Ohio History Journal

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Editorialana

Editorialana.                       577

 

 

 

PRE-HISTORIC MAP.

Concerning the archaeological atlas of Ohio now being prepared

by The Ohio State Archaeological and Historical Society, under the

direction of W. C. Mills, Curator of the Society, the Associated Press

has given out the following statement:

Work on the archaeological atlas of Ohio, a work unique of its

kind in the history of literature, is about one-fourth completed, but so

quietly has it been in progress that few, if any persons outside the

membership of the Ohio Archaeological and Historical Society have

known of it. It will require at least a year longer to complete.

The nearest approaches to this work are an archaeological map

of the state of New York, which has been completed and published,

and a series of maps which Wisconsin is having prepared, showing

its wealth of mounds. Ohio, moreover, according to William C. Mills,

curator and librarian of the Ohio Archaeological and Historical Society,

has as much material in almost any of its counties as most of the states.

The present work has been systematically undertaken. There will

be a plate and a map for each of the 88 counties. Of these more than

20 have been completed. For a basis the United States topographical

survey maps are being used. The scale is one-half inch to the mile,

which permits of a vast amount of detail going into the maps.

In telling of the work, Mr. Mills continually says "we are doing

this and that," but that is only modesty, and he is doing practically

all the work himself.

Work was begun in the north-eastern part of the state, so that

the biggest counties are still to come. The Miami, Scioto and Mus-

kingum valleys are richest in archaeological treasures, and will entail

the most work in making the surveys. Scioto county has just been

completed and the plate will be issued in a few weeks. While some

counties have a great deal more material than others, not one of

the 88 is barren.

Mr. Mills says it is a fact not generally known that they are both

numerous and important, but, for the most part they have all been

partly explored by amateurs, so that when the society gets to work it

has little material to work on. Every exploration has value, he says,

in proof of which he cites the recently explored Seip mound in Ross

county. In it alligator teeth were found, proving to the satisfaction

of the archaeologist the wide extent of commerce carried on by the

aborigines and the long distance they traveled. This is, to date, the

only case on record wherein such teeth were found this far north.

Then, too, the scientific conception of what the mounds really

were, has changed since most persons learned about them. They are

no longer considered as signal towers, forts or dwelling places. In-