with broken quartz pebbles

and broken shell ready to be made into pottery placed in a nitch in

the grave near the head. Fig. 3 shows one of these graves. In

several instances this prepared clay was accompanied by a

large mussel shell and perhaps a well-wrought awl; in other

instances this clay was surrounded with small river boulders

varying in diameter from two to three inches. The small boul-

ders were usually piled in the form of a pyramid over the top

of this clay. In one instance sixty of them were removed. The

burials that were placed above the base line were usually about

31/2 feet above the base. The burials in the third section were

mostly below the base line and consisted for the most part of

adults, resembling both in stature and mode of burial those of

the first and second sections. However, one skeleton measured

5 feet 103/4 inches in height, the largest taken from the mound;

the average height of adults taken from   this mound being

5 feet 73/4 inches.  The third section excelled in the number

and quality of the ornaments and implements placed with the

dead. One grave contained a necklace made of 27 perforated

canine teeth of the gray wolf and mountain lion; another a shell

gorget set with a large fresh-water pearl; another an earthen

jar which was removed in a perfect condition, the only whole

piece of pottery taken from an Ohio mound in a number of

years; from another a number of perforated and worked wild

turkey's heads, each containing from three to five small quartz

pebbles. The heads were attached to the leg just below the

knee and perhaps served as an ornamental rattle. During the

explorations at the Baum Village along Paint Creek, these per-

forated heads of the wild turkey, as well as several specimens of

wild duck, were found in goodly numbers and caused much

speculation as to their use. However, the find in this mound

has practically solved the problem.

The examination of this mound has been of two-fold inter-

est: First, the village existed before the mound was built, as

evidenced by the existence of the remains of a domicile beneath

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Explorations of the Gartner Mound and Village Site. 135

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the platform, which was the first portion of the mound that was

built and which was used as a depository for the ashes of the

dead; second, that cremation of the dead was practiced for a

long period as shown by the great accumulation of incinerated

human bones.piled upon this platform, which was 23 feet wide

by 34 feet long to the height of 21/2 feet at the center. Further

proof of this method of disposing of the dead was furnished by

finding the crematory in which the bodies were prepared for the

last sad rites. This crematory was 16 feet wide and more than

twice that in length and contained the half-charred remains of a

human body surrounded with charcoal and ashes, showing that

the work of cremation had been brought suddenly to a close and

the crematory with its half-burned human skeleton was covered

with earth, and a mound heaped over the ashes upon the platform,

blotting out all traces of the practice of cremating the dead, and

inhumation in the regular way followed. The question naturally

arises, What caused this sudden change in the mode of disposing

of the dead? The answer can only be conjecture. It occurred

to me that perhaps the first occupants of the village were driven

away by an enemy and the newcomers had different rites and

ceremonies in disposing of their dead. But a comparison of the

artifacts taken from the refuse pits beneath the platform and

from the ashes upon the platform, with those taken from the

other sections of the mound shows definitely, that they are simi-

lar both in design and workmanship. Consequently, this cannot

be assigned a reason for the sudden change in the manner of

disposing of the dead. However, I am inclined to believe, from

the evidence obtained by the explorations, that the inhabitants

suddenly left their village either voluntarily or were driven away

by an enemy and sojourned for a time with a tribe having a

different mode of disposing of their dead and upon their return

they continued the practice of their neighbors.

 

DETAILED ACCOUNT OF THE MOUND EXPLORATION.

The work of examining this mound was begun at the base

line on the east side and carried forward due west until the

large platform was found and partly uncovered, then the exami-

nation continued from the north and west in order to uncover the

platform so its extent might be fully ascertained. The portion

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Explorations of the Gartner Mound and Village Site. 137

 

of the mound located upon the land of Miss Lievy was covered

near the base, with a leaf mold from seven to ten inches thick.

Beneath the leaf mold was a dark earth filled with animal bones,

such as the deer, which constituted 75% of all the bones, the

raccoon, gray fox, mountain lion, wild cat, beaver, musk rat,

opossum, squirrel and Indian dog. Bones of the wild turkey

were quite abundant, yet the bones of the wild goose and great

horned owl were also mingled with the black soil. This dark

earth was also rich in implements such as bone awls, scrapers,

celts, flint arrow-points, as well as ornaments made of bone and

shell. At the very edge of the mound was found the skeleton

of an adult lying upon the right side with the head bent forward

and the legs flexed so that the knees were in close proximity to

the head. The body had been placed upon the base of the mound

and was covered with less than one foot of earth. However, it

could not be considered an intrusive burial, as the small layer of

gravel which covered the mound about six inches above the

burial had not been disturbed. No implements or ornaments of

any kind were placed with this burial. It was found in section 2.

Skeleton No. 2 was that of a child about one year old. It

was placed directly to the east of the center and on the base

line.

Skeleton No. 3 was that of an adult and was placed 21/2

feet above the base line. The mound at this point was five feet

high.  This skeleton was found in section 3 of the mound.

Skeleton No. 4 was placed in close proximity to skeleton 2 in

section 2, but was placed in a grave two feet below the base line.

It was that of an adult male. In a nitch near the head of the

skeleton were found a large number of round boulders varying

in diameter from two to three inches. These were placed in a

pile in regular order around a mass of clay which had been mixed

with broken quartz and this clay was, no doubt, intended to be

made into pottery. Near the pile of boulders was also placed

several valves of mussel shells and a well-wrought awl six inches

in length. At the back of the head was placed a fine discoidal

stone made of granite porphyry 33/4 inches in diameter and 2

inches thick, each side hollowed out and pierced with a hole

one-half inch in diameter at the center. The outer edges are

convex. The whole specimen is highly polished with the ex-

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138       Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.   ception of the concave sides, which seem to have been freshly pecked. This is readily seen on both sides of the stone. See Fig 4. At the right side was placed a large stone implement, perhaps a war club, made of limestone. It is 21/2 feet long, 3 inches wide and 2 inches thick. The stone is smaller at one end and the edge has been rounded and has the appearance of being water worn with the exception of a few places which show the hand work of man. Fig. 5 shows the skeleton with the discoidal at the rear of the head and the war club lying on the right side of the head. From around the neck of the skeleton was removed

three perfect crescents made of mussel shells; these are shown in Fig. 6. The largest one, which is pierced with two holes, is 21/2 inches in length and is not decorated. The second crescent, which was hung directly below the first, is two inches in length and pierced with one hole, but is decorated with notched edges. The third crescent, which is 1 1-3 inches in length, is pierced with three holes and the edges are also ornamented with notches. Attached to these crescents below were found three triangular pieces of ocean shell perforated for attachment and four beads made of small ocean shells.

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Explorations of the Gartner Mound and Village Site. 139   Skeleton No. 5 was an adult and was buried in section 2. It was placed three feet below the base line. Around the neck was a crescent two inches in length and pierced with two holes and ornamented with notched edges. The crescent was similar in every respect to those found with skeleton No. 4, differing only in the material from which it is made. Those in No. 4 were made from common fresh-water mussel shells from the river, while the one from No. 5 was made from the body whorl of an ocean shell. Near the left hand were two small arrow-points

both showing that they were made by a skilled artisan, one being of the triangular form 1½ inches in length and the other having a notched base and being 13/4 inches in length. Skeleton No. 6 was buried three feet below the base line. With it was found puddled and tempered clay ready to be made into pottery. This clay was placed in a nitch in the grave near the head of the skeleton and with it were two large mussel shells, a few broken bones of the deer, and the humerus of the wild turkey.

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140      Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.

Skeleton No. 7 was buried 31/2 feet above the base line and was that of an adult. Near the head was placed a fine large awl, 8 inches in length. This awl was deco- rated with incised lines entirely encircling the awl near the point, and about two inches from the point was an enlargement in the body of the awl. This mode of orna- mentation seems to be the usual method of decorating the large awls. Skeleton No. 8 was that of an adult and was placed four feet below the base line. A large awl was found at the head, this was 8½ inches in length and made of

bones, one end of which was ornamented with a carved head represent- ing that of a fox. This is shown in Fig. 7. On the right side of the grave near the head was a quantity of clay mixed   with  broken shells and a few small boulders placed around it similar to skeleton No. 6. Skeleton No. 9 was an adult male buried four feet above the base line. The skele- ton was in a good state

of preservation. Near the left hand were several small arrow-heads of the triangular type, beautifully chipped and made from flint ridge chalcedony. Skeleton No. 10 was that of an adult placed 41/2 feet above the base line. This was the only skeleton in the

mound that I considered an intrusive burial. The grave shows that it was dug through the regular strata of earth, sand and gravel, that was used in the construction of this portion of the

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Explorations of the Gartner Mound and Village Site. 141   mound. With this burial was a small arrow-point and a few cut bear teeth, placed near the head. Skeletons Nos. 11, 12, 13, and 14 were all adult burials placed above the base line about 31/2 feet. No implements or or- naments of any kind were placed with these burials. Skeleton No. 15 was an adult male, placed in section 2, four feet above the base line. The skeleton was headless, as shown in Fig. 8. However, a number of fine bone beads were taken from near the left shoulder. Upon the right arm were a number of well-wrought beads made of shell, one-fourth inch in diameter. Near the foot was placed two fine arrow-points made of chal- cedony.

Skeletons 16 and 17 were in section 3; both were adults and placed three feet below the surface. No implements or ornaments were placed with them. Skeleton 18 was that of an adult male, placed in section 2 and was buried five feet below the base line. Upon the right arm were a number of beads made of ocean shell and near the head was placed a platform pipe; around the neck was a neck- lace of beads. The platform pipe is far different from any of the pipes found in this section. It is made of a reddish brown com- pact sandstone with a circular base 23/8 inches in diameter, and 3/4 inch in thickness. The bowl extends from the center of this cir- cular base and is 11/8 inches in height and 7/8 of an inch in diameter at the base of the bowl, gradually tapering to 13/8 inch at the top. The diameter of the hole in the bowl is 3/4 inch, which gradually

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142       Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.   tapers to the bottom and is connected with a hole from the plat- form, which is 1/2 inch in diameter at the edge of the base and gradually tapers, similar to that of the bowl. The platform is ornamented with three deep cut lines which encircle the outer edge. The bottom of the base is marked with incised lines. The pipe is shown in Fig. 9. The grave showing the skeleton and pipe is shown in Fig. 10. Skeleton 19 was that of a child about ten years of age. The burial was upon the base line of section 3 and the skeleton was fairly well preserved. Around the neck was placed a necklace consisting of 46 canine teeth about equally divided between those of the dog, raccoon, and wild cat. Fig. 11 shows a few of the teeth.

Skeleton 20 was that of an adult female and was buried 21/2 feet above the base line in section 3. It was in a good state of preservation. The skull on the left side near the top was crushed in such a manner as to form al- most a circular hole 11/2 inches in diameter and had the appearance of having been made with some blunt instrument and no doubt caused the death of the in- dividual. Around the neck were a few bone beads made from the wing bones of the wild turkey.

Work was now commenced on the west side of the mound in order to aid the workmen in carefully uncovering the skele- tons so that photographs could be made. No burials were found near the western edge of the mound, but as the center was ap- proached, skeleton 21, that of an adult male, was found three feet above the base line. Near the head and at the back was removed a large ocean shell gorget 4 inches in diameter and

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Explorations of the Gartner Mound and Village Site. 143   made from the body whorl of the massive conch (Fulgur per- versum). The gorget was pierced at the center with a hole 1/2 inch in diameter and near the edge two small holes were

placed for attachment. The gorget was not in a good state of preservation, as the portion containing the perforations was near the head and was very brittle, consequently it crumbled slightly in removing it from the burial. Fig. 12 shows a photo-

graph of the gorget. Directly beneath this gorget was a large bone awl 6 inches in length and made of one of the heavy bones of the deer or elk. At the side of the gorget was another awl

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144      Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.   of about the same size and shape. The skeleton was well pre- served. Skeleton 22 was that of an adult male placed three feet above the base line and partly over the platform which covers the base of section 1. This skeleton was in close proximity to skeleton 21. Two shell beads 1/2 inch in diameter were found near the left hand. Skeleton 23 was that of an adult male placed three feet above the platform, and was in a good state of preservation. No implements or ornaments were placed in the grave.

Skeleton 24 was an adult male placed in section  3.  It was buried in a grave four feet below the base line. With the skele- ton were two perfor- ated canine teeth of the elk, which are ex- ceedingly rare in the graves of this mound. Skeleton 25 was an adult male buried four feet below the base line in section 3. One large spear-point was placed upon the right

side near the hand. The point was 4 inches in length and made of reddish brown flint. Skeleton 26 was that of a child and was placed in section 2. It was buried 31/2 feet above the base line. Around the lower legs were placed small ocean shell beads, varying in diameter from 1/4 to 3/8 of an inch and about 1/8 of an inch in thickness. All were finely wrought and well polished. Upwards of 700 beads were removed from this grave. On the breast was found a large ocean shell gorget, 4 inches in diameter, made from the apex portion of the massive conch (Fulgur perversum). Near one

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Explorations of the Gartner Mound and Village Site. 145   edge it is pierced with two holes for attachment, the central por- tion having been removed. This gorget is shown in Fig. 13. Skeleton 27 is that of an adult found in section 2. It was placed two feet above the base line. No implements or ornaments were placed with this skeleton. Skeletons 28, 29, 30, and 31 were all placed in graves be- low the base of the mound in section 3. The graves ranged in depth from 2 to 3 feet. No implements were placed with these skeletons. Skeleton 32 was placed near the west side of section 3 and

was two feet below the sur- face.  It was that of an adult male.  At the head were placed two large bone awls 6 and 63/4   inches re- spectively in length. These were placed directly under the head and were badly de- caved. Skeleton 34 was that of an adult male and was buried two feet below the base line. From around the neck was removed a necklace made from 27 canine teeth, 19 of which were those of the gray wolf and 8 of the mountain lion. Each tooth was pierced with a hole near the end of

the root, for attachment. Each tooth was ornamented by hav- ing from 3 to 4 deep lines cut across the concave surface. A representative collection of these teeth is shown in Fig. 14. At the side of the head were placed two badly decayed bone awls 5 and 51/2 inches in length, respectively. Near the arm a number of shell beads were found; these were made from small ocean shells.   Vol. XIII--10.

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146       Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.   Skeleton 35 was placed very near 34 and at about the same depth below the base line. Around the neck were a number of cut pieces of ocean shell, made from the body whorl. These were triangular in form. With these were a number of small ocean shells. Skeletons 36 and 37 were also placed below the base. No im- plements or ornaments were placed with them. Skeleton 38 was buried three feet below the base line. The skeleton was placed on the right side, facing the east. Near the

head was found a perfect piece of pottery, 6½ inches high and 7 inches in diameter at the largest part of the bowl. The opening on top is 41/2 inches in diameter. The top portion of the bowl is decorated with incised lines made in the form of a scroll which entirely encircles the vessel. Directly beneath the scroll work are two incised lines running entirely around the vessel. The lower part shows the impression of the cloth used in the hands while being fashioned. Fig. 15 shows this vessel. At the side of the vessel was a spoon made of mussel shell. Fig. 16 shows the skeleton and vessel before they were removed from the grave.

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Explorations of the Gartner Mound and Village Site. 147   Skeleton 39 was that of an adult female and was buried three feet below the base line in section 3. Around the right leg below the knee were found 14 wild turkey heads pierced with holes for attachment. Inside the heads were found small quartz pebbles, showing that they had been used for rattles. Upon the left leg at about the same place was a turtle back. This was also per- forated for attachment and contained 15 small quartz pebbles. Upon the breast was found a small gorget pierced with two holes near the edge and one in the center. This gorget is 1½ inches in

diameter and made of mussel shell. Skeleton 40 is that of an adult female. Around the neck were a number of shell gorgets similar to the gorgets found with skeleton 39. One of these, however, had a pearl setting in the large central hole. The gorget with pearl setting is shown in Fig. 17. Skeleton 4 and 42 were also

adults and were placed below the base, but near the edge of the mound. No implements or ornaments of any kind were placed with these skeletons.

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Explorations of the Gartner Mount and Village Site. 149     GARTNER VILLAGE SITE. The village site which surrounds the Gartner mound, just described, was ex-

amined  during the summer of 1903.   Fig. 18 is a drawing of mound and vil- lage site, show- ing the extent of the field explora- tions during 1903. The village site proper, occupies between three and four acres of land and entirely sur- rounds      the mound. How- ever,  directly south and south- east of the mound, surface indications are richest; for here our examination showed the earth was intermingled with the refuse from their homes

to the depth of from one foot to twenty inches, indicating that

they occupied this place for a long period. Directly to the south and less than one-half mile is what is known as the Cedar Bank Works, which has been described by Squier and Davis on page 52, in "Ancient Monu- ments of the Mississippi Valley." We made a thorough search of this enclosure of 32

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acre as well as the immediate surrounding territory, in search

of a village, but found no evidences of a former habitat other

than the Gartner village. Therefore, it seems reasonable to be-

lieve that the inhabitants of the Gartner village were the builders

of the Cedar Bank Works. However, no explorations have been

made within the works to verify this statement. Upon a spur

of the hill between this village and the Cedar Bank Works are

also indications of a former habitat, as flint implements, broken

pieces of pottery and animal bones of various kinds are sparingly

scattered over the surface. As the examination progressed it

was soon discovered that the inhabitants of this village lived in

small clans or family groups. Although only fifteen skeletons

were unearthed in the examination of this village, there is no doubt

but that burials were made along the hillside which surrounds

the village on three sides.

The refuse pits, which are so abundant in the villages of the

Paint Creek valley, were present in great numbers and distributed

over the village site surrounding the habitats of the various fam-

ilies. Fig. No. 19 shows ten of these pits open at one time.

During the examination in the village, more than 100 pits were

found and thoroughly examined. The evidence produced by this

examination shows that 20% of the pits examined were originally

used for storehouses for grain, beans and nuts, and perhaps for

animal food. These pits were lined with straw or bark and in

some instances the ears of corn laid in regular order upon the

bottom; in other instances the corn was shelled and placed in

woven bags; in others shelled corn and beans were found to-

gether; in others hickory nuts, walnuts, chestnuts and seeds of

the pawpaw were present in goodly numbers. All this was in the

charred state, accidently caused, no doubt, by fire being blown

into these pits and the supplies practically destroyed before the

flames were subdued. Fig. 20 shows charred cobs and lumps

of charred shelled corn. The burning of these supplies must have

been a great loss to these primitive people and may have caused

them great suffering during the severe winters, but it has left a

record of their industry which never could have been ascertained

in any other way. The great number of pits found, which show

conclusively by their charred remains their early uses, would lead

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Explorations of the Gartner Mound and Village Site. 151   one to believe that all the pits found were used originally for underground storehouses and by spring time, when the supplies were likely consumed, a general forced cleaning up of their domi- ciles and surroundings would occur and the empty storehouse would serve as a receptacle for this refuse, which was henceforth

used for that purpose until completely filled. During the autumn, when the harvest time came, a new storehouse would be dug and the grain and nuts gathered and stored for winter use. The examination of the pits has brought out the above conclusions as evidenced by the refuse found therein. Near the bottom of the pits will invariably be found the heads of various animals such

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15     Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.   as the deer, with antlers attached, black bear, raccoon, gray fox, rabbit and the wild turkey, as well as the large, heavy broken bones of these animals such as would likely be found around a winter camp. Further, some of the large bones showed that they had been gnawed in such a manner as to indicate the presence of a domesticated dog, whose presence was further corroborated by

finding his remains in every part of the village. Therefore, taking all these facts into consideration, one must necessarily infer that the spring cleaning took place and animal bones, broken pottery and the general refuse was thrown into the pits. Further, the remains of fish are seldom ever found near the bottom of the pits, but usually occur from the top to about the middle. Mussel shells are never found at the bottom of the pits, but are usually

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Explorations of the Gartner Mount and Village Site. 153   found near the middle or half way between the middle and top of the pit. Fig. 21 shows how mussel shells are sometimes pres- ent in the refuse pits. We know that fish and mussels must be

taken during the spring, summer and autumn and are certainly very hard to procure during the winter. A drawing representing a cross section of the village site showing the location of the

tepees, fireplaces, refuse pits and burials is shown in Fig. 22. This represents a cut of sixty feet which was carried forward in the examination of the village. This drawing shows the fireplaces

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to have been made at different periods of time. Some of these

fireplaces are directly above the refuse pits and it is also shown

that in digging the pits, that they dug down upon previous burials,

but even this did not cause them to abandon the pit, but to

remove the bones and dig on to the necessary depth and place

the dislodged bones in the bottom of the pit and cover them

slightly with soil. In some, the burial was made directly over an

old pit and the refuse in the pit being porous the body would

naturally sink into the pit, leaving the legs and head higher than

the other portions of the body. The accumulation of bones of

various animals and the implements and ornaments of these primi-

tive people found through the soil was caused by the covering up,

from time to time, of the debris in the tepees and surroundings

which would naturally be greater during the winter season.

Another interesting feature of this village was the finding

of the remains of two mussel bakes. One only will be described,

as they were similar in every respect. These bakes were made

by digging a hole in the ground 5 feet deep and 4 feet in diameter.

A fire was built in the bottom of this pit; so great was the fire

that the clay forming the sides of the pit was burned to a deep

red and several inches in depth. Four hundred and fifty small

river boulders varying in diameter from 3 to 1O inches were

thrown upon this fire and then the fresh-water mussels of small

size were piled upon the stones and the entire pit filled with these

mussels. The top was then, no doubt, covered over with grass

and the mussels left to bake. After the feast, for it was no doubt

a feast, the shells were thrown back into the pit as well as into a

number of surrounding pits that were open. We made a careful

estimate of the number of mussels required in these mussel bakes

by counting the mussel shells in a given space, and found that

more than 1O,OOO mussels were used in the two bakes. They

were all of small size and in the two bakes only a few large shells

were present. The mussels had, no doubt, been procured from

the Scioto river, only one hundred yards distant. Fig. 23 shows

one of these pits. In the rear is a pile of charcoal taken from the

bottom of the pit, at the side are the boulders. In one of the

refuse pits we found evidences of a great animal feast, as the pit

was filled for several feet with a mass of broken bones, showing

• 26
 

Explorations of the Gartner Mound and Village Site. 155   that they had used the deer, bear, elk, beaver, raccoon, opossum and wild turkey in this great feast. A number of individual ani- mals of each were used, but more especially the deer, as seven jaw bones of this animal were removed from this great pile. Another interesting feature of this village site was the find- ing of a great fireplace or crematory, over 40 feet in length and varying in width from 16 to 17 feet. It was directly south of

the mound, not far from the edge of the bank, which gradually descends to the river below. The fire had evidently been kindled on this hearth for a long time, as the earth was burned to a depth of 14 inches. The crematory occupied a slight depression in the ground, no doubt caused by the careful removal of ashes from time to time. Not a particle of ashes, charcoal or burned bones was present in this fireplace except at the west end nearest

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156       Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.

 

to the river, where the portions of a half-charred human skeleton

surrounded with charcoal and ashes were found, showing that

the cremation had been brought to a sudden close and the par-

tially incinerated skeleton, as well as the crematory and its sur-

roundings, was covered with about 6 inches of earth as if to

remove from sight all traces of a once practiced mortuary cus-

tom. Gradually, as our explorations show, a little home was in-

stalled near the edge of the crematory, to the north, and in due

time the site became covered with the refuse which accumulates

about their domicile.

FOOD RESOURCES.

Animal Remains. -In all, the remains of 17 different ani-

mals were procured in this village. The most abundant was that

of the Virginia deer, which constituted fully 50% of the animals

taken from the pits and which were used for food. The other

animals identified were the raccoon, rabbit, black bear, beaver,

gray fox, wild cat, mountain lion, gray wolf, opossum, mink,

musk rat, elk, skunk, groundhog, otter, and Indian dog. The

small box turtle (Cestudo virginia) was in great abundance.

The wild turkey constituted fully 80%   of the birds taken from

the refuse pits while the trumpeter swan, wild goose, great

horned owl, bald eagle and bittern were found in small numbers.

The Scioto River, near by, teaming with fish and fresh water

mussels must have been an excellent source of animal food as

shown by the presence of fishbone and mussel shells. The Indian

dog found in this village resembles in every respect the remains of

the Indian dog found at the Baum village site, which is de-

scribed in Vol. X, page 81, of the Society's publications.

Vegetable Food. - The vegetable substances usually found

in the bottom of the refuse pits and which had been preserved by

being charred, consisted of corn, beans, hickory nuts, walnuts,

butternuts, hazelnuts, and the seeds of the wild plum and pawpaw.

Of this, the corn (Zea mays) was the most abundant and was

always found in the bottom of refuse pits that had, no doubt,

served as storehouses until destroyed by fire. These pits were

usually lined with bark or straw and the corn was frequently

scattered through the charred remains. However, in a number

of instances the corn and beans had been placed together in a

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Explorations of the Gartner Mound and Village Site. 157

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158       Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.

 

heap and were removed in large lumps. In a number of instances

corn and beans had been placed in earthen vessels that had be-

come broken and the charred corn was still clinging to the sides

of the vessel. Burned corn was also found in a vessel that had

been broken, no doubt, by the action of the fire, as the corn was

in a charred mass in the pieces of a broken vessel which had been

scattered through the refuse pit, showing that the burning of this

corn had taken place outside of this pit. Beans (Phaseolus, sp,,)

were also found in quantities in the bottom of the storehouses.

From the quantities of these two food articles found, there is no

doubt but that corn and beans were a staple article of food for

this primitive people. Hickorynuts were very abundant; three

species were found, hicora minimia (Marsh.) Britt., hicora

ovata (Mill.) Britt., and hicora laciniosa (Mx.) Britt. Only

small quantities of butternuts (guglans cinera, L,) and black

walnuts (juglans nigra, L.) were found. In some places great

quantities of the charred pawpaw seed (asiminan tribola, L,)

Dunal, were found, stored in connection with corn and nuts. In

several other pits the wild hazelnut (corylus Americana) Walt.,

and the wild red plum (prunis Americana) Marsh., were present

in small quantities.

Preparation of Food. - In every portion of the village were

found stone pestles, which served for crushing the corn and beans

and were, no doubt, also used in crushing the dried meats, ber-

ries, etc. Many of these pestles are merely natural pebbles slightly

changed by a little pecking or rubbing, or perhaps both. Some

have been pecked into shape and resemble a concoid body with

an enlarged and flattened base, bell-shaped, and running to a point

at the top. None of the pestles are ornamented, but are all quite

plain. Large stone mortars made from slabs of sandstone, from

12 to 14 inches in length, from 10 to 12 inches in width, and from

4 to 6 inches in thickness with a depression on one side, several

inches in depth, were taken from the pits. The mortar must have

been universally used in this village, as great numbers of the

broken and perfect ones have been found in the pits and tepee

sites. Another article that was, no doubt, universally used in

the preparation of food is the pottery. Broken pieces of this

domestic utensil are found everywhere in the village and refuse

• 30
 

Explorations of the Gartner Mound and Village Site. 159

 

pits. In many instances hundreds of pieces were taken out of

one pit and they were universally abundant around the fireplaces.

There is no doubt but that the potters' art was practiced by each

clan or family in the village, for the broken pieces of pots found

in these clans were similar in every respect, but differing slightly

in ornamentation from those of the neighboring clans. The earth

from which the pottery was made was procured while excavating

for the large storehouses, as the clay found in the pits, which had

been tempered with broken shells and crushed quartzite, were

identical with the clay thrown from the pits. The majority of

the pottery was made by crushing shells and tempering the clay,

but now and then a piece would be found, which had been tem-

pered with crushed quartzite and pebbles. However, near the

west side of the village a small quantity of the broken pottery

was made from clay tempered with broken quartz. Only one per-

fect piece of pottery was found in the mound and none in the

village site, except the small vessels which had been molded in

the hand. Yet broken pieces, resembling in every way, the perfect

pieces, were found in abundance in the village. The size of the

pottery varied greatly, one piece especially that was taken from

the refuse pits, if perfect, would measure 141/2 inches in diameter,

while several very small pieces that had been molded in the hand

were found in various sections of the village. The small pieces

of pottery varied in size from that of a thimble to a small cup 2

inches in diameter. These small vessels were without ornamenta-

tion and were of common use, for a number have been found,

both perfect and broken, in all sections of the village. These are

shown in Fig. 24. The marks on the pottery differ somewhat in

the different clans and practically all of the pottery had textile

marks upon the side. In several instances, impressions of a

woven fabric, which had, no doubt, been used in the hands while

fashioning the plastic clay, were found. In other instances the

marks of the textiles were evidently made by modeling paddles

which had been wrapped with cord, as this is plainly shown upon

the handles of the vessels as the handle is usually fashioned and

put in place after the vessel is practically tormed. A further orna-

mentation of a number of vessels is made by incised lines. Some

of these encircle the vessel, while others appear in scrolls; this

• 31
 

160       Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.   is shown in Fig. 15. Still other vessels are ornamented with small round indentations made by a blunt instrument, as is shown

in Fig. 25. Other vessels show inden- tations made with a reed or some hol- low instrument; this is shown    in Fig. 26. The abo- rigines of the Gart- ner village seem to have possessed the artistic faculties at- tributed to the early races in America, for rude forms of art in clay deco- rated their pottery as shown in Fig. 28. This effigy of a lizard was exe-

cuted with considerable fidelity to nature and perhaps served as a handle as well as to ornament the vessel. However, the ma- jority of the pieces have plain tops ornamented now and then

with indenta- tions.   Practi- cally all of the larger vessels were supplied with  handles which were in- variably orna- mented with in- cised lines and indentations. In size the handles

were usually in proportion to the vessel. The larger handles were attached at one end by first piercing the vessel with a hole

• 32
 

Explorations of the Gartner Mound and Village Site. 161   and inserting a small plug of clay which was carefully clinched upon the inside of the vessel. On the outside the handle was

molded to this plug; this is shown in Fig. 28. In Fig. 29, sev- eral pieces of pottery are shown which rep- resent a few of the many examples of na- tive ceramic art. Implements. - The implements used for the procuring of food and for domestic pur- poses were made of bone, stone, and shell

and are found in great abundance in the village site. These implements were in proportion of about ten of those made from

bone to one made from shell or stone. In fact, many of stone were duplicated in bone or horn, such as scrapers, arrow-points, spear-points, and large

celt-like forms made from elk horn. Stone Implements.- The   chipped  imple- ments were, no doubt, made from flint, pro- cured from the Flint Ridge locality.  The chipped points for ar- rows were, for the most part, of the tri- angular form andplain- ly shows that the peo-

ple inhabiting this village were versed in the art of flint chip- ping.   A  typical series of these arrow-points is illustrated in Vol. XIII-- 11.

• 33
 

162       Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.   Fig. 30. The chipped implements used for spears and knives were also made of Flint Ridge material; these are of all colors,

from the perfectly semi-transparent waxy, yellow, chalcedony, to the red and variegated jasper forms. These are shown in Fig.

• 34
 

Explorations of the Gartner Mound and Village Site. 163   31. Numerous caches of roughly fashioned implements made of this same material were found throughout the village. These caches would number from 10 to 25. Some of these show that they were large flakes from the manufacture of implements. However a number of them show secondary chipping along one or more of the edges. In a number of graves these pieces were

placed near the head of the skeleton and were undoubtedly used in the manufacture of the numerous bone implements which are so abundant throughout the entire village. Celts. - Stone celts were found in every portion of the vil- lage. They were made, for the most part, of granetic boulders, however, a few were made from banded slate and flint.. They

varied in length from 2 to 6 inches and were highly polished. None were grooved, but many were roughly pecked for the attachment of a handle. These implements, as all others, were found in all stages of manufacture. Specimens were found where the peck- ing had just begun, in all cases boulders that were near the form of the object to be made, were selected. In other specimens the pecking was completed on one side, while the other had not been

• 35
 

164       Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.   touched. In other specimens the pecking had been finished, while in others the grinding had just begun and so on up to the perfect specimens. These were found more numerous in the sites of their tepees. However, in a number of graves they were placed by the side of the skeleton; in one instance four were taken from the same grave. Fig. 32 gives a good illustration of the celt pro-

cured from this village. Hammer Stones.- The hammer stones were very abundant in the village. Some of these are quite small and battered at one end, others at both ends, while still others are battered at both sides and ends. A number of these ham- mer stones are quite smooth upon one side, while on the other side they are slightly polished, showing that they were used in pounding some soft material, or had been covered with a skin and perhaps used as a club head. But the great- est use to which this hammer stone was, no doubt, placed was the breaking up of the various animal bones, for it is a very rare thing to find a perfect bone of any animal in this village, even to the very small- est. Net Sinkers. - A   number of specimens have been found which

were merely pebbles that had been notched or grooved on two edges. These do not show any battered ends, as there is no doubt but that they were used as sinkers for the nets used in fishing. Hoes.- A number of large pieces of slate broken into form with notches or grooves cut on the sides were frequently found. These were, no doubt, used for agricultural implements. How- ever, the shell hoe, as shown in Fig. 33 is found in abundance

• 36
 

Explorations of the Gartner Mound and Village Site. 165   and must have been universally used. The shell selected was that of the Unio plicatus, a very thick and heavy shell.

Bone Implements. - Points for arrows and spear-heads made from the tips of horn and the toe bones of the deer, as shown in Fig. 34, were very common, in fact more numerous than the chipped flint points. However, the majority of those found had been broken, but many perfect pieces, as can be seen in the illus- tration, as well as spec- imens showing every

stage of the manufacture of this useful implement, were found. Although well versed in the art of flint chipping, these people

were a considerable dis- tance from the source of supply of this much valued article, flint, and were compelled to resort to the supply of deer horn, that was brought to their very door. This would necessarily be procured during their hunting expeditions as well as finding them scattered over the sur- face during the season of the year when the deer shed their horns. Although more difficult to make, requiring to be

• 37
 

166       Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.   drilled, dressed and polished to make a perfect point, they were more numerous than the flint-chipped points. Small caches of the tines of deer horns occur in various portions of the village,

showing that these were collected and kept in store to be made into arrow-points as required. The tines are shown in Fig. 35 (a). The size of the point varies greatly, from 1/2 inch to 3 inches in length and is made by taking the broken tine and cutting a crease about 1-32nd of an inch in depth entirely around the horn at the desired length and then breaking off the point. This is shown in Fig. 35 (b). The first step after procuring the end of the tine was to drill a hole for the at- tachment of the wooden arrow- shaft. No work in fash- ioning the point seems to have been done until after this drilling was completed.  The hole for the attachment of the  shaft varied  in depth from one-half to two-thirds the length of the point, see Fig. 35 (c), and always pyra- midal in form with a base diameter averag- ing about one-third of

an inch. The majority of unfinished specimens show that the fashion- ing into form was done by cutting away the su-

perfluous horn with a heavy piece of flint, as shown in Fig. 35 (d). Some writers have expressed the opinion that this cutting was done with a steel knife, but a careful examination by means

• 38
 

Explorations of the Gartner Mound and Village Site. 167

 

of a good hand glass will reveal the concave appearance of the

cuts and the small scratches caused by the uneaven fracture of

the flint. The final finish upon the arrow-point was done by

rubbing the arrow-point upon a piece of fine-grained sandstone,

thus removing all traces of cutting as is shown in Fig. 35 (e),

which shows a symmetrical and well-wrought point.

Bone implements were found which, no doubt, served in the

preparation of skins and in the manufacture of their wearing

apparel. Of these implements, the scraper, as shown in Fig.

36 (a), and made of the anterior and posterior metapodal bones

of the deer and elk were found in small numbers in a perfect

state. However, the broken parts were found throughout the

entire village in great numbers, showing that this implement was

universally used. Illustration Fig. 36 (c) shows a perfect an-

terior metapodal bone, and I may here state that this is the

only perfect bone of the kind found in the village, as all others

had either been broken or showed some stage in the manufacture

of the scraper. Fig. 26 (b), shows a process in the manufacture

of this implement and by careful examination of the specimens

showing these stages, I am convinced that they were made by

using a blunt-pointed flint implement. Scrapers made from the

shoulder blades of the elk were also found. The spine of the

shoulder blade was usually sharpened into a knife-like form,

while the posterior and anterior border and the postscapular, as

well as the prescapular portions, were entirely removed. In sev-

eral instances instead of the spine being sharpened, it was re-

moved and the suprascapular border would be sharpened into a

knife-like edge. Very few perfect specimens of the shoulder blade

of the elk were found, as they were universally used in the manu-

facture of scrapers or awls. The shoulder blades of the deer were

sparingly used for scrapers. However, they were finished very

much like the scrapers made from the shoulder blades of the

elk. A few very fine and perfect scrapers made from the antlers

of the elk were found in various portions of the village. These

were made from the heavy portions between the beztine and the

trestine of the elk antler. They vary in length from 3 to 6 inches

and in width from 11/2 to 3 inches. These are of two kinds, those

sharpened at both ends, which were, no doubt, used in the hand

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168      Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.

• 40
 

Explorations of the Gartner Mound and Village Site. 169   and were usually from 4 to 5 inches in length (see Fig. 37), and those sharpened at one end which were usually from 21/2 to 4

inches in length. A number of them have notches cut on the side at the unfinished end, showing that they were hafted in a wooden handle (see Fig. 38.   Scrapers made from the heavy metapodal bones of

the elk were also found, these were made similar to those made from the antlers. A specimen of this implement is shown in Fig.

39. These are from 2 to 3 inches long and were, no doubt, hafted in wooden handles.

Awls were required for the manufacture of garments. Fig. 40 (a) is made of one- half of the distal end of the metapodal bone of the deer.   This specimen was, no doubt, manufactured

from a broken scraper. The awls made of this bone are very similar; none of them have sharp points, but gradually taper, as

• 41
 

170       Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.   is shown in the illustration. Fig. 40 (b) is an awl made from the ulna of the deer. Awls of this kind are invariably sharp pointed and are found in every portion of the village. Fig. 40 (c) is an

awl made from the ulna of the elk; this was highly polished, as is shown in the specimen. Fig. 41 shows four awls which may be taken as types found in every portion of the village; these are

• 42
 

Explorations of the Gartner Mound and Village Site. 171   made from the shoulder blades of the deer. Fig. 42 is a good representation of awls made from the tarsometatarsus of the wild turkey. These awls are beautifully made and highly polished. Some of them are ornamented with incised lines and grooves, while others are perfectly plain. Awls made from this bone are the most common and are found in the graves, refuse pits and sites of the tepees. In the mussel bakes, previously described, scattered promiscuously among the shells were found a great

number of these bone awls and I am inclined to believe that these awls, as well as those shown in Figs. 7 and 43, may have been used for awls, but at the same time served a double purpose of awls and forks. Fig. 7 shows a large awl taken from a grave in the mound which is upward of 81/2 inches in length and is deco- rated at one end with a carved head of a fox or some closely allied animal. These large awls are very abundant and found in every portion of the village. Fig. 43 shows specimens which are

• 43
 

172       Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.   quite numerous, both in the graves and tepee sites. One of the most interesting of the bone implements found in the village site and graves is the double pointed awl. These vary in length from 11/2 to 6 inches. All are beautifully wrought and highly polished. The larger ones may have been used as perforators or hair pins. Fig. 44 (a, b and c) were taken from graves. These were in- variably found directly beneath the skull; (a) is made from the tibiotarsus of a bird; (b) is made from the heavy leg bone of the

deer and (c) is made from antler. Fig. 45 shows two large dou- ble pointed awls which may have been used for spear-points; these two specimens were evidently made from the heavy leg bone of the elk or like animal. Fig. 46 shows two specimens which were no doubt used for pins. From one grave seven were taken from around the head and in another five, still others from two to four. In one of the refuse pits was found a concretion with seven of these small pins placed in regular

order on the inside; with these were placed three bone beads. This is shown in Fig. 47. These pins are found in every por- tion of the village in great numbers and must have been gener- ally used. Needles, in the perfect state, made of bone are spar- ingly found in the village site. However, many broken needles were in evidence, especially in the refuse pits. All are provided with a circular eye, which is always placed at the largest end of

• 44
 

Explorations of the Gartner Mound and Village Site. 173   the needle. Fig. 48 illustrates a very fine needle, which is 111/4 inches in length and made from a rib of the elk, from which most

of the needles are made. However, the greater part of the needles found are perfectly plain and highly polished; a few are orna-

mented with incised lines. Another implement of bone found in this village is the knife. This is invariably made of the shoulder blade of the deer

and elk. However, a few have been found made of the posterior portion of the metapodal bone of the deer,

Fig. 49 (a). Fig. 49 (b) shows a knife from the shoulder blade of the deer, the spine is cut away and the poscapular and pre-

scapular portion are sharpened into a blade-like double edge knife. These were found in goodly numbers in various portions of the village and were, no doubt, commonly used, Many bone tubes, made from the

wing bones of the various large birds are found in refuse pits. Fig. 50 shows the cut wing bones of the trumpeter swan. These

• 45
 

174       Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.   specimens were found together within a tepee site. Fig. 51 shows the end of one of these bones which had been cut off and thrown into one of the refuse pits some ten feet away. Fish Hooks. - The remains of fish, such as bones and scales found in the refuse pits, shows that fish formed one of the articles of food of these primitive people, and further that they employed

fish hooks, made of bone, as one means of procuring food, as evi- denced by the finding of perfect and broken hooks in this village. Less than one dozen perfect hooks have been found, while more than a score of broken ones were taken from the village as well as every stage in the manufacture of this implement. The hooks are similar in every respect, the only noticeable difference being

• 46
 

Explorations of the Gartner Mound and Village Site. 175

that the end of the shank is usually enlarged or grooved for the attachment of the line. Fig. 52 (a, b, c. d, and e) shows five fish hooks. These were taken from the graves and refuse pits; (a) was taken from a burial in the village; it was placed near the head and with it were placed a number of the incisor teeth of the beaver and pins made of bone and horn. The hook is made from the tibiotarsus of some bird, perhaps that of the wild turkey. This hook is of fine work- manship and well polished. It has a round shank and two well-cut grooves in the upper end of the shank. The point of the hook is sharp and finely polished. Viewed horizontally from the end, this hook shows the marrow cavity of the bone. (d and e) are two finely wrought hooks which were found together. They were taken from near the center of one of the refuse pits and had, no doubt, been accidentally lost. These hooks are made from the heavy bone of some animal, perhaps that of the deer or elk, as neither side shows the marrow cavity. They are perfectly finished, of fine workmanship and perhaps excel in that particular any that we have so far found in the village. The top of the shank, as shown in (d) has five well-cut grooves on one side and four on the other; these do not ex- tend entirely around the shank. In (e) the grooves extend entirely around the shank and are three in number. (b) shows another well-wrought fish hook, made from the tibiotarsus of some large bird. The shank is flat and apparently unfinished, the top is enlarged for the attachment of the line. This was taken from the ashes which covered the platform in the mound. (c) is a very small hook with a long shank and enlarged top. The base of the hook is finely wrought and highly polished, while the upper part of the shank is practically finished, but rather rough and is not so highly pol-

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176      Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.

ished as other specimens found in the village. This was found with a burial from the village site.  Not only were the broken and perfect hooks found, but every stage in the manufacture

of this implement was brought to light. In Fig. 53 (a) is a piece of the tibiotarsus of the wild tur- key, which may be considered the first stage in the manufacture of this hook; (b) is the second stage when the work of cutting out the center has begun; (c, d, and e) are the next stages when the work has proceeded farther; (f) might be considered the next stage when the center has been practically cut away; (g) has entered the stage when one end has been practically finished; (h) is the last stage before the bone is cut and the hook made. Here the hooks are practically finished with the exception of the top of the shank for the attachment of the line and the point. By cut- ting the bone at the proper place at each end of this prepared bone, two hooks could be made instead of one. The hooks found in this village compare very favorably with those found at the Baum village, which is situated on Paint Creek, a tributary of the Scioto.* Of the fish hooks found in the Baum village all can be

*A description of the fish hooks found at the Baum village site with a comparison of those found at Madisonville and other places was given, by the writer, in a short paper before the American Association for

• 48
 

Explorations of the Gartner Mound and Village Site. 177

readily duplicated at the Gartner vil- lage, as well as the various stages in its manufacture. Woven Fabrics and Ornaments. Fragments of fabrics woven from veg- etable fibre were found in the graves, but more especially in the storehouses, where it had been charred and thus pre- served.  This woven fabric was, no doubt, used for clothing as well as pouches, mats, etc., and in no case was any found except those that were charred so that the fabrics found were too fragmentary to determine the fibre from which they were made. In the bottom of the storehouses great quan- tities of corn, beans, and hickorynuts, were stored, with them would invaria- bly be found portions of pouches, used for carrying and collecting nuts and grain, and mats which, no doubt, cov- ered the bottom of the storehouses. Closely associated with the fabrics was the pottery, for upon almost every frag- ment of this much used domestic uten- sil was the imprint of a woven fabric. However, this is characteristic of the pottery of the Scioto valley. Personal ornaments of great variety were found in the graves and throughout the entire village, but more especially in the refuse pits, where they were, no doubt, acci- dentally thrown.  For the most part they were made of shell, which consist- ed of two kinds, the common mussel shells obtained from the river, and the

the Advancement of Science, which met in Baltimore, December 28, 1901. and was published in Vol. 7 of the Ohio State Archaeological and Histo- rical Society publications. Vol. XIII-- 12.

• 49
 

178      Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications. large and small ocean shells, no doubt obtained by barter. The larger ocean shells were cut and formed into gorgets, beads, and pendants, while the small ocean shells were usually pierced with a hole for attachment and no other work done upon them. The larger ocean shell gorgets which are shown in Figs. 12 and 13

were found with burials in the mound previously  described.  However, these gorgets were evidently highly polished originally, as in several places this polish still remains. The larger size is always made from the ocean shell and the smaller ones, as

in Fig. 54 are about equally divided between the fresh-water mussel and ocean shells and vary in diameter from 3/4 to 11/4 inch. The gorget to the left in Fig. 54 is made from ocean shell and found with a skeleton in one of the mound burials. The other gorget, in the same figure, is made from the fresh-water mussel shell and was taken from a burial in the village site. These are

invariably pierced with a hole in the center which varies from 1/8 to 1/4 inch in diameter. These holes were, no doubt, set with pearls or stone, as is shown in Fig. 17. These gorgets are found throughout the entire village as well as every stage in the manufacture of this orna- ment.   The   crescent, as shown in Fig. 55, was taken from a grave in the village. The crescents made from

shell are quite common in the burials of the Gartner mound, as well as those of the village. But as far as I have been able to ascertain they have not been found in any great numbers out- side of this particular place. During the three seasons of ex- plorations at the Baum village, not a single perfect or broken

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Explorations of the Gartner Mound and Village Site. 179   crescent was found, while every other ornament made of shell can readily be duplicated at the Baum village.

Shell Beads. - The beads made of shell and averaging from 1/4 to 1/2 inch in diameter with a hole in the center, were very abun-

dant, in some in- stances between seven and eight hundred were found with a single skeleton. The most of these beads were made from ocean shells. They are highly polished and

show a high degree of skill in their manufacture. Shell Pendants. - The pendants were frequently made from shell, both ocean and fresh water, but the majority of them were

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180      Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.   made from the fresh-water mussel shell. They were cut into long strips averaging from 2 to 3 inches, and were pierced with a hole

at the top for attach- ment.  However, a number of them were triangular in form. These were usually from 1 to 11/2 inches in length and pierced with two holes at the

top for attachment. The greater number of these were found in the graves. Pendants and Beads Made of Bone. - Fig. 56 shows pen- dants made from the digits of the wild turkey.

These occur in great numbers and are asso- ciated more particularly with the burials. Fig. 57 is an illustration of a necklace found in one of the refuse pits. It is made up of six canine teeth and six incisor teeth of the elk. Three

of the canine teeth are perforated with two holes and three with one hole; three of the in- cisor teeth are perforated with one hole, while

three have a crease cut entirely around the root of the tooth for attachment. The canine and incisor teeth of the elk were invari-

ably used for ornaments and in a number of instances bone beads and shell were combined to form a necklace, and invariably

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Explorations of the Gartner Mound and Village Site. 181   the incisor of the elk formed the pendant to this necklace. The canine teeth of the black bear (see Fig. 58) are found in abun-

dance in this village; they were used for pendants and the per- forations are drilled from side to side through the base of the root. Many of them are much worn from long use. The most common of the ornaments used is the bone bead. These occur in great numbers everywhere and are associated with almost every necklace taken from the graves. They are usually made from the

wing bones of the bird and especially that of the wild turkey and vary in length from 1 to 5 inches. In sev- eral instances as many as

forty beads have been taken from a single refuse pit. These

were  scattered promiscuously through the de- bris and were, no doubt, lost from time to time. A good illustration of the beads is shown in Fig. 59. Fig. 60 is an illustration of the humerus of the wild turkey. Near the head of the humerus

are three perforations on each side. To these, no doubt, were attached rattles or ornaments, which were carried in the hand.

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182      Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.   The perforated humeri of the wild turkey are occasionally met with in all sections of the village. They are not found in the graves, but usually occur in the refuse pits. Fig. 61 shows digit

bones of the deer, one end of which has been re- moved and the other end perforated with a small hole. These are found in abundance in the re- fuse pits, but none of them have been taken from the graves. Fig. 62 shows cut jaws and heads of various animals. These are found Cthroughout the village, but none in the graves. Fig. 62 (a) is a cut jaw of the gray wolf show- ing carnatial tooth, and the two molars. This is evidently an unfinished piece, as perfect speci- mens are found in the village which show that the upper part of the jaw had been cut away so as to expose the ends of the roots. These were used for ornaments; (b) of Fig. 62 is the head and lower jaw of the mink. The pos- terior part of the skull has been cut away, ex- posing the brain cavity. The top of the skull shows deep cuts as well as the lower jaw, near the angle. These were, no doubt, made to se- cure the lower jaw to the skull and perhaps for attachment as an ornament. These speci- mens were taken from one of the refuse pits. The skull of the dog was also found in one of the refuse pits which had been treated in the same manner. Fig. 62 (c) is part of the left ramus of the mandible of the deer. In this specimen the jaw has been cut at the posterior end of the sym- physis, while at the posterior extremity the condyle and coronoid process has been broken away preparatory to the manufac-

ture into some ornament. Fig. 62 (d) shows the anterior portion of the ramus containing the incisor teeth. Fig. 62 (e) is the right ramus of the mandible of the wild cat, which has been cut similar to that of the deer just described. Fig. 62 (f) is a skull of the

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Explorations of the Gartner Mound and Village Site. 183 wild turkey. These are found in abundance everywhere in the village. The upper surface of the skulls are usually perforated with one or more holes and were, no doubt, used for rattles, as they were found in the graves, where they encircle the lower limbs just below the knee. These heads usually contain from one to five small round pebbles. Pipes. - The practice of smoking is indicated by the pres- ence of stone pipes, finished and unfinished, found in every sec- tion of the village. The pipes were made for the most part of fine grained sandstone; yet several were found made of greenish argillyte, while still others were made of clay resembling very much the clay used in making their pottery. The peculiar platform pipe shown in Fig. 9, taken from the

mound, has not been duplicated in the village. However, another form of platform pipe is shown in Fig. 63, which seems to be the prevail- ing type of platform pipes. This specimen is made of greenish com- pact argillyte. The bowl is placed near the larger end, which is deco- rated with incised lines. In this particular specimen the bowl has been broken, but it fully illustrates

the type and the labor necessary in the manufacture of this abo- riginal artifact. Fig. 64 is another type of pipe found in this vil- lage. It is made of compact sandstone, while Fig. 65 taken from one of the refuse pits, is made of clay. The unfinished pieces found in this village show that a great amount of work has been required in their manufacture and that the work of pecking and rubbing is done first and the hole is drilled in the bowl next, and lastly the hole is drilled in the stem. Whetstones. - Whetstones are very common in the village site. They are simply pieces of fine grained sandstone which have been used to sharpen objects made of bone and in the manufac- ture of ornaments made of shell. The majority of these speci- mens are flat and have grooves cut into them caused, no doubt, by sharpening the needles and awls. However, some of these whet-

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184       Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.   stones are symmetrically cut, having edges and sides perfectly smooth, while others were simply finger-shaped pieces of fine- grained sandstone, which had been used upon all sides.   METHOD OF BURIAL IN THE VILLAGE. The dead were evidently buried in close proximity to the habitat of these people and were similar in every respect to the

burials in the Baum village site, along Paint creek. Each family apparently had their own burial ground, which was in close prox- imity to the home. No evidence was found that the bodies had

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Explorations of the Gartner Mound and Village Site. 185   been placed upon scaffolds and afterward reinterred. In the ma- jority of the graves the body was placed at full length, as is

shown in Fig. 66 and with it was placed implements and orna-

ments which, no doubt, represented the property of the deceased at the time of death. However, a single burial was found in the bottom of a refuse pit; a photograph of this burial is shown in Fig. 67, which shows that the body was

made to conform to the size of the pit. The head is bent forward and the legs are flexed so that the feet are very near the pelvis; one arm is flexed parallel to the body with the hand near the head, while the other lays across the body. However,

not many burials of this kind are found and it occurred to me that

perhaps this was an emergency burial, occurring during the winter when the ground was frozen so that excava- tions could not be made, consequently the storehouse was cleaned out and the body placed therein and covered with a few inches of soil. It was afterward used as a refuse pit. Fig. 68 shows a double

burial. By referring to this figure one can readily see that the legs and head are higher than the body. This was caused by

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Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.   digging the grave over a refuse pit. The head and feet extending beyond the confines of this pit, and as decomposition took place, the body would naturally sink, with the loose material, into the pit, leaving the legs and head higher than the other portions of the body. In this particular burial, which represents two old people, male and female, the bodies were buried side by side. The male to the right with the right arm under the skull of the female.

With them were buried two finely-polished celts, which can be seen near the pelvic region and near the head two more were found similar to those just mentioned. Only one can be seen in the photograph. At the back of the head and between the two skeletons were placed a number of beads, ornaments of shell, fish hooks, beaver teeth, awls, pins, etc., which were, no doubt the property of these individuals. No remains of the cremated dead or evidence that cremation was practiced outside of the large crematory was discovered,

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Explorations of the Gartner Mound and Village Site.  187   which shows that the majority of the dead of the village were cremated and placed in the mound. The explorations of the Gartner mound, during the season of 1902, followed by the investigation in the village, which sur- rounds the mound, in 1903, have successfully proven that the primitive inhabitants of the village were the builders of the mound, as evidenced by the artifacts found in the ashes of the cremated

dead and the regular burials of the mound, being similar in every respect to those found in the village. Further, that the culture of these primitive people was quite uniform and resembles in all the essential points the culture of the prehistoric inhabitants in the Paint Creek valley at the Baum village site. In the manu- facture of their pottery and especially in reference to their designs and shapes, their products were quite similar. In the manufac- ture of their implements, such as the fish hooks, scrapers, awls, and needles, and various implements in stone, as shown by the

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188       Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.

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Explorations of the Gartner Mound and Village Site. 189   various stages in the manufacture of these implements that they were in every respect similar to those at the Baum village. The ornaments of bone and shell taken from the mound and village can readily be duplicated at the Baum site with but one exception, namely, the shell crescent, which was found only at the Gartner site. The examination further shows that these people were agri- culturists, depending upon the products from the soil to tide them through the long winters, as shown by the storage of corn and beans in the subterranean storehouses dug for that purpose. Fur- ther that there was inter-tribal trade, as evidenced by the ocean shells and mica found in almost every portion of the village. This investigation has also brought out the fact that these primi- tive people had a domesticated dog, whose osteological charac- ter accords with that of the dog found at the Baum village site.

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