Ohio History Journal

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MARY DEAN VINCENT MOUND

MARY DEAN VINCENT MOUND.

 

 

A. B. COOVER.

[Mr. Coover is a Life Member of The Ohio State Archaeological and

Historical Society and has assisted Prof. W. C. Mills in many of the

archaeological explorations made by the Society. Mr. Coover acted as

Curator of the Museum of the Society during the absence of Prof. Mills

while in charge of the Society's exhibit at the Jamestown Exposition.

It was during this time that Mr. Coover made the explorations herein

described. - EDITOR.]

Under directions of the Secretary of the Ohio State Archae-

ological and Historical Society, I left Columbus on Wednesday,

October 2d, for Beverly, 0., to investigate the finding of skele-

tons at the Mary Dean Vincent mounds in Washington county.

Upon my arrival at the home of Mr. Vincent I found that the

description of the find as printed in the Beverly Dispatch under

the date of September 20th was correctly stated; a part of this

description I incorporate in my report.

"Mr. E. B. Vincent, a prominent farmer who resides three miles

above Beverly on the west side of the Muskingum river, while working

in a field a few days ago, came in contact with a large stone, standing in

a perpendicular position. On investigation he found that the stone was

part of an enclosure which proved to be a prehistoric grave, eight feet

long, four feet wide and two feet deep. This grave was enclosed with

stones ranging in size from one to two feet square.

"Within the grave Mr. Vincent found a skeleton in a fair state of

preservation and surrounding it were several rare prehistoric relics.

Among these were two fine spearheads -one white and the other black -

four inches long and perfect in every respect; a gorget (celt) of fine pol-

ish, five inches long; and several stones of a hard granite substance with

perforations, probably used as ornaments. Nearly all these relics were

found around the head and shoulders pointing toward the remains.

"Mr. C. L. Bozman, a life member of the Ohio State Archaeological

and Historical Society, with Mr. Corner, photographer at Beverly, drove

up to the site on Monday and secured photographs of the remains as they

were found.

"About one hundred yards north of the grave where the remains

were found, there is a prehistoric mound known to all older citizens as

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