Ohio History Journal

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Comments, Notes and Reviews

Comments, Notes and Reviews.                   531

 

dead. A chart was shown delineating the bundled bones of Indians at the

surface of the ground at Mille Lacs, with mounds of earth built over

them.

James W. Lynd, historian of the Sioux nation, was quoted show-

ing that the Dakota people were at Mille Laces at a very ancient period;

in fact, so long ago that no tradition remained to show where they came

from or how long they had been there.

No trace of two distinct classes of stone implements and earthen

pots had been found at Mille Lacs, and the only island in the region

where the Sioux had a village, to which Hennepin was taken in 1680, is

overspread with broken clay vessels and stone implements.

 

PRE-HISTORIC BILL OF FARE.

A recent number of Chamber's Journal has an interesting article

concerning what might be styled the menu of the pre-historic man. The

article says:

Our attention has recently been called to some curious experiments

conducted some time ago by Mr. Charters White, M. R. C. S., lately

the president of the Royal Odontological Society of Great Britain. Upon

examining some skulls dating back from the stone age, he noted that

several of the teeth, although quite free from caries, were thickly coated

with tartar. It occurred to him that it would be possible by a rough ana-

lysis to identify any particles of food that might be embodied in this nat-

ural concrete, and so reveal the character of the aliment partaken of by

pre-historic man. Dissolving the tartar in weak acid, a residue was left

which, under the microscope, was found to consist of corn husks,

particles, hairs from the outside of the husks, spiral vessels from

vegetables, particles of starch, the point of a fish tooth, a con-

glomeration of oval cells, probably of fruit, the barblets of down and

portions of wool. In addition to this varied list were some round, red

bodies, the origin of which defied detection, and many sandy particles,

some relating to quartz and some to flint. These mineral fragments were

very likely attributable to the rough stones used in grinding the corn,

and would account for the erosion of the masticating surfaces, which in

many cases was strongly marked. This inquiry into food of men who

lived not less than 4,000 years ago is a matter of archeological interest.

 

 

OHIO PRESIDENTS.

The inauguration of William McKinley on March 4th and the death

of Benjamin Harrison, on March 14th leads to the inquiry from several

quarters concerning the date and place of birth of the so-called "Ohio

Presidents."

We give them in order of their succession: