Ohio History Journal

EXPLORATION OF THE TREMPER MOUND.

 

 

WILLIAM C. MILLS.

The Tremper mound is situated five miles north of the city

of Portsmouth, on the west side of the Scioto river, in Rush

township, Scioto county, Ohio. The land upon which it is located

is a part of the estate of Senator William D. Tremper, Ports-

mouth, which consists of more than seven hundred acres of the

rich bottom lands at the confluence of the Pond creek and

Scioto valleys.

The immediate site of the mound is a level plateau, about

seventy feet above low-water mark of the Scioto river. Looking

westward from the summit of the mound upon the narrow val-

ley of Pond creek, threading its way between rugged hills up-

ward of five hundred feet in height, one is impressed with the

powerful forces employed by nature in carving out this narrow

water course, enabling the stream, fed by innumerable springs,

to carry its surplus of pure cool water to its junction with the

Scioto river. During glacial times, Pond creek doubtless was

an outlet for the waters from melting glaciers, pushing down

from the northwest, as well as for that from icebergs incident to

the glacial period. These icebergs at times doubtless resulted

in damming the flow of the torrent, and an extremely interesting

illustration of this retarding influence is to be seen just a few

hundred yards west of the mound. At the point referred to a

most impressive natural amphitheatre, semi-circular in form,

one thousand feet long and fifty feet or more in height, marks

the site along the east side of the valley of the stream where the

glacial flood, breaking the restraint of the ice, has carved its

history.

At the intersection of the Scioto and Pond creek valleys, and

just a short distance southwest from the mound, is a fine spring

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264      Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.

 

of water. This spring doubtless played an important part in the

life of the builders of the Tremper mound and other aboriginal

dwellers, just as it has done in supplying a never-failing source

of pure cold water to the early white settlers of that section, to

their descendants, and to all who at the present time pass along

the highway where it invitingly awaits the thirsty traveler.

At the site of this spring, in an early day, was located the

Buckhorn tannery, where General U. S. Grant is said to have

worked for a short time. According to Mr. Frank Johnson, who

was employed as a workman at the time of the exploration of

the mound, his father, Lewis H. Johnson, was foreman of the

tannery when General Grant was employed therein.

 

 

THE TOPOGRAPHY OF THE COUNTY.

Scioto county, for the most part, is broken and hilly. The

Scioto river flows directly through the county, from north to

south, to its junction with the Ohio river at Portsmouth. The

mouth of the Scioto is ninety feet below the level of Lake Erie,

while its waters at Columbus are more than three hundred feet

above, the low-water mark of the Ohio, showing that the average

fall per mile between Columbus and Portsmouth is more than

three feet. The valley of the Scioto is the broadest and per-

haps the most fertile of any of the rivers flowing into the Ohio.

The hills and ridges of Scioto county are simply the rem-

nants of what once were continuous rock strata, now chiseled

and sculptured by the tireless action of water and other natural

agencies. Man has furthered the transformation by denuding

the hills of their tangled forests, so that on every hand instead

of woodland, are seen cultivated fields and pasture lands.

 

 

GEOLOGY.

From an archeological viewpoint, Scioto county presents

several interesting features as regards geological formations.

Among these are the outcropping, along the east bank of the

Scioto river, of the Ohio pipestone (fired clay), and on the west

bank of the river of the Ohio black shale, the latter underlying

the whole county.

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Exploration of the Tremper Mound.         265

 

The Ohio pipestone deposit extends over the eastern part

of the county, beginning at the Scioto river, where the outcrop

lies high up on the hills and gradually dips to the southeast, and

continuing until in the eastern part of the county the outcrop

lies low down near the base of the hills. The pipestone stratum

varies in thickness from one and one-half feet to eleven feet, the

average being three and one-half or four feet. In color it varies

greatly, ranging from almost white, through all the various

shades of color, to dark red. The dark red variety is scarcely

distinguishable from the Minnesota pipestone. The Ohio pipe-

stone was extensively used by prehistoric man in this region for

making tobacco pipes. Of the one hundred and forty-five pipes

taken from the Tremper mound, all but four were made from

that material, the exceptions being three of coral limestone and

one of fine-grained sandstone.

The Ohio black shale is the lowest stratum exposed in the

county. It outcrops along the west bank of the Scioto river. In

color it is very black, is fine grained, high in carbon, and crumbles

after long exposure. The shale was used by prehistoric man in

making gorgets and other ornaments found in the mound.

 

HISTORICAL DATA ON THE MOUND.

The Tremper mound has been in the possession of the

Tremper family for many years. The base of the mound never

had been disturbed, as the owners were unwilling that the mound

should be examined, except under the auspices of the Ohio

State Archaeological and Historical Society, and for the benefit

of the state.  Several years ago, Senator Tremper's sons,

Richard and William Tremper, made a superficial examination

by digging into the top of the mound at several points, finding

a number of skeletons buried not more than one foot below the

surface. These burials doubtless were of an intrusive nature,

as was shown by the finding of five additional and entirely

similar burials in the exploration of the mound, but which differ

greatly both in mortuary customs and artifacts from those of

the real builders of the mound.

The first published account of the Tremper mound is found

in "Ancient Monuments of the Mississippi Valley", by Squier

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266      Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications. and Davis, 1846, page 83, with a drawing of the mound, shown as plate 29, after the survey of Charles Whittlesey. The work is designated as an "Ancient Work and Animal Effigy, Scioto county, Ohio". Mr. Whittlesey's drawing is herewith repro- duced, as Fig. I, for comparison with the drawing, Fig. 2, made by Mr. George H. Miehls, surveyor for the Society's field ex- plorations. In their description of the Tremper mound Squier & Davis say:

DESCRIPTION BY SQUIER & DAVIS. "This singular work is situated five miles north of Ports- mouth, Scioto county, Ohio, on the west bank of the Scioto river. It is not a true ellipse, but approaches very near it. Its longest axis is four hundred and eighty feet, its conjugate diameter four hundred and seven feet. It is built upon a high and beautiful level, elevated some sixty or seventy feet above the Scioto river, which flows about half a mile to the eastward.

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Exploration of the Tremper Mound.        267

The embankment is unaccompanied by a ditch and is about

three feet in height, by thirty feet base. It has, as shown in

the plan, a single gateway, ninety feet wide, opening to the

south-east, which is covered by a long exterior mound, of about

the same height with the embankment of the enclosure.

"Within this enclosure is a large irregular mound, which

from its resemblance to the animal-shaped mounds of Wis-

consin, of which notice will be taken in another place, constitutes

by far the most interesting feature of the work. It is of the

form and relative size indicated in the plan, and is composed of

loose broken sandstone and earth, based upon dislocated and

broken sand-rock. It is from one to eight feet high, being

lowest at the eastern end or head, and at the projecting points.

It is probably of the same design with those of Wisconsin,

already alluded to, which occur in great numbers and in long

and apparently dependent ranges. None of those, however, so

far as known, are found enclosed after the manner of the one

here presented. No explanation of the probable design of this

work will be attempted here: it is impossible, however, to dis-

connect it from the superstitions of the ancient people. An

interesting fact is communicated by F. Cleveland, Esq., of

Portsmouth, who assisted Mr. Whittlesey in making the survey

of this work, and who was engineer on the Ohio canal when it

was in progress; viz., that the workmen engaged in excavating

found large quantities of mica, in sheets, in the immediate

vicinity of this enclosure. This mineral is found in great

abundance in the mounds and in the neighborhood of these

ancient works."

Mr. Gerard Fowke in his "Archeological History of Ohio,"

ventures to call the Tremper mound "The Tapir", but states

that "Ohio possesses several of these effigies, only two of which

really resemble anything," referring to the great Serpent mound

in Adams county and the Opossum mound in Licking county.

 

 

THE MOUND FROM AN EXTERNAL VIEWPOINT.

The opinion of Squier & Davis, as expressed in the second

paragraph of the above quotation, to the effect that the Tremper

mound probably was an effigy mound of the same design as

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268      Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.

those of Wisconsin, was perhaps a natural conclusion, in view

of their observations and of what up to that time was known

of the mounds and their purpose.

As the result of several visits to the Tremper mound within

the past dozen years for the purpose of examining the general

form and surroundings of the work, I had fully decided that the

mound was not intended as an effigy of an elephant or of any

other animal, but was very likely a burial mound belonging to

the Hopewell culture. In many respects it resembled the Seip

mound,* along Paint creek, in Ross county, its irregular form

apparently being due to additions made to the great charnel-

house. This opinion is borne out by our present examination,

which shows that the Tremper mound was not intended as an

effigy of any kind, but that its shape was entirely the result of

additions to the main site or structure, made and completed as

needed.

According to Squier & Davis, who published the survey

made by Charles Whittlesey, which is shown in Fig. I, the

earthwork is an almost perfect ellipse, with an extra wall closing

the opening to the south-west. By referring to the topographic

map made by our survey, Fig. 2, it will be seen that the early

surveyors very likely used no instruments in making these sur-

veys. It would seem that they made certain measurements

from the mound center, and drew on paper what appeared to

them to be the general form of the earthwork. It is true that

one standing on the mound and viewing the earthwork from

that viewpoint, receives the impression of an almost perfect

ellipse; but the present survey found the earthwork to be a

round-cornered rectangle, practically four hundred and twenty

feet by four hundred and forty feet in size. Special inquiry

among old residents concerning a possible embankment in front

of the entrance to the earthwork, elicited the information that

to their knowledge no earth had been hauled away, and our

survey could find no trace of there ever having been a wall in

front of this opening.

 

* Explorations of the Seip mound found in "Certain Mounds and

Village Sites in Ohio." Vol. 2, Part 1. Mills, 1909.

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Exploration of the Tremper Mound.        269

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270      Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.

 

THE EXPLORATION OF THE MOUND.

On the 2Ist of July, 1915, was begun the exploration of

the Tremper mound. The examination had as its purpose the

exposing to view of the entire site of the mound, the recording

of all finds, and the photographing of all important features.

The surveyor of the party, Mr. George H. Miehls, made a

complete survey of the mound and the earthwork that surrounds

it before excavating was begun, and from his notes was prepared

the topographic map shown in Fig. 2. He then established

secondary traverse points upon and around the mound, and

from these located, by the aid of the instrument, the various

finds in the mound as they were unearthed, and from his notes

prepared the map, Fig. 3, showing the plan of the floor of the

mound. Mr. Miehls also prepared a plan showing a cross-

section of the mound, upon which was recorded the depths of

finds therein, as well as the depth of the soil composing the

mound and of graves found below its base. The cross-section

is shown in Fig. 4.

The maximum length of the mound as shown by our survey

is two hundred and fifty feet and the maximum width one

hundred and fifty feet, with an average width of one hundred

and twenty feet. Its maximum height is eight and one-half

feet, with an average height of about five feet. The solid con-

tents of the mound are approximately three thousand cubic

yards of earth, all of which was examined, after which the

mound was restored to its original height and dimensions.

The surface of the mound had long been under cultivation

and was devoid of trees or undergrowth, which greatly facilitated

its examination. For the most part, it was constructed of sur-

face soil secured in close proximity to the mound site, and

within the encircling earthwork. Squier & Davis state that the

mound is composed of loose broken sandstone and earth; we

found but few pieces of sandstone, these occurring only in con-

nection with intrusive burials. Within the body of the mound,

now and then, small pockets of gravel were unearthed, while

the central portion of the floor, surrounding the large communal

grave and the cache of artifacts, was covered with fine sand to

the depth of several inches.

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Exploration of the Tremper Mound.         271

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Exploration of the Tremper Mound.        273

 

The work of examining the mound was greatly retarded

by frequent rains, the trenches at times being filled with water,

so that much time was lost placing them in condition to con-

tinue. The floor or base of the mound sloped to the southeast,

the drainage consequently being in that direction. As a result

that portion of the mound was wet, a condition which retarded

our examination and very often interfered with the critical

inspection which is always given to every portion of a mound

while the workmen are engaged in its removal. The remarkably

distinct floor, which in every part of the mound was readily

distinguishable from  the earth composing the mound itself,

greatly facilitated the locating of the rows of postmolds, mark-

ing the outline of the structure, as well as of the various rooms

and compartments thereof.

Approximately six hundred of these postmolds were noted.

Many of them were clean cavities extending both below and

above the floor line, this condition being found where the posts

had not been entirely consumed in the burning of the structure,

leaving them gradually to decay, their places being marked only

by the hollow mold. In other instances, the proof of the burn-

ing of the structure when its purpose had been served, and

preparatory to the erection of the mound, was seen in the partly

burned and charred posts. These were present both in the

molds, at the floor line, and also where they had fallen during

the conflagration, and had been covered before they were con-

sumed. Specimens of the charred sections of posts were taken

out intact and placed on display in the Museum.

 

 

SITE OF THE MOUND A SACRED PLACE.

The work of exploration soon disclosed that the Tremper

mound is of the great Hopewell culture, but, with the possible

exception of Mound No. 8, Mound City group, differing in

several important particulars from mounds of that culture

already explored. These differences, which presented them-

selves as the work of excavation progressed, were the depositing

of the ashes from the crematories in communal depositories,

the burial of cremated remains beneath the base line of the

mound, and the placing of the artifacts of the dead in common

Vol. XXV-18.

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274      Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.

caches. In this last respect, Mound No. 8, Mound City group,

was analogous, and it is probable that the communal idea ex-

tended also to the disposition of the cremated remains, although

this, as well as interment of cremated remains below the base

line, cannot at present be determined, as the explorations of

Squier & Davis in that mound were of so desultory a character

as to preclude any very definite or extensive information.

Therefore, insofar as actual information goes, the communal

character of burial and the sub-base interment of cremated re-

mains are features exclusively of the Tremper mound.

As is to be expected in mounds of the Hopewell culture, it

was found that the site of the Tremper mound had been occu-

pied by a structure serving as a sacred place, in which the dead

were cremated, their ashes deposited in prepared receptacles,

and the doubtless intricate ceremonials accompanying these pro-

ceedings, including the depositing of implements and ornaments

of the deceased, were carried out. The structure proper had

been a large oval enclosure, approximately two hundred feet

long and half as wide. A number of chapel-like additions,

possibly to afford more space or to supplement that of the main

structure, had been built from time to time. Upright posts

averaging six inches in diameter, set into the ground to a depth

of about two and one-half feet, formed the outer walls of the

complex structure, as well as the partitions separating them into

various compartments. The remains of a sort of wattlework,

woven of twigs and limbs was found, which doubtless had been

used to close the interstices between the upright posts, which

were set about three feet apart. The floor of the area com-

prising the sacred structure had been carefully leveled and

smoothed, and in places fine sand had been spread out over it.

Doubtless parts of the structure at least had some sort of roof

or thatch, as indicated by the arrangement of certain of the

posts, but no direct evidence of the existence of such a roof

was found.

Reference to the map shown in Fig. 3, "Plan of Floor of

Tremper Mound," explains the arrangement of the structure

into rooms or compartments. The postmolds indicate the out-

line of the entire building and of the additions, as well as various

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Exploration of the Tremper Mound.         275

 

partitions and supports. The more important of the additions

to the main structure, it will be noted, were on the east and

southeast, with others, in the nature of passageways and en-

closures, with openings leading to the interior, principally along

the north side. There appear to have been several openings at

the extreme west end. It was the covering over with earth of

these secondary additions, in constructing the mound, which

gave it the anomalous shape suggesting the erroneous idea of

an intentional animal effigy.

 

 

SPECIAL FUNCTIONS OF THE COMPARTMENTS.

The great room comprising the central and western portion

of the structure, and particularly the south side thereof, was

devoted entirely to the care of the dead. Here the greater

number of the crematories were located, as well as several small

depositories. Of the three large circular additions built onto

the east end of the structure, the most southerly, forty-five by

fifty feet in size, contained three large crematories, and appar-

ently was given over entirely to the purpose of cremation. The

floor of this room was covered to a depth of about one inch with

charred leaves and straw.

The room directly north, being the central one of the three

additions at the east end of the main structure, appears to have

been given over entirely to the great cache of pipes and asso-

ciated artifacts, described elsewhere. It contained however, in

addition to the cache, a rectangular prepared basin or depository,

unused, a cremated burial of a single individual, and a large

fireplace. In this room, the floor of which had been covered

with sand, no posts had been placed interiorly. This provided a

large space around the fireplace, entirely clear from obstruc-

tions, a condition not noted in any other part of the structure.

The room just north of the one containing the cache, held

a very large prepared depository for the ashes of the dead, and

a large fireplace. This room doubtless was the main vault, in

which the greater part of the cremated remains from the entire

structure were deposited.

The smaller additions along the north side appear to have

been mainly in the nature of long passageways and small rooms.

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276      Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.

The floors of these, in great part, were covered with charred

leaves, cloth and other charred substances, strewn in places to

a depth of several inches. The most definitely outlined of these

rooms along the north side, is that shown as number 25, in

Fig. 3. This room appears to have been a veritable workshop

and kitchen, the floor being strewn with the bones of animals,

such as the deer, elk, bear, turkey and raccoon. None of these

bones had been worked, but all were broken, indicating the use

of the animals as food. Broken pottery, apparently associated

with the preparation and storing of food, was also abundant

on this floor, as was Ohio black shale, in pieces of a size sug-

gesting their use in the making of ornaments. Practically the

entire floor of this room was covered with mica flakes, in size

from the smallest bits to fragments an inch or more in diameter,

many of them apparently refuse from the large crystals of mica

found in the great cache.

To the southeast of this room, and adjacent thereto, was a

room, below the floor of which were found the two graves con-

taining cremated burials, and described elsewhere.

Study of the map of the floor plan and of the data per-

taining to the mound, enables one to picture rather vividly, the

activities, carried on doubtless through a considerable length of

time, of its builders in disposing of their dead.

 

 

DISPOSITION OF THE DEAD.

Cremation was an exclusive practice with the builders of

the Tremper mound, not a single instance of uncremated burial

being recorded. The uncremated burials found near the top of

the mound, and described elsewhere, were of an intrusive nature,

and did not pertain to the culture responsible for the building

of the mound.

The crematories were identical with those found in the

Harness and Seip mounds, and others of the same culture ex-

plored. They were twelve in number, and were scattered gen-

erally through the structure. All showed evidence of long-

continued use, and in most of them the presence of charred

human remains was noted. They were most in evidence in the

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Exploration of the Tremper Mound.        277

 

large room, at the south center of the structure, which seems

to have been especially set apart for this purpose.  The

crematories were basin-shaped, many of them quite deep. The

earth beneath them was burned red for a depth of almost one

foot.

DISPOSAL OF CREMATED REMAINS.

The placing of the ashes of the dead in prepared com-

munal depositories was the rule with the builders of the mound.

The exceptions were two cremated burials below the floor of

the mound, and two individual cremated burials. The com-

munal depositories, peculiar to the Tremper mound, were four

in number, consisting of a main depository, located in the east

end of the structure, and three smaller ones, in the western end.

These communal graves correspond in use, and to some extent

in form, to the prepared graves of the Harness, Seip and other

mounds of this culture explored, with the distinction that they

served to contain, not a single burial or one consisting of the

remains of a few individuals, as in the Seip mound, but an

unlimited number of burials.

The depository numbered 8 in Fig. 3, and pictured as Fig.

5, was made of fine puddled clay, which after being worked

into place was burned. The clay was applied with the hands.

imprints of fingers being visible, as were also marks of the

digging stick used in tamping down and shaping the sides of the

basin. The depository was in the form of a parallelogram, ten

feet and three inches long, and five feet wide, with a central

depth of six inches. The bottom measured six feet and six

inches long by thirteen inches wide, its surface being perfectly

flat and level. The grave was filled with human ashes and

charred bone to a depth of a little more than one foot; these

ashes however, were very compact, and originally must have

been piled high above the rim of the basin. The contents of

the depository no doubt represent the remains of hundreds of

cremated bodies, indicating the use of the grave for a long

period of time. The floor surrounding the great basin was

covered on the south and west sides with fine yellow sand, and

on the east and north sides with bits of charcoal and ashes

mixed with clay.

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Exploration of the Tremper Mound.        279   The three small depositories, shown as 20, 21 and 22, in Fig. 3 were not specialized as was the large one, but were merely prepared bases of clay. The ashes of the dead were piled upon these flat bases to a depth of two and one-half inches in No. 20; two inches in No. 21 and three inches in No. 22. A specialized depository (No. 6, in Fig. 3) was found near the great cache, but it contained no cremated remains and appar- ently never was used. In form it was very similar to the large grave, and measured five feet and three inches in length and two feet and five inches in width, outside measurements.

A comparison of the mortuary customs of the Tremper mound builders with those of the Harness and Seip mounds, shows the great advantage of the communal plan of the former. In the use of individual prepared graves, as in the Harness mound, or in the Seip mound where the graves occasionally were enlarged so as to hold as many as four cremated bodies, the available space soon would be exhausted, while under the communal grave plan, the number of cremations that could be placed in one depository was limited only by the size of the depository. Additional depositories, moreover, could easily be constructed, making the Tremper mound plan of burial much superior.

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280      Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.

 

 

ESTIMATED NUMBER OF CREMATIONS.

There is no way of exactly ascertaining the number of

dead contained in the four depositories of the Tremper mound.

The bulk of ashes and charred bones was computed at twenty-

five cubic feet, which, allowing one-fifteenth of a cubic foot to

each burial, would represent the cremation of three hundred

and seventy-five individuals. No doubt this is far short of the

total number of dead cremated, as the floor of the charnel-

house was strewn with ashes and fragments of charred human

bones.

An individual cremated burial was found in the room con-

taining the great cache, and is shown as No. 24 in Fig. 3. This

burial appears to have been of considerable importance, as it

was placed in the angle formed by the joining of two walls, and

a row of small posts placed around it. A second individual

cremated burial was found in this room, about two and one-half

feet above the floor. With the charred remains was a flint

spearpoint, six inches long.

 

 

BURIALS BENEATH FLOOR LEVEL.

A feature peculiar to the Tremper mound was the finding

of cremated burials beneath the floor. These are shown as 12

and 13 in Fig. 3. The two graves were three and one-half feet

deep, the floors being the surface of the undisturbed sandstone

strata underlying the site. Their dimensions were seven feet

long and three feet wide, and seven feet long and five feet

wide, respectively. The first grave, No. 12, contained only a

small amount of ashes and charred remains, and no artifacts

of any kind. The second grave contained, besides the cremated

remains, four copper ear ornaments, mica cut into the form of

crescents, a mica effigy of the bear, and a small flint spearpoint.

 

 

PRIMITIVE MASONRY.

A special feature of this grave was a wall of thin slabs of

sandstone at the sides and ends of the grave, completely lining

it, and forming a vault-like receptacle, with perpendicular walls.

As far as recorded this is the only instance of a regularly laid

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Exploration of the Tremper Mound.          281

 

up wall of stone, constructed by aboriginal man in Ohio. The

wall was two and one-half feet high, constructed of flat pieces

of sandstone, averaging from one inch to three inches in thick-

ness, and in length from four to twelve inches.

 

 

FIRE PLACES.

What might easily have been confused with the crematories

of the mound, were two fireplaces, situated one in each of the

more northerly of the tier of rooms at the east end of the

mound, and shown in Fig. 3 as 4 and 7. That shown as 4 was

located in the room where the great cache was found, and was

surrounded by an extensive space of level floor, unencumbered

by interior posts. The fireplace was three feet in diameter and

in the form of a basin, four inches in depth, the earth being

burned red for one foot below its base. The basin contained no

remains of human bones, but instead charcoal and ashes in great

quantities. The fireplace shown as 7 in Fig. 3, located in the

room with the great depository, was fully four feet in diameter,

circular in form, with a basin-like depression at the center, four

and one-half inches deep. It was filled with charcoal and the

earth beneath burned red for fully one foot in depth. This

fireplace showed evidences of having been mended by plastering

the sides of the basin with puddled clay.

The prominence of the location of these two fireplaces,

with respect to the communal deposits of ashes and artifacts,

suggests that they may have been dedicated to the sacred fire,

which plays so important a part in the ceremonial observances

of primitive peoples.* From the great depth to which the earth

beneath them is burned, it would appear that they were in use

for a long time; while the amount of charcoal contained therein

would indicate that they were burning at the time the construc-

tion of the mound was begun.

 

INTRUSIVE BURIALS.

As is not infrequent in mounds of any culture, the Tremper

mound was found to contain intrusive burials. These were

* The Cherokees believed that a perpetual sacred fire burned beneath

the mounds.

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282      Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications. placed near the top of the mound uncremated, and were of a culture entirely different from that of its builders. Previous to the exploration of the mound, the sons of Dr. Tremper had, in occasionally digging into its top, unearthed perhaps ten of these intrusive burials. Our examination dis- closed five additional skeletons, one of which is shown in Fig. 7. Two of the burials were so near the surface that cultivation had disturbed them. The graves of these burials were all pre- pared by placing slabs of sandstone on edge around the sides and ends, and by using similar slabs as coverings. The large stone shown lying across the neck of the skeleton in Fig. 7, is

one of these slabs, which had fallen into the grave. Artifacts found with the intrusive burials are shown in Fig. 8.   DISPOSITION OF ARTIFACTS. The communal disposition of the ashes of the dead, as carried out in the Tremper mound, naturally would be accom- panied by a similar disposition of the artifacts usually associated with burial. The logical expectation perhaps, would be to find them deposited along with the ashes in the common receptacle; that is, simply substituting for graves containing individual burials and artifacts, a common grave wherein the ashes and

• 20
 

Exploration of the Tremper Mound.          283   artifacts of an unlimited number of individuals would be placed. Instead of this, however, it was found that separate depositories were provided for each. The great cache of tobacco pipes and associated objects found by Squier & Davis in 1846, in Mound No. 8, Mound City group, Ross county, has been the wonder of archeological re- search in Ohio until the present time. Few archeologists ex-

pected that this great find ever would be equalled, the cache being considered as unique and alone in its class. Owing to the superficial character of the Squier & Davis' explorations at that place, the Mound City tumulus and its remarkable contents have been only indifferently understood; now, however, the examination of the Tremper mound not only throws the desired light upon the character of the Ross county mound, by duplicat- ing its known features, but even goes so far as greatly to surf

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284      Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.

pass it in point of artifacts found, both as to number and

artistic execution.

The results of the exploration of the Tremper mound,

aside from their bearing upon any phase of Ohio archeology,

are exceedingly gratifying; but when they serve further to

elucidate the exact nature and purpose of the only mound alto-

gether similar, so far explored, the results are, in effect, two-fold.

Two distinct caches of artifacts were found in the Tremper

mound; one, the principal depository for the ornaments and

implements of the dead, being very extensive and apparently

having served along with the great depository for ashes through

a considerable period of time, and the other, evidently deposited

all at one time during the construction of the mound. The first,

or larger, of these caches, was located in the central one of

the three large rooms at the east end of the structure, and is

shown as 5, in Fig. 3. It occupied a space of about six feet in

diameter along the south side of the unused depository, shown

as 6, the objects comprising it being placed in a heap, of which

the large stone disk, shown as Fig. III, formed the center.

All objects in this cache had been intentionally broken, the

supposition being that this was done to avert the likelihood of

their being stolen from the great open deposit. The cache of

artifacts, as was the cumulation of ashes in the communal grave,

was a product of time, doubtless a number of years elapsing

between the time it was begun and the final destruction of the

building. Despite the natural respect of primitive man for the

property of the dead, the beautiful objects placed in the cache

would prove a great temptation to the derelict, or to the stranger

who might gain access thereto; so that, to render them un-

desirable each object was deliberately broken, and the frag-

ments then deposited in the cache. In this respect, as in all

others recorded, the Mound City tumulus, Mound No. 8, was

similar.

The second cache of artifacts was found near the center

of the mound, two and one-half feet above the floor line. This

secondary cache, so far as known peculiar to the Tremper

mound, differed from the large cache in that the objects com-

posing it were unbroken and in perfect condition. This is

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Exploration of the Tremper Mound.        285

readily understood, when the position of the cache in the mound

is considered. Being within the mound proper, and well above

the floor, it clearly had been made after the burning of the

structure and during the erection of the mound, the objects

being deposited simultaneously and at once covered over, thus

averting danger of theft.

 

 

CONTENTS OF THE CAChES.

The feature of the large cache was one hundred and thirty-

six tobacco pipes. These pipes were of the so-called platform

type, a number of them being carved in the effigy of birds and

animals, and the remainder plain. Besides the pipes there were

in this cache, among other things, beads, gorgets and boat-

shaped objects of copper; crystals of mica and galenite; ear

ornaments of stone; cones cut from quartz crystals and galena;

ornaments made from jaws of animals and of man; flint cut-

ting implements; mealing stones; woven fabrics; and the large

stone disk already mentioned. In addition to the objects enu-

merated, there were present in the cache many objects made from

wood and bone, mostly decomposed or burned. A total of more

than five hundred specimens had been placed in this cache.

The smaller of the two caches contained nine tobacco pipes,

representing the platform type, the tubular and the modified

tubular types. Among those of the platform type were several

extremely large and fine pipes, made from red Ohio pipestone,

the largest and finest ever found in an Ohio mound.

The tubular forms likewise are particularly large and fine.

In addition to the pipes, this cache contained a pair of the rare

type of ear ornaments, made from red Ohio pipestone, and a

pierced slate tablet.

ART DEVELOPMENT.

The sculptural art displayed in the pipes taken from the

Tremper mound represents the highest esthetic attainment of

the Hopewell culture, and probably never has been surpassed by

any people in the stone age period of its existence. The tech-

nique displayed in the portrayal of life forms is no less ad-

mirable than the apparent faculty of the artist for observing

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286      Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.

and appreciating the habits and peculiar characteristics of the

birds and animals with which he was familiar. The animal and

bird forms depicted in the sculptures, comprise fifteen genera

of the former and twelve of the latter, the genera in a number

of instances, being represented by several species.

In the pipes of the plain type, the graceful forms of both

bases and bowls, and the bi-lateral symmetry of the specimens, is

such as to attract attention and compel admiration.

 

 

THE MOUND CITY CACHE.

In 1846 Squier & Davis found a cache in Mound No. 8,

Mound City group, which they describe as follows: "Intermixed

with much ashes, were found not far from two hundred pipes,*

carved in stone, many pearl and shell beads, numerous discs,

tubes, etc., of copper, and a number of other ornaments of

copper, covered with silver, etc.; etc. The pipes were much

broken up, some of them calcined by the heat, which had been

sufficiently strong to melt copper, masses of which were found

fused together in the centre of the basin. A large number have

nevertheless been restored, at the expense of much labor and no

small amount of patience."

I never have had the pleasure of seeing the collection of

pipes taken from  Mound No. 8 and now in the Blackmore

Museum at Salisbury, England. However, from the cuts and

description of the broken specimens, in "Ancient Monuments

of the Mississippi Valley" and in the catalog of the Blackmore

Museum, I am satisfied that the breaking was not due to fire,

but that they were broken intentionally when placed in the

cache, exactly as were the pipes in the Tremper mound. Stone

broken by heat has a different appearance from stone broken by

a blow from a heavy instrument; as to the copper being melted.

I am satisfied that Squier & Davis confused the adhesion of

copper pieces, due to oxidation, with what they mistook for

* The collection of Squier & Davis was purchased by Mr. Black-

more for his Museum at Salisbury, England. The number of pipes

secured in mound No. 8 as recorded in the Museum's printed catalog.

known as "Flint Chips," is only 95.

• 24
 

Exploration of the Tremper Mound.        287

 

fusion by fire, which they state was "sufficiently strong to melt

copper."

This condition of copper pieces firmly adhering thru corro-

sion, was found in the Tremper mound, associated with the

pipes. The same condition was quite noticeable in the Harness

and Seip mounds and is found in practically all mounds where

a number of copper pieces are placed together. In the Harness

mound numbers of ear ornaments were united thru corrosion,

suggesting their fusion by fire; but on the contrary, the charred

remains of the cremated dead placed over them, had protected

the ear ornaments from any contact with the fire kindled as the

final ceremony. The Seip mound gave many more examples of

the fusing of copper pieces by corrosion. In one instance large

copper plates were so united that they could not be separated;

in another a copper plate could not be detached from a crescent

of copper partly covering it; and yet none of these specimens

had been subjected to the action of fire.

 

 

BUILT BY SAME PEOPLE.

The data given by Squier & Davis in their explorations of

the Mound City group, is not sufficient to make available for

comparison the manner in which the objects were deposited in

the cache, but the similarity of the sculptured pipes from the

two mounds and the stone from which they were carved, seems

to be proof conclusive that they were made by peoples having

the same mortuary customs, and were placed in the cache in the

same way. For instance, the heron eating a fish, found by

Squier & Davis is almost an exact duplicate of one from the

Tremper mound, as is also the otter with a fish in its mouth,

altho this specimen was mistaken by Squier & Davis for the

manitus, a water animal whose habitat is Florida. In fact all

the animal sculptures from the Mound City group, with the

exception of the elk, were duplicated in the Tremper mound

and in addition the following sculptures were found: gray fox,

porcupine, dog, deer, rabbit and mink.

While the art shown in the Tremper Mound pipes in gen-

eral is superior to the Mound City specimens, both as to

sculpture of the various animal and bird forms and in their

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288      Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.

fidelity to nature, the technique in both instances is strikingly

similar.

The Tremper mound site is not so large as the Mound

City group site, but the protecting earthwork surrounding it is

similar. The unfortunate lack of detailed information concern-

ing the mounds in the Mound City group, explored by Squier &

Davis, makes impossible a comparison of the disposal of the

dead by the Tremper and Mound City peoples.

Squier & Davis state that the great cache in mound No. 8

was placed upon a sacrificial altar 'intermixed with much ashes,

and from their statement that "the pipes were much broken -

some of them calcined by heat, which had been sufficiently

strong to melt copper," we must infer that they believed that

a great fire had been kindled upon the altar. These same con-

ditions obtained in the Tremper mound and while we have

proof that the building covering the site was destroyed by fire,

I am sure that no fire was especially kindled upon the cache

itself. Altho objects made of bone, wood and cloth were found

in a charred state, the fire was not sufficient to melt the crystals

of lead found in the cache, nor in any way to injure the broker

pipes or stone gorgets.

Taking everything into consideration it would not be sur-

prising to find that the Mound City peoples, after erecting their

mounds, migrated down the Scioto and formed a new settle-

ment on the site of Tremper mound. At any rate, if not the

same people or parts of the same people, the builders of the

two sites must have been very closely related.

 

 

DESCRIPTION OF ARTIFACTS.

In the following pages the various implements and orna-

ments found in the two caches of the Tremper mound are

described in detail, and wherever possible comparisons are made

with like objects from other mounds.

 

TOBACCO PIPES.

One hundred and forty-five pipes were taken from the

Tremper mound, one hundred and thirty-six of them being

• 26
 

Exploration of the Tremper Mound.          289

 

found in the large cache and nine in the small one. All pipes

in the first cache were intentionally broken as deposited, while

those placed in the second cache were in perfect condition, hav-

ing been deposited simultaneously while the mound was in

process of erection.

Most careful and painstaking scrutiny was required in find-

ing the broken parts of all pipes and other objects,* comprising

the larger cache, the fragments being scattered thru a great

mass of charred material, debris and earth covering the cache,

parts of specimens often being several feet distant from one

another. One hundred and six of the one hundred and thirty-

six pipes secured, were fully restored. The remaining thirty,

made of very soft materials, were weathered and decomposed

beyond repair.  More than half of these thirty fragmentary

pipes had been broken while in use and mended with copper,

by the owners. About twenty of the thirty are effigies of birds

of various kinds, the other ten being effigies of the otter and

beaver and the plain curved platform type. Of the one hundred

and six pipes restored, sixty are effigies and the remainder

plain, the latter made with more or less expanded bowls and

curved bases. All of the one hundred and six are made of the

Ohio pipestone native to the region adjacent to the mound, with

the exception of one-the large eagle effigy-which is made

of coral limestone. In almost every instance, the pipes found

by Squier & Davis were made of this same pipestone, altho

they did not recognize the stone as a native product but stated

that the pipes were "mostly composed of a red porphyritic stone,

somewhat resembling the pipestone of the Coteau des Prairies,

excepting that it is of great hardness and interspersed with

small variously colored granules." At the time of the explora-

tions by Squier & Davis (1846) but little was known of the

geological formations in the state so that they may be excused

for not recognizing the rock from which the pipes were made,

altho its native bed is only a short distance from the mound.

 

* My assistant, Mr. H. C. Shetrone, for the most part removed the

contents of the cache. Much credit is due him for his careful work in

securing the broken parts and afterwards in restoring the pipes.

Vol. XXV-19.

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290       Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.

 

 

COMPOSITION OF THE PIPESTONE.

After the Mound City finds were installed in the Black-

more Museum at Salisbury, England, Professor A. C. Church,

chemist in the Royal Agricultural College, Cirencester, made a

chemical analysis of the material of which the pipes were made,

and in his report+ calls it argillaceous ironstone and describes its

physical character as follows: "This stone is not a definite min-

eral but a mixture of minerals-a rock. Its hardness varies in

different parts of the same specimen-the harder parts ap-

proaching six and the softer parts not exceeding 4.5. These

softer parts are paler in colour, contain much less iron than the

harder parts, and seem to consist of minute globules of a com-

pound silicate, perhaps a feldspar. Some of the pipes and other

objects fashioned from this ferruginous stone are much fissured

internally and blacker inside than out.   When most compact

this stone has a density 4.3; when least so about 3.07." Quot-

ing further from Professor Church: "In the following analysis

the silica was ascertained 'by difference' and includes a little

alkali. In 100 parts there are:

S ilica  ................................................  46 .42

Ferric oxide -

(Peroxide  of  iron).............................                                  34.80

A lum ina                                                                                       .............................................   16.45

M agnesia  . .......................................                                           .46

L im e   .................................................                                         1 .48

W ater       .  .......................................                                                                                             .39

 

100.00

 

"The collection contains many examples of this curious

clay ironstone. Some of these approach in structure to the red

pipestone (Coteau des Prairies), often termed catlinite.    But

they are more variolitic in texture and much more mottled and

diversified in colour. Some specimens are iron gray or dark

brown; others pale gray, spotted with white."

The analysis of samples of the pipestone from Gephart

 

+"Flint Chips," by Edward T. Stevens, 1870; page 415.

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Exploration of the Tremper Mound.                  291

 

Station, Scioto county, Ohio, as made by Dr. James R. With-

row, of Ohio State University is as follows:

Silica dioxide .......................................                                           48.87

Aluminum oxide ....................................                                        32.39

Ferrous      oxide  ............................ .. .........                                   1.26

Titanium   dioxide    ....................................                                  1.45

Calcium               oxide                                                                   ................................... ..... .40

M agnesium         oxide                                                                   ....................................            .35

A lkalis  ..............................................                                           1.52

Phosphoric         acid  .....................................                               .12

Sulphur      ............................................                                          .26

Loss  on          ignition ......................................                                                                          12.98

 

The following analysis of fireclay from       Sciotoville, Scioto

county, Ohio, was made by Professor Edward Orton, Jr., of

Ohio State University:

Silica    ...............................................                                            43.75

Oxide   aluminum  .....................................                                     34.10

Oxide   iron  ..........................................                                        3.66

Oxide   titanium  ......................................                                      3.84

Oxide   calcium   .......................................                                     .56

Oxide magnesium      ....................................               .55

Oxide   potassium                                                                           .....................................           .07

Oxide    sodium    ........................................                                    .03

Loss     on           ignition                                                                ......................................          13.86

 

T otal         ....................................... .                                   100.42

 

The marked difference in the analyses, particularly as re-

gards iron oxide, is due to the fact that the Mound City speci-

mens analyzed were of the red pipestone, heavy in iron, while

those analyzed by the Ohio State University chemists were of

the lighter colored stone, having a comparatively low percentage

of iron.

 

ANIMAL SCULPTURES.

The animal sculptures represented in the pipes from the

mound comprise at least fifteen genera, numbering from one

to six specimens each.      Those identified are: bear, mountain

lion, wildcat, raccoon, porcupine, opossum, beaver, otter, dog.

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292      Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.

 

rabbit, mink, deer, fox, wolf and squirrel. Taken as a whole,

these animal effigies, while not always closely approximating

nature, with respect to form and proportions, depict many of

the characteristics and peculiarities of the subject portrayed and

display a striking familiarity on the part of the prehistoric

artist, with the native fauna.

 

 

OTTER EFFIGY PIPES.

Pipes made in the image of the otter (Lutra canadensis)

taken from the mound are eight in number. In five of these

the animal is represented with a fish in its mouth, two of the

sculptures being full length, Figs. 9 and 10, while three of

them represent only the head and shoulders, Figs. 11 and 12.

The three remaining show the plain head and shoulders. The

early sculptors must have been greatly impressed with the otter,

as they were able to portray in stone, with remarkable fidelity

to nature the appearance and habits of the animal as is shown

in Figs. 9 and 10.

To those who have studied the habits of the otter, it is

readily apparent that the ancient sculptor in depicting this

animal produced a masterpiece full of spirit and action. Com-

parison of the sculpture of the otter taken from the mound with

a colored plate of the same animal shown in Cuvier's Mam-

malia, Vol. 2, plate 315, and with the animal itself, readily

shows how true to nature the ancient artisan did his work, and

how erroneously the early modern artists sometimes portrayed

their subjects.

The sculptured pipe of the otter shown in Fig. 9 is made

of yellowish-brown Ohio pipestone, the platform four and one-

half inches long, one and one-fourth inches wide at each end,

and one and three-fourths inches wide in the center, with a pro-

nounced curve from  front to back. The platform is a full

quarter of an inch in thickness, cut square at the front, or stem

end, where the stem hole leads to the bowl, the back end form-

ing a gracefully rounded curve. The bowl of the pipe extends

vertically thru the body of the otter, which is carved at full

length with a large well formed fish in its mouth. The sculptor

has displayed much skill in portraying such features of the

• 30
 

Exploration of the Tremper Mound.      293

• 31
 

294      Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.   animal as the bowed back, large flat head, short ears and com- pressed tail, all of which are characteristic of the otter. Fig. 10 is another effigy of the otter, and like that shown in Fig. 9 is sculptured at full length with a fish in its mouth. The workmanship on this specimen is equally as good as in the preceding one. The pipe is made of blue-gray Ohio pipe- stone, highly polished. The length of the platform  is four inches, the width one and one-fourth inches and the thickness a full quarter of an inch. The end from which the stem hole is drilled is square, and the other end rounded with a notch cut into its edge. The broad flat head and short ears are well fashioned and the color markings around the head and neck are distinct. Fig. 11 is a bold representation of the otter, carrying a fish in its mouth, only the head, shoulders and forelegs of the animal being depicted. The facial and body markings are quite pro- nounced and the eyes are set with copper. The pipe bowl is unusually large, extending more than two inches above the platform and measuring a little more than one inch in diameter.

• 32
 

Exploration of the Tremper Mound.       295   The platform is a representative one, the ends square with rounded corners; length of stem  three and one-half inches width at each end one and one-fourth inches, expanding at the center to one and three-fourths inches. The bottom of the plat- form is embellished with an oval plate of copper one inch long and one-half inch wide, set in a depression cut into the stone. The plate which can be seen in the cut, is near the stem end of the platform, the other end being ornamented with a band of criss-cross lines one-fourth of an inch in width, cut at right angles to the stem. The pipe is made of light blue-gray Ohio pilestone with splotches of brown, and is a fair example of the three pipes of this form.

Fig. 12 is a splendid representation of the otter, in which the sculptor emphasized the broad flat head and peculiar nose of the animal. The color markings on the head and front of the body are well defined. The pipe is small but well carved, the platform being two and seven-eighths inches long and one inch wide at each end, with only a slight enlargement at the center. The stem end of the platform is square while the other end is oval, with a small indentation in its edge. The pipe is made of light blue-gray Ohio pipestone. Two pipes found by Squier & Davis in mound No. 8,* Mound City group are identified by   * Ancient Monuments of the Mississippi Valley; page 257.

• 33
 

296      Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications. them as the otter. One of these, Fig. 157, in my opinion is not the otter, while Figs. 153 and 154 in the same volume, named by their. the lamantin, I am perfectly satisfied represent the otter. The markings upon the heads and fronts of these pipes are similar to those on the otter pipes, taken from the Tremper mound. As far as recorded the Mound City group and the Tremper mound are the only ones in Ohio from which the sculptures of the otter have been taken. The skeletal remains of the otter were found in the Gartner Village site six miles north of Chilli- cothe, along the Scioto, where a number of parts of skulls were secured.  At the Baum   Village site more than twenty. parts of skulls of the otter were found, showing that this animal was much sought after, not only for its skin, but also for food.     RACCOON EFFIGY PIPES. Fig. 13 is the image of the raccoon in a characteristic atti- tude perched on the top of a stump or broken limb, far above the ground and viewing its surroundings. The pipe is made of grayish-brown Ohio pipestone. The platform base is grace- fully curved, is four inches in length, one and one-fourth inches

• 34
 

Exploration of the Tremper Mound.       297   wide at each end and one and one-half inches at the center. The ends are square, the rear end having the corners rounded. The bowl of the pipe rises from about the center of the platform and upon this bowl is carved the complete image of the raccoon, grasping the sides of the broken limb with head and tail extend- ing far out on either side. The head and tail are exaggerated but the facial markings are very good, and the angle of the ears gives the animal the characteristic appearance of alertness when intently viewing some object.

Fig. 14 shows another image of the raccoon in about the same attitude as that in Fig. 13. The pipe is made of blue-gray Ohio pipestone, and is somewhat longer and bolder than the one just described. The platform has a gentle curve, is four and one-half inches long, one and one-fourth inches wide at each end, and one and three-fourths inches wide in the center. With the exception of the exaggerated tail the sculptor has truthfully portrayed the characteristics of the animal.  The eyes are properly placed and are made of copper. Fig. 15 is another splendid sculpture of the raccoon, which is represented at full length with its left foot in a crawfish hole,

• 35
 

298      Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications. a peculiar and well known habit of the animal.   This well carved pipe shows that the sculptor, doubtless a close observer of the raccoon, was really able to record in stone for all time a faithful account of this animal and its habits as seen by aboriginal man. He shows the general posture the animal as- sumes as it leisurely searches the crawfish hole for food, and that there may be no doubt as to what the raccoon is doing, the pellets of mud incident to its construction are distinctly carved out on the upper extension of the crawfish hole. The expres- sion of cunning is exemplified in the general make up of the entire sculptured piece. The pipe is three and one-half inches

long and the platform one inch wide at either end, the stem end square, while the opposite end terminates in a graceful curve. The head markings are pronounced and the eyes are set with copper. In its entirety this pipe is the real master- piece of the raccoon sculptures. Fig. 16 is another pipe made in the image of the raccoon. It resembles the pipe just described as to general form, but the sculptor has not brought out the craftiness of expression dis- played in the preceding specimen. The pipe is small and made of blue-gray Ohio pipestone. The platform has a decided curve,

• 36
 

Exploration of the Tremper Mound.    299   and, is three inches long, seven-eighths of an inch wide at each end and one and one-fourth inches wide at the center. The head markings are very pronounced as are the markings on the tail. Squier & Davis state that they found an effigy of the rac- coon at the Mound City group, but give no illustration. The Blackmore Museum illustrates the head of an animal they are pleased to call the raccoon, but which is very likely the gray fox. The bones of the raccoon (Procyon lotor) were very abundant at the Baum Village site, along Paint creek in Ross county, where thirty-five fragmentary skulls and one hundred

and twenty-seven parts of lower jaws were found. This animal seems to have been much sought for food, and its bones were made into ornaments and implements. At the Gartner village, six miles north of Chillicothe, abundant evidence of the use of this animal for food was found. In fact wherever animal bones are found in the old villages, those of the raccoon are very prominent. GRAY WOLF EFFIGY PIPES. The sculpture of the gray wolf is shown in Fig. 17. The primitive artist again has displayed his skill by depicting the

• 37
 

300      Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.   attitude the wolf assumes in viewing the habitation of the Indian, when well out of range of weapons. The pipe is made of gray Ohio pipestone, somewhat discolored with splotches of brown. The platform is gently curved, is one and one-fourth inches wide, three and one half inches long and square at both ends. The wolf is portrayed in a sitting posture, more than two and one-half inches high, the head and ears thrown in- tently forward, the tail lying upon the platform. In point of

spirit the sculpture is perhaps unsurpassed in the collection of pipes. Fig. 18 shows another effigy of the gray wolf. The work- manship in this pipe is inferior in many ways to the one last described.  Its general resemblance is more that of the bear, particularly about the head, and one would feel justified in so naming it, had not the artist appended the long tail. The pipe is made of dark-blue Ohio pipe-stone. The platform is grace-

• 38
 

Exploration of the Tremper Mound.       301   fully curved, is one and one-eighth inches wide at the stem end, while the other end, originally in the form of an oval, had been slightly broken and mended by the owner. The stem hole con- necting with the bowl of the pipe is unusually large, being almost one-fourth of an inch in diameter. The eyes of the animal are set with copper. Squier & Davis, in describing their finds at Mound City, figure a broken head of this animal, while a perfect restored specimen is shown in the catalog of the Black-

more Museum, which is similar in every respect to the pipe shown in Fig. 17. The gray wolf, (Canis occidentalis) must have been very plentiful during the prehistoric occupation of the Scioto valley, as we find evidence of his presence in the bones taken both from the Gartner village and Baum village sites, altho not in large numbers. The large bones were broken into fragments, or used in the manufacture of implements, and the teeth for the most part were used for ornaments, even the molars and pre-molars having the roots perforated to be worn as ornaments.

• 39
 

302      Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.       EFFIGY OF THE GRAY FOX. The gray fox is shown in Fig. 19, a splendid sculpture of this animal. The pipe is made of blue-gray Ohio pipestone and is highly polished. The platform has a very slight curve, is four inches in length and one inch wide at the stem end, which is square. The platform widens from the front to the center, where its width is more than one and one-half inches, and gradually tapers toward the rear, forming a gracefully rounded end.  The image of the fox rises from   about the

center of the platform and represents the animal in a sitting attitude, with head and body thrown forward and front feet touching the platform. The head has the characteristic mark- ings of the gray fox and the ears are thrown forward as if intently viewing some object. The primitive artist certainly has portrayed the general form and features of the animal as well as its characteristic attitude and expression. The sculpture of the gray fox (Urocyon virginianus) has never before been reported, but its presence in Ohio during the time of pre-history man is evidenced by finding numerous bones of the animal at the Baum village site along Paint creek. Here the remains of the fox were perhaps as numerous as the bones of any animal

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Exploration of the Tremper Mound.        303 excepting the deer. At the Gartner Village site along the Scioto, the bones of the fox were found in large numbers.     EFFIGY 0F THE INDIAN DOG. The only representatation of the dog coming from an Ohio mound, that could rightly be identified as such, is shown in Fig. 20. The primitive artist knew his subject well and was

able to reproduce in stone the general form and features, as well as the characteristic attitude and expression of the dog, "baying at the moon."  No other sculpture from the mounds is more pleasing and none tells so much of natural history as this sculpture of the only domesticated animal of primitive man in Ohio. The pipe is made of blue-gray Ohio pipestone and is well fashioned. The platform has a decided curve, and is two and three-fourths inches long and one and one-eighth inches wide at the stem end, gradually narrows from the center to the rear, where the top of the platform is concave, and ends in

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304      Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications. a rounded oval. The bowl rises from the center of the plat- form and represents the dog in a sitting posture, the tail curled over the back and the head thrown high as in the attitude of barking. While, so far as we know, Fig. 20 shows the only authentic sculpture of the dog taken from the mounds of Ohio, the bones of the animal have been found, both at the Baum village site and at the Gartner village site. At the Baum site bones of the dog were found in every part of the village and his presence as a domesticated animal is shown by the gnawed ends of bones found in practically every refuse pit. At the Gartner mound and village, the bones of the dog were in evi- dence and instances of the gnawing of bones were abundant.     EFFIGY OF THE BLACK BEAR. The sculpture of the black bear, (Ursus americanus) shown in Fig. 21 is perhaps the finest of the three bear pipes found. The pipe is made of dark-blue Ohio pipestone and is carved with much spirit and fidelity to nature. The platform is three and one-half inches long, flat on top and convex beneath. It is one inch wide at the stem end and carries this width almost to the opposite end, where it narrows to three-fourths of an inch, forming a symmetrically rounded end. The stem, directly

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Exploration of the Tremper Mound.       305   in front of the great paws of the bear, was broken while in use by the owner, and very ingeniously mended, by boring holes in each piece, inserting dowel pins and then placing around the stem a band of copper to hold the parts together. The eyes are set with pearls and the carving represents the animal with the mouth partly open, showing the teeth, of which the canines are especially emphasized.  In the collection of the Ohio State Archeological and Historical society is a very large pipe carved in the image of the bear, drawing her cub toward her and showing her teeth in defiance of an enemy.

Fig. 22 shows another sculpture of the bear in a sitting posture which falls short of the one just described, the carving being cruder; however, the poise of the head is good. The eyes are set with copper. The platform is three and one- fourth inches long and one and one-eighth inches wide, square at the stem end and ending in a graceful curve at the rear. One ear of the animal was broken off, evidently during its use by the owner. The pipe is made of very light-gray pipestone in places much discolored by dark brown splotches of iron. Vol. XXV-20.

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306      Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications. Fig. 23 shows the third sculpture of the bear, which rep- resents the animal standing at full length. While the general proportions are good, the sculpture has but little spirit, the work not being equal to the two others described. The pipe is made of dark-blue Ohio pipestone. The curved base is three and three-fourths inches long and one inch wide at the stem end, which is square. The opposite end of the platform is only three-fourths of an inch wide, with rounded corners. Many pipes representing the bear have been found on the surface in Ohio, but we have record of only one other from a

mound, namely, that found by Squier & Davis in Mound No. 8 of Mound City group. Of this pipe they figure only the head, the other pieces having been lost. It is known that the black bear was highly prized by the prehistory Indians of Ohio, for we find the bones of the animal in practically every village site examined. At the Baum site along Paint creek, they were in evidence in every section of the village, the same being true at the Gartner site, along the Scioto. The teeth and jaws of the bear were highly prized for ornament and they were very often made in imitation. In the cache associated with the pipes of this mound, cut bear jaws and imitation bear teeth were found in goodly numbers.

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Exploration of the Tremper Mound.         307     MOUNTAIN LION EFFIGY PIPES. Fig. 24 shows a pipe made in the image of the mountain lion, carved with much spirit and fidelity to nature, showing that the sculptor was a close observer of this animal. The lion is in a sitting position with the tail carved in relief on the rear of the finely curved platform, the body thrown forward, the short stout head at a poise showing contentment after partaking of a heavy repast, and the mouth partly open as in the act of grooming itself. The characteristic eye markings are plainly

shown. Taken as a whole this pipe is the finest of the three sculptures of the mountain lion. The specimen is made of light- gray Ohio pipestone, strongly discolored by brown splotches of iron. The platform has a gradual curve from end to end and is four inches long, one and one-fourth inches wide at the stem end, gradually tapering to the rear of the platform, where it ends in an oval. Fig. 25 shows the second of the three sculptures of the mountain lion. It is quite evident from the difference in con- ception of the animal that the pipes were not fashioned by the

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308      Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.   same sculptor. In the specimen shown in Fig. 24, the primitive artist depicted the general features and pose of the animal true to nature. In this specimen the legs and feet are greatly em- phasized, making the lion appear a clumsy animal like the bear. The pipe is made of light red, shading to dark red, Ohio pipe- stone. The platform which is square at both ends, is seven- eighths of an inch wide, gradually tapering to the center, where it is one and one-fourth inches wide. The lion is sculptured at full length in a standing posture, with all four feet braced, as in the act of dragging an object. The mouth is partly open, exposing the teeth, and the ears are erect.

Fig. 26 shows the third sculpture of the mountain lion, which very likely represents the work of a third primitive artist, as the conception of the animal in this specimen is unlike either of the two previously described. Only the head of the animal is represented. The facial markings, eyes and whiskers are plainly exaggerated, and the ears are carved at a wrong angle, while the sculpture lacks spirit and truthfulness, yet the general features of the lion are readily recognized. The pipe is made of dark-gray Ohio pipestone, mottled with circular globules of white. The base is beautifully curved, square at both ends and one and one-eighth inches wide. The stem end was broken while in use, and the piece attached by means of

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Exploration of the Tremper Mound.       309   a band of copper, three-fourths of an inch wide, securely fas- tened around the stem. The bones of the mountain lion (Felis concolor) were found at the Baum village site and at the Gartner mound and village site. At the former the bones of the animal were found sparingly in every part of the village. However, the mountain lion seems not to have been so abundant in the wilds of Ohio in early days as was the bear and wolf, or even the wild cat. The bones of the mountain lion were highly prized for imple- ments, and the teeth and jaws were made into ornaments, not

only the canine teeth being used, but the molars and pre-molars as well. As far as recorded the only sculpture of this animal, other than the Tremper mound finds, was taken from mound No. 8, Mound City group by Squier & Davis. They figure only the head of this effigy, but in the catalog of the Blackmore Museum it is shown fully restored.     WILD CAT EFFIGY PIPES. Two sculptures of the wild cat (Lynx rufa) were found, both showing plainly the work of a master hand. The pipe

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310      Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.

 

shown in Fig. 27 is made of dark-blue Ohio pipestone. The

base, but slightly curved, is three inches long, one inch wide

and square at each end, with the corners at the rear end

rounded. The bowl of the pipe, rising directly from the center

of the platform, represents the animal in a sitting posture,

with its short tail cut in relief on the platform, its fore feet on

the same plane with the body, and the head thrown forward in

the attitude of contentment. The head is stout and short, with

the color markings and whiskers very pronounced, and is some-

what enlarged and out of proportion to the body.

Fig. 28 shows the second sculpture of the wild cat. The

pipe is made of dark blue-gray Ohio pipestone, stained to a

very dark brown by iron, and is some larger than the pipe just

described. The platform is three and one-half inches long,

symmetrically curved from front to back, and square at each

end. The animal is shown apparently crouched for a leap, but

the reposeful attitude of the head seems to contradict this.

The head markings are well executed and the whiskers some-

what emphasized.

Similar sculptures of the wild cat were found by Squier &

Davis at the Mound City group, two of which they figure in

their report.  Comparing these with the Tremper mound

specimens, especially as regards the heads, one would be led

to believe that all were made by the same sculptor, so marked

is the similarity.

In the prehistoric village sites at Baum's and Gartner's the

wild cat's bones were found in abundance, thirty broken skulls

and one hundred and twenty-five broken lower jaws being found

in the former alone. The leg bones were used in making im-

plements and ornaments and the canine teeth were perforated

and used as ornaments.

 

 

EFFIGY OF THE PORCUPINE.

Fig. 29 shows the sculpture of the porcupine (Erethizon

dorsatus). In this pipe the sculptor has fashioned the animal

in a characteristic attitude, as seen at home in the woods. The

head, with short bunty ears, is well sculptured, as is the thick

heavy tail, with the spines plainly marked. The pipe is made

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Exploration of the Tremper Mound.       311

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312      Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.   of red and light-gray mottled pipestone.  The base is well curved, three and three-fourths: inches long, three-fourths of an inch wide, square at the stem end and oval at the rear end. As far as known this is the only sculpture of this animal from the mounds of Ohio. The geographical distribution of the Canadian porcupine in early days was along the Alleghanies. south through Pennsylvania into Virginia, west to Kentucky and north to the limit of trees in Canada; so that it certainly must have been well known to prehistoric man in the Scioto valley. We have found the bones of the porcupine sparingly in the Baum Village site, a lower jaw and several small bones being

noted. Now that we have its sculpture and know that the Indian was acquainted with the animal, I am sure a careful search will bring to light more of its bones. However, it must be remembered that the Indian dog was very fond of bones, which may account for not finding many bones of some of the smaller animals.   EFFIGY OF THE OPOSSUM. Fig. 30 is the sculpture of the Opossum (Didelphys vir- ginianus). The sculptor has well portrayed the opossum and has shown something of its habits by picturing the animal in- serting its foot into a hole in search of food. The seated pos-

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Exploration of the Tremper Mound.       313   ture is characteristic and the scaly tail is emphasized by criss- cross lines. The head, with its long nose and copper-set eyes, is well carved. The symmetrically curved platform is three and one-fourth inches long, one and one-half inches wide, square in front and ends in a graceful curve at the rear. The pipe is made of dark-gray Ohio pipestone. The only other opossum effigy recorded, was taken from Mound No. 8, Mound City group, by Squier & Davis, who mention the animal in their list of sculptured pipes but do not

figure it. The Blackmore Museum, which acquired the Mound City finds gives no cut of the opossum sculpture, probably be- ing unable to restore the specimen. Consequently that shown in Fig. 30 is perhaps the only one of its kind in a perfect state taken from the mounds of Ohio. The bones of the opossum were found in abundance at the Baum Village site along Paint Creek, and at the Gartner mound and village site along the Scioto. It is evident that this animal was much sought for food and that the upper canines,

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314      Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications. which are unusually large, very long and gracefully curved, were highly prized for ornament.     EFFIGY OF THE BEAVER. The leaver (Castor canadensis) shown in Fig. 31 is one of the best sculptured pipes taken from the cache of the Trem- per mound. Other specimens of the beaver effigy pipes were found, made of a very low grade pipestone, so weathered that restoration was impossible. However, a beautiful effigy gorget, representing the beaver swimiming in the water, was found in the cache.

The effigy beaver shown in Fig. 31 represents the animal in a characteristic attitude, sitting on its tail. The primitive artist has brought out the proportions and the general form of the beaver, short between the fore and hind legs, broad, heavy and clumsy. The hind legs and feet, which furnish the propel- ling power for swimming, are well carved. The head markings, the bunty ears and small eyes are characteristic of the beaver. The pipe is made of mottled yellow pipestone and is highly polished. The platform is three and one-fourth inches long and one and one-half inches wide. Three beaver pipes were found by Squier & Davis in the Mound City group, Mound No. 8, one of which they describe

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Exploration of the Tremper Mound.        315   and figure, the Blackmore Museum catalog showing a cut of the same pipe. The Museum of the Ohio State Archeological & Historical Society has a very large perfect beaver pipe found in a mound in Fairfield county, Ohio, but this pipe was made by another culture of Indians and in no way compares to the sculpture of either the Tremper Mound effigies or those taken from the Mound City group. The bones of the beaver were found in abundance at the Baum Village site and at the Gartner site, showing that this animal was used for food and that the incisor teeth were highly prized for ornament and for use as cutting tools.  In the Museum of the Ohio State Archeological & Historical Society is displayed an implement made from the tine of a deer horn, with a large beaver incisor set at right angles to the horn, and evidently used as a cutting tool. The implement was taken from a mound at Portsmouth, only five miles from the Tremper mound.   EFFIGY OF THE DEER. Fig. 32 is made in the image of the deer (Odocoileus vir- ginianus). This sculptured pipe is the only one of its kind known to have been taken from the mounds of Ohio. It rep- resents only the head of the animal, but is a very spirited and faithful representation. The animal is shown with head up,

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316      Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications. nostrils open, as if scenting an enemy, and ears thrown for- ward as if to catch sound of the intruder. The pipe is made of dark-blue pipestone and the platform, which is conspicuously curved, is three and one-fourth inches long, one inch wide and slightly concavo-convex from front to back. The stem is square and the opposite end rounded. The deer was eagerly sought for as food by prehistory man, as is evidenced by finding its remains in the various vil- lage sites examined. At the Baum village site fully thirty-five per cent of all animal bones were of the deer, while at the Gartner site fully fifty per cent of the bones found were of this animal. The large and heavy bones of the deer were used in making implements. So extensive was their use that a per- fect lower leg bone is rarely found.     EFFIGY OF THE MINK. Fig. 33 shows one of the more interesting of the effigy pipes taken from the Tremper Mound, the effigy being that of the mink (Putorius vison). The sculpture shows the charac- teristically long body of the animal wrapped around the top of the bowl of the pipe, with the head facing the smoker. This sculpture of the mink is the only one known to have been found

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Exploration of the Tremper Mound.       317   in the mounds of Ohio. The pipe is made of dark blue-gray pipestone and the platform is regularly curved from end to end, slightly concave on top and decidedly convex beneath. The stem end, which is one and one-fourth inches wide, is square and the other end rounded. The mink was well known to the dwellers in both the Baum Village site and the Gartner Village site, its bones being everywhere in evidence.     EFFIGY OF THE RABBIT. Fig. 34 is a good representation of the rabbit (Lepus sylvaticus). The primitive artist has fashioned the animal in a characteristic attitude, sitting with ears erect and the very large eyes prominently shown. Sculptures of the rabbit are

very uncommon. In the Shetrone collection of the Ohio State Archeological & Historical Society is a very large pipe in the image of the rabbit, found on the surface in Fairfield county, Ohio, but differing in culture from the pipes of the Tremper mound and the Mound City group. The bones of the rabbit were found at the Baum Village site and at the Gartner Vil-

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318      Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications. lage site, showing that this little animal was highly prized for food. The bones, however, were seldom used in the making of implements.   SQUIRREL EFFIGY PIPES. The gray squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis) was well known to prehistoric man, and in all the six sculptures found is por- trayed in the familiar posture shown in Fig. 35. This pipe is spirited and admirably true to nature and perhaps the most

artistic of the squirrel effigies. It is made of light gray pipe- stone strongly marked with red, giving the specimen the ap- pearance of marble.   The platform  is three and one-fourth inches long, flat on top, convex beneath, and regularly curved from front to back. The squirrel is carved around the bowl in an erect sitting posture, with the front feet held closely to the body, the head in the attitude of watchfulness and the bushy tail curled up over the back. The second scultpure of the squirrel, shown in Fig. 36, closely resembles the one first described except that the hind

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Exploration of the Tremper Mound.       319

feet are not shown. These two specimens evidently are the work of the same artist, the minor details being the same and the stone from which they are cut very similar. Fig. 37 represents another sculpture of the squirrel. A careful comparison with the other squirrel pipes shown, indi- cates the handiwork of a different artist. While the general pose is the same, the artistic conception of the animal is quite different, as is the fashioning of the tail and legs. The eyes are set with copper. The pipe is made of mottled yellow and dark pipestone.  The base is regularly curved from  front to back, is one inch wide and three and one-fourth inches long, flat on top and convex beneath. The remaining squirrel pipes are similar to those described and probably were made by the same sculptors. Squier & Davis found the sculptured image of the squirrel in Mound No. 8, Mound City group, a cut of which is figured in the catalog of the Blackmore Museum. A careful study of the cut will convince one that the sculptor of the Mound City pipe had still a different conception of the squirrel; but his product differs no more from the individual sculptures of the

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320      Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.   Tremper mound, than these latter do from one another. So far as known the squirrel pipes from the Tremper mound and the one from the Mound City group, are the only sculptures of the squirrel taken from the mounds of Ohio. The skeletal remains of the squirrel are found in all the village sites examined. At the Baum and Gartner sites their bones were found in every part of the villages.

SCULPTURES OF THE TURTLE. Snapping Turtle - Fig. 38 is a fine example of the sculp- ture of the snapping turtle (Chelydra serpentina). The turtle surmounts the bowl of the pipe, the opening of the bowl pass- ing through the top of the shell. The markings of the shell are plainly indicated and the fore and hind legs, tail and head are well executed. The pipe is made of yellow-brown pipestone, highly polished. The platform is well curved from  front to back, three and one-half inches long, one and one-fourth inches wide, flat on top, convex beneath, and square at each end.

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Exploration of the Tremper Mound.       321

Fig. 39, another carving of the snapping turtle, is the smallest pipe found in the Tremper mound. Another interest- ing feature of the pipe is that it has a double stem. However, the rear stem hole is closed by a bone, cut and well fitted to the hole for its entire length. The effigy of the turtle, like the one just described, forms the top of the bowl, and is well exe- cuted, though made from an inferior piece of pipe stone. The platform has a slight curve from front to back, is only two and one-half inches long, about one inch wide, flat on top and slightly convex on the bottom. The pipe is fashioned from a very dark pipestone.

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322      Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications. Box Turtle-Fig. 40 is a splendid example of the sculp- ture of the box turtle (Cestudo virginea). The specimen is made of light-red mottled pipestone. The platform is thickest along the median line from end to end and gradually tapers to the edges, forming a diamond shaped cross section. It is decidedly curved, four inches long, one and one-fourth inches wide and cut square at both ends. The turtle's shell, the mark- ings of which are distinct, is partly open, exposing the head and feet.

According to Squier & Davis, sculptures of the turtle were found in Mound No. 8, Mound City group, but they do not figure the turtle in their report. In the catalog of the Black- more Museum is a drawing of a turtle pipe, which closely re- sembles Fig. 37 of the Tremper Mound. The turtle seems to have been a favorite motive for pipes with many of the prehis- tory tribes, but we have no record of a platform effigy turtle pipe being taken from a mound in Ohio, other than those from the Tremper Mound and the Mound City group. The bones of the turtle, especially those of the box turtle, are abundant in all the prehistoric village sites of Ohio so far examined. At the Baum village, the turtle was found in abundance. From

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Exploration of the Tremper Mound.       323   one subterranean storehouse alone fifty-nine carapaces of the box turtle, probably representing a great turtle feast, were removed. SCULPTURE OF THE TOAD. Fig. 41 shows a splendid conception of the common toad. Many of the prehistoric cultures sculptured the toad and the frog, but the pipes of the Tremper mound and Mound City group are unique in producing the toad in the platform type of pipe. Pipe No. 41 has a platform four and one-half inches

long, and one inch wide at each end, expanding in the center to one and one-half inches. It is liberally curved from front to back, flat on top and convex beneath, to accommodate the large stem hole. The sculptor's conception of the toad is ex- tremely good as far as general appearance and proportions are concerned, although some features of it might be considered ex- aggerated and others dwarfed. Squier & Davis found in Mound No. 8 a sculptured toad. which is figured in their reports and in the catalog of the Black- more Museum; but the one shown in Fig. 41 is very much superior in general execution. Many prehistoric tribes in Ohio sculptured the toad and examples may be found in the museum of the Society, but all are roughly carved and represent an en- tirely different culture from the Hopewell.

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324      Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.

 

BIRD EFFIGY PIPES.

The bowls of many of the pipes from the Tremper Mound

are carved with admirable skill into figures of birds of various

kinds. As a whole these bird sculptures are fairly true to

nature, many of them having the features and feather markings

faithfully represented, while in some even the individual habits

and peculiarities are portrayed.

More than twelve genera of birds have been recognized,

and in one instance - the owls-six individual specimens, rep-

resenting at least five species were found. Among the birds

identified are the kingfisher, heron, sandhill crane, crow, paroquet,

eagle, hawk, owl, quail and a song bird. I will describe at

some length the bird sculptures found in the Tremper mound

and compare them with those taken by Squier & Davis from

Mound No. 8, Mound City group.

 

 

SCULPTURE OF THE EAGLE.

Fig. 42 is a fine representation of the eagle, carved out of

coral limestone. The specimen is the largest bird in the lot, and

the boldest as to sculptured treatment, tho now much weathered.

The platform is four and three-fourths inches long but meas-

ures five and one-half inches around the curve from front to

back. The cut fully illustrates this curve. The platform is

one inch wide at each end, expanding to two inches at the

center, the stem end being square and the rear end rounded.

The platform is flat on top and decidedly convex beneath. The

bowl rises from the summit of the curved platform, and around

its top is carved the image of the eagle. The large beak, the

heavy strong wings and the long tail of the bird are faithfully

portrayed, but no feet or talons are shown.  Several other

carvings of the eagle were made from the same stone, but these

were weathered so badly that their restoration was impossible.

The bald eagle (Haliaetus leucocephalus) was known to the

prehistory inhabitants of the Baum village site and at the

Gartner village site, where their bones were found sparingly.

The claws were used as ornaments and the large wing bones

were made into implements or ornaments.

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Exploration of the Tremper Mound.        325

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326      Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications. A pipe fashioned in the image of the eagle was taken from mound No. 8, Mound City group, but only the head is figured, the remainder of the pipe evidently not having been secured. The catalog of the Blackmore Museum figures this head and says "Fig. 59 is the fragment of a pipe which represents a bird of prey, either an eagle or a hawk."     EFFIGIES OF THE HAWK. The hawk seems to have greatly interested primitive man, as he made many sculptures thereof, representing several species. The general form of the hawk and eagle is the same, and perhaps the only distinction between them, as made by primitive man, was that of size. One of the best of the hawk sculptures is shown in Fig. 43. The pipe is made of brown pipestone, the stem four and one-half inches long, one and one-half inches broad at each end and gracefully curved from front to back. The legs and feet of the bird are faintly carved, but the body, which forms the top of the bowl, is boldly executed. The eyes evidently had been set with pearls but these were lost. The feather mark- ings on the body and head are very pronounced and the general pose of the bird is not excelled in any of the carvings.

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Exploration of the Tremper Mound.        327   The pipe shown in Fig. 44 is unusually well carved and represents the hawk in the attitude of viewing its surroundings. The pipe is made of gray pipestone somewhat discolored by the salts of iron. The platform is a little more than three and one-half inches long, one and one-half inches wide, and regu- larly concave beneath. The feet and talons are well carved and somewhat emphasized. The color markings on the head are very distinct and the eyes are set with copper. The feather

markings of the wings and back are carved very true to nature. This pipe was found in the second cache two and one-half feet above the floor of the mound. Fig. 45 is a splendid illustration of the sculpture of the hawk. The specimen is complete with the exception of the right foot. and is the only sculptured piece having the effigy carved at right angles to the stem, as in all other sculptures the effigy faces the smoker and is parallel with the stem. This specimen shows the skillful method of the owner of mending the pipe, the bowl of which had been broken off near the stem while in use. Small holes were drilled contiguously into the

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328      Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications. fractured edges, and dowel pins then inserted to unite the parts. The platform of the pipe is but slightly curved and measures three inches in length and a little more than one inch wide. It is flat beneath, which is quite unusual in the effigy pipes, and convex on top. The work of the artist, in bringing out the feather markings of the bird, is unusually good. The eyes are set with pearls. Squier & Davis found in Mound No. 8, Mound City group, the figure of the otter set at right angles to the stem, which

is the only known specimen other than the Tremper mound hawk pipe, having the effigy placed crosswise of the platform. Several other specimens of the hawk were found in the larger cache, but these were made of an inferior quality of pipe- stone, so badly weathered that restoration was impossible. Squier & Davis found a splendid example of the hawk effigy in Mound No. 8, Mound City group, the general appearance of which, according to their drawing, would indicate the same species of hawk as shown in Fig. 44 of the Tremper mound, although differing in posture. The Squier & Davis hawk is shown devouring a small bird held in its talons. Unfortunately

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Exploration of the Tremper Mound.        329   a part of the stem of this pipe was not found, but at the Black- more Museum it was fully restored, and a cut thereof shown in Fig. 60 of their catalog. Sculptured pipes of the hawk are very rare in Ohio espe- cially in the platform type, the only ones recorded being those from Mound City and the Tremper Mound. No record of the finding of the bones of the hawk at the Baum village was made at the time the report was published, but a closer examina- tion of the skeletal remains in the laboratory disclosed quite a number of the bones of the species Buteo borealis, or common red-shouldered hawk. Prehistoric man doubtless would find the hawk, like the eagle, very difficult to capture and conse- quently its bones would be sparingly found; moreover, most of the bones would be made into ornaments or implements, and on account of their small size, the domesticated dog would de- vour many of the remainder.     SCULPTURE OF THE PAROQUET. Fig. 46 is a very good sculpture of the Carolina paroquet, which no doubt attracted aboriginal man of the Scioto valley, where it formerly was common, but is now extinct. The sculp-

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330      Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.

 

ture shown is a fine conception of this beautiful bird. The

artist fully portrays its keen eyes by a setting of pearls, and

the head and body markings are well executed. Its head is

turned upward, showing the inquisitive character of the bird.

The stem, which is gracefully curved, and the tail, were slightly

broken and repaired by the owner. The paroquet was found

also by Squier & Davis in Mound No. 8, Mound City group.

They state that the paroquet is sometimes seen fifty miles above

the mouth of the Scioto (1846), and we have a very authentic

record* made by Dr. William S. Sullivant, in July, 1862, of

a boisterous flock of paroquets, numbering twenty-five or thirty

individuals, in the elms of the Capitol Square, Columbus.

 

 

OWL EFFIGY PIPES.

Pipes made in the image of the owl were found in larger

numbers than that of any other of the birds, five species being

represented in a total of six specimens. The great horned owl

(Bubo virginianus) particularly seems to have attracted the

attention of the primitive sculptors, this species being repre-

sented by two pipes, the conceptions of two individual artists.

Great Horned Owl.-Fig. 47 shows the larger of the two

horned owl pipes. It is made of light yellow-gray pipestone.

The platform is four and one-half inches long and a little less

than one inch wide at each end, expanding at the center, where

it is more than one and one-half inches wide. It is decidedly

convex beneath, with a central ridge extending from front to

back, while its upper surface also is convex, thus making a

cross section of the stem diamond shaped. The bowl of this

pipe is unusually large and the opening is directly on top of

the head.

While this specimen in many respects shows a good con-

ception of the great horned owl, the pipe shown in Fig. 48 is

the most elaborately carved of the image pipes. The photograph

as shown in Fig. 48 does not do justice to the detailed mark-

ings of the specimen. The head, very carefully executed, is

thrown forward, the orifice of the bowl being at the shoulders

 

* The Birds of Ohio, by Dawson; page 371.

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Exploration of the Tremper Mound.       331

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332      Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications. and neck of the bird. The pipe is made of dark gray pipestone, and the platform is three and one-half inches long, one and one-fourth inches wide, flat on top, convex beneath and squared at each end. The artist's conception is well rendered, both as to general proportions and varied details of finish. The Barred Owl. (Syrnium varium) shown in Fig. 49 is a faithful representation of the hoot-owl, as this species is popularly known.  In this specimen the primitive artist has

brought out the habits and appearance of the owl, by sculptur- ing the bird as facing to the rear, and emphasizing its eyes by the insertion of large pearls. The feather markings, especially in the wings and tail, are very prominent. The platform, which is unusually large, is four and one-half inches long and one and one-fourth inches wide at each end. The front or stem end is squared while the rear end is oval. The pipe is made of light gray pipestone slightly stained with iron. American Long-eared Owl.-A spirited sculpture of the American long-eared owl (Asis wilsonianus) is shown in Fig.

• 70
 

Exploration of the Tremper Mound.         333   50. In this specimen, the artist has successfully portrayed cer- tain characteristic marks, such as size and leg markings, and the long horns extending back over the head.  The feather markings on wings and back are executed with skill. The pipe is small and made of gray pipestone mottled with red. The platform is three and one-fourth inches long and three-fourths of an inch wide, finely curved from end to end, flat on top and convex beneath. The base is squared at each end.

Saw-whet Owl.-Fig. 51 is a very good sculpture of the saw-whet owl (Myctale acadica). This little owl has no ear tufts, and is readily distinguished from the screech owl by this characteristic. This pipe was broken by the owner, and mended by a band of copper fully covering the entire stem end of the platform. The eyes are emphasized by the insertion of pearls. The pipe is made of light yellow-gray pipestone. The platform is only two and three-fourths inches long, square at the stem end and oval at the rear. The base is flat above and curved below. Screech Owl.-Fig. 52 shows the sculpture of the screech owl (Megascaro asis). The appearance of this bird is well

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334      Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.

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Exploration of the Tremper Mound.        335

 

portrayed, with the exception of the ear tufts, which are pre-

cluded by the opening of the bowl of the pipe, occupying the

entire top of the head. However, the general features of the

species are well marked. The platform is well curved from

front to back and is three and one-fourth inches long by one

and one-fourth inches wide, with the usual convex form be-

neath. The stem end of the base is squared and the rear end

rounded.

Squier & Davis in their account of the exploration of the

Mound City group mention the owl as one of the sculptures

taken from this group, but give no cut thereof. In the catalog

of the Blackmore museum a pipe is shown in Fig. 57, which

I infer, from the general pose and appearance, represents the

little saw-whet owl. The owl seems to have been a favorite

with many of the aboriginal tribes, as many owl pipes have been

found on the surface and in mounds, but belonging to cultures

differing from those represented in the Tremper mound and

at Mound City. Those from the Tremper mound stand alone,

when artistic conception and execution are taken into considera-

tion. The bones of the great horned owl and the barred owl

were found at the Baum village site and also at the Gartner

site. They are never abundant in the villages because, for the

most part, they were manufactured into ornaments and im-

plements.

SCULPTURE OF THE GREAT BLUE HERON.

The great blue heron shown in Fig. 53 is one of the finest

of the bird sculptures. The bird, with its small body, long

wings, neck and legs, is represented in the act of eating a fish.

The artist's work is excellent, both as to conception of the

bird and its habits, and in the faithful and delicate execution

thereof. As a work of art it is the equal of any of the sculp-

tures taken from the mounds of Ohio. The pipe is made of

dark gray pipestone. The platform is strongly curved from

front to back, flat on top and convex beneath, square at each

end, with rounded corners, and is three and one-half inches

long and one and one-fourth inches wide.

This specimen and a similar one found by Squier and

Davis in Mound No. 8, Mound City group and illustrated in

• 73
 

336      Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications. their report, are the only ones of the kind found in the mounds of Ohio. No feather markings, and only the outlines of the wings and tail, are shown in the Mound City pipes. The plat- form is but slightly curved and like the specimen from the Tremper mound, square at each end. In the catalog of the Blackmore Museum a drawing of this specimen shows the plat-

form as straight and the stem end squared, but the rear end is shown as an oval. Bones of the great blue heron were found sparingly at the Baum village site. These consisted of the ends of long bones, which had been cut and utilized for ornaments.     SCULPTURE OF THE SAND-HILL CRANE. The only sculpture of the sand-hill crane taken from the mounds of Ohio is shown in Fig. 54. Like the great blue heron, just described, this sculpture of the crane stands alone in its class. The artist's conception is well portrayed in the splendid feather markings of the wings and tail, in the long neck and head, and in showing the habit of the bird in using its strong bill for digging in the earth in search of food.

• 74
 

Exploration of the Tremper Mound.         337   A unique feature of this pipe is the red crest on the head of the bird, painted at the time it was made, and retaining its color unfaded. The keen eyes of the bird are set with copper and its whole appearance is pleasing and true to nature. The pipe is made of dark gray pipestone. The platform is grace- fully curved from front to back and is three and three-fourths

inches long, one and one-fourth inches wide and square at each end. The skeletal remains of the sand-hill crane were not re- corded at the Baum village or at the Gartner village, but a later examination of the cut ends of leg bones taken from the latter site, fully identified the bird as being present in this vil- lage. However, the bones of such birds as the crane and blue heron were well adapted for use as ornaments and implements, and therefore seldom are found in a perfect state, being usually worked into artifacts.     Vol. XXV-22.

• 75
 

338      Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.       WILD DUCK EFFIGY PIPES. Wood Duck.-An effigy of the wood duck is shown in Fig. 55, a notable example of primitive sculpture. One cannot won- der that early man was attracted to the wood duck, for few more beautiful birds are found. The head only of this bird is represented, on which are well defined the prominent crest and the color markings, while the eyes are emphasized by the insertion of copper. The pipe is made of dark blue pipestone. The platform, which is slightly curved from front to back, is three and one-fourth inches long and one inch wide, flat on top

and convex beneath. Squier & Davis found in Mound No. 8, Mound City group, a pipe similar in many respects to this one, but inferior in form and finish, as will be seen by reference to their cut. Bufflehead.-Fig. 56 is a very good example of the butter ball, as this duck is often popularly called. I feel sure that a characteristic peculiar to this duck must have strongly im- pressed primitive man; namely, that while swimming on the water, it has the appearance of floating in the air. This illusion is due to the white breast and sides, intervening between the

• 76
 

Exploration of the Tremper Mound.        339   black upper parts of the bird and the water line below. The pipe is made of dark gray pipestone and the platform is three and one-half inches long and one inch wide. It is regularly curved from  front to back, flat on top, convex beneath, the front end square and the back end oval. Bones of the two ducks described were not found at the Baum village site, but the mallard, pintail and canvas-back were identified.

SCULPTURE OF THE QUAIL. The effigy of the bobwhite is shown in Fig. 57, and as far as known is the only one taken from the mounds of Ohio. The pipe is made of dark brown pipestone, highly polished. The platform is three inches long and one inch wide, the front con- cavo-convex and the rear flat on top and convex beneath. The pipe had been broken by the owner and repaired by placing a heavy band of copper around the bowl, as shown in the photo- graph. The conception of the primitive artist is well brought out in the general pose and feather markings of this sculpture, which might be considered one of the most spirited and skill- fully carved of the effigies. The bones of the quail have not been recorded as found in any of the prehistoric village sites

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340      Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.

in Ohio, they doubtless, like other bones of small size, mostly having been eaten by the Indian dog.     EFFIGY OF THE KINGFISHER. Fig. 58 shows a pipe in the image of the kingfisher. The pipe is carved from dark brown pipestone, the platform being three inches long and one inch wide, and gradually curved from front to back. The long bill, crested head and feather markings illustrate fully the primitive artist's conception of this bird. The eyes are set with pearls. This sculpture of the kingfisher is perhaps the only known specimen taken from the mounds of Ohio.   EFFIGY OF THE BLUE JAY. The image of the blue jay is shown in Fig. 59. The artist's conception is not as good as in the kingfisher and bobwhite. The eyes no doubt were set with pearls, which were lost. The pipe is made of reddish brown pipestone, the platform three and one-fourth inches long, one inch wide, and curved gradu- ally from end to end. No other account of the sculpture of the blue jay is recorded as coming from the mounds of Ohio.

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Exploration of the Tremper Mound.       341

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342      Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.     SCULPTURE OF THE AMERICAN CROW. The crow is shown in Fig. 60. Like the pipe just de- scribed, the head only is shown, the artist having somewhat emphasized the bill. The eye sockets are cut through into the opening of the bowl. A similar pipe was found by Squier

& Davis in Mound No. 8, Mound City group, which they figure and describe. The same is figured in the catalog of the Black- more Museum. So far as known, this pipe and the one from the Tremper Mound are the only effigies of the American crow taken from the mounds of Ohio.       EFFIGY OF A SONG BIRD. Fig. 61 no doubt represents some species of song bird. The wing markings are well executed but the weathered condition of the pipe makes it impossible to determine the kind of bird intended. The pipe certainly was highly prized, as the bowl, which had been broken off, was mended at considerable trouble, by drilling holes and inserting dowel pins, as can be seen in the picture.

• 80
 

Exploration of the Tremper Mound.        343   Many more sculptures of birds of various kinds were taken from this mound, as shown by the fragments of broken pipes made from an inferior quality of pipestone, too badly disin- tegrated to restore.

PLAIN PLATFORM PIPES. The plain platform pipes taken from the Tremper Mound are very interesting. They were associated with the effigy pipes, and as far as the platform is concerned are, with the exception of the several specimens made of red pipestone, exactly like them. These latter, while of the platform type, have the bowls much larger and display a greater variation in curve of stem, some being practically straight, some slightly curved and others extremely curved. The small plain platform type resembles the effigy pipes in every way, except that the bowls are usually plain. Various forms of the plain pipes are shown in Figs. 62 to 76, inclusive; and these may be considered as representative of all the pipes of this type found. Fig. 62 shows the first pipe taken from the mound and the first specimen of the several hundred comprising the main cache.

• 81
 

344      Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.   It is made of dark brown pipestone, with a platform three inches long and two inches wide. The bowl is enlarged at the base, then contracted to near the top, where it is again enlarged and symmetrically formed. This specimen is one of the more in- teresting of the plain pipes.

Fig. 63 is a beautiful pipe made of light gray pipestone, varied by dark red splotches. The platform is gracefully curved from end to end, is three inches long and one inch wide. The pipe is unique, in that the base of the bowl is embellished with four leaf-shaped or petaloid bosses carved in relief around its circumference.

• 82
 

Exploration of the Tremper Mound.         345   Fig. 64 is one of the more striking pipes of the plain type. The base is greatly curved, concavo-convex and squared in front, where it is one and one-fourth inches wide. This platform is

enlarged gradually to the center, where the width is two inches, and terminates in a perfect oval in the rear. The bowl is cylindrical in form with an enlarged base and top. Fig. 65 is a pipe made of light brown pipestone. The plat- form is symmetrically curved, squared at each end, four inches long and one inch wide at the ends, gradually expanding to one and three-fourths inches at the center, where the curve assumes the form of an angle. The bowl, rising from the center of the curved platform, is very symmetrical with enlarged top and base. Fig. 66 shows a pipe made of very dark reddish-brown pipestone. The platform is three and one-half inches long and one and one-half inches wide, concavo-convex, curving gradually from end to end. The bowl is cylindrical, with enlarged top and base.

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346      Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.

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Exploration of the Tremper Mound.        347   Fig. 67 is a very symmetrical and beautiful pipe made of drab pipestone, mottled with dark brown. The platform is three and one-eighth inches long, three-fourths of an inch wide and square at each end. The bowl has enlarged base and top.

Fig. 68 is a showy pipe of very light buff-colored pipestone, with pronounced splotches of dark brownish red. The pipe is unusually large for this type and the platform is slightly concavo- convex with bowl enlarged at the base and top.

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348      Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications. Fig. 69 shows a fine example of plain platform pipe. It is made from very dark brownish-yellow pipestone. The platform is three and one-half inches long, square at each end and concavo- convex in cross section. The bowl is unusually long, enlarged at the base and top.

Fig. 70 shows a very impressive pipe made of dark gray pipestone. The platform is convex on both top and bottom.

• 86
 

Exploration of the Tremper Mound.        349 square at each end and has a very symmetrical curve. The bowl is very unusual, being smallest at the base, where it is embellished with two rings, encircling it in relief. Above the rings the bowl gradually enlarges to the top, giving it the form of a funnel. Fig. 71 shows another pipe of special interest. It is made of dark gray pipestone, the stem, which is concavo-convex, being three inches long and one and one-fourth inches wide, squared at both ends. The bowl is enlarged at the top, but not at the base.

Fig. 72 is a very unique pipe having two stems. It is made of light gray pipestone, the platform being three inches long, flat on top, decidedly convex beneath and square at each end. Two stem holes lead to the bowl of the pipe, one from each end of the platform. The bowl has an enlarged base, while its top is not enlarged, in this respect differing from most of the pipes of the plain type. Fig. 73 is remarkable as an example of an extremely curved platform, which is three and one-fourth inches long, with square ends, convex beneath and flat on top. The bowl is enlarged at the base and top.

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350      Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.

Fig. 74 shows a very interesting diamond-shaped platform, which is three inches long, gradually tapering to each end, where it is only three-fourths of an inch across. The bowl is about the same size from its opening on top to near the base, where it is greatly enlarged. Fig. 75 is a very interesting pipe with short, highly curved platform, two and three-fourths inches long, having square ends and being convex above and beneath. The bowl is enlarged at the top and base.

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Explorations of the Tremper Mound.      351

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352      Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications. Fig. 76 is a typical pipe with a curved platform, three and one-half inches long, slightly concavo-convex and square at each end. The bowl is enlarged at the top and base.

PLAIN PIPES 0F RED PIPESTONE. The pipes shown in Figs. 77 to 86, inclusive, are made of red pipestone. They differ somewhat in size from the plain pipes just described, being mostly much larger, and all have large bowls. Of the platforms, some are straight and some slightly curved, while one is greatly curved. Fig. 77 shows the finest and largest pipe taken from the mound. This pipe was taken from the second cache, in a per- fect condition. The platform is seven and three-fourths inches long, and slightly curved from front to back, where it is one and three-fourths inches wide, flat on the bottom and slightly convex on top. The stem end of the pipe is one and one-fourth inches wide, flat on the bottom and greatly convex on top, to accom- modate the stem hole. The bowl of the pipe is exceptionally large, rising five and one-half inches above the platform. The body of the bowl at the base is a little over one inch in diameter, gradually diminishing to within one inch of the top, where it

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Exploration of tile Tremper Mound.      353

expands, forming a rim with a diameter of one and three-eighths inches. The diameter of the opening of the bowl is seven-eighths of an inch. Fig. 78 shows another very large and beautiful pipe, taken from the second cache in the mound. This pipe is made of very light red pipestone, streaked with dark red. The platform is eight and one-fourth inches long, gradually curved from front to back, where the stem is one and one-half inches wide and cut square. The platform is decorated with notches, about one- eighth of an inch apart, around its edges, with the exception of the front of the stem, which is contracted to three-fourths of an inch in width. The stem end at the opening is slightly convex beneath and greatly convex above, this proportion being con- tinued to the bowl of the pipe. The bowl which is four and one- Vol. XXV-23.

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354      Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.

half inches high, measures in circumference as follows: At the base, three and one-fourth inches; at two inches above the base, three and three-fourths inches; within one-fourth of an inch of the top, three inches, and at the top three and one-half inches, the same as at the base. Fig. 79 shows a pipe of remarkable beauty and symmetry, made of light red pipestone, with a streak of dark red running thru the specimen in its longest diameter.  The platform  is slightly curved from front to back, and is a little more than six inches long, being three-fourths of an inch wide in front, one and one-fourth inches wide at the rear end, flat beneath and convex on top. The bowl is three and one-half inches long, with a circumference of three and one-half inches near the base, where a cross section is oval. At the center, the circumference is four inches, decreasing to three and three-fourths inches within one-half inch of the top, while the top is enlarged to four and one-fourth inches in circumference. The diameter of the opening of the bowl is seven-eighths of an inch.

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356      Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications. Fig. 80 shows a well proportioned symmetrical pipe, made of dark red pipestone variegated with small oval blotches of light red. The stem is six and one-fourth inches long, well curved, and one and one-fourth inches wide at the ends, which are square. The stem in cross section is convex above and below. The bowl is four inches high with a base circumference of three and one-fourth inches. At the middle of the bowl the circumference is three and three-fourths inches; near the top, three and one-fourth inches, and at the top four inches. The diameter of the opening of the bowl is three-fourths of an inch. Fig. 81 shows a splendid pipe of dark red pipestone, with an unusually long stem. The platform is six and seven-eighths

inches long, one and one-fourth inches wide, squares at each end and flat beneath, with practically no curve from end to end. The stem end is convex above. The bowl of the pipe is two and one-half inches high, with practically the same diameter thruout its length, the top being three inches in circumference. The diameter of the opening of the bowl is five-eighths of an inch. Fig. 82 shows a very fine pipe made of dark red pipestone, streaked with light red. The platform, which is perfectly straight, is five inches long, one and one-half inches wide at the rear end, gradually tapering to the front, where the stem is a little less than one inch wide. The top of the stem is convex. The bowl of

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Exploration of the Tremper Mound.         357

• 95
 

358      Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications. the pipe is two and three-fourths inches high, oval at the base, enlarged at the center, with the opening of the bowl a little more than five-eighths of an inch in diameter. Fig. 83 shows a very wide-stemmed pipe, made of dark red pipestone. The platform is flat, five and one-half inches long and one and one-half inches wide at the rear end, gradually tapering to the front of the stem, where it is only one-half inch wide. The stem is strongly convex on top to accommodate the stem hole. On top of the platform at the rear is incised a heart- shaped design, and directly below it four small pear-shaped decorations, the five figures being elaborated with criss-cross

lines. The bowl is small, only one and three-fourths inches high, with the same diameter thruout. The top is greatly en- larged having a diameter of one and one-fourth inches, the bowl opening being five-eighths of an inch across. Fig. 84 shows a very symmetrical pipe made of dark red pipestone. The platform is four and one-half inches long and one inch wide at the rear gradually tapering to the front or stem end, where the width is five-eighths of an inch. The platform is slightly curved and is diamond-shaped on cross section. The bowl is one and one-half inches high and is practically the same

• 96
 

Exploration of the Tremper Mound.        359

diameter thruout its length. The diameter of the opening of the bowl is five-eighths of an inch. Fig. 85 is one of the more symmetrical of the pipes made of red pipestone. The pipe is decorated with incised zigzag lines, which on the bowl are vertical from top to base. On the platform top the lines run at right angles to its length, while beneath they are similarly placed on one-half of the platform, and parallel to it on the other half. The platform is gracefully curved from end to end, square at each end, flat on top and convex beneath. The bowl is two and one-half inches high, its greatest diameter being at the base, with a gradually expanded top. The bowl opening has a diameter of five-eighths of an inch. Fig. 86 is one of the most beautiful and symmetrical of the pipes taken from the Tremper mound. It is made of light red pipestone. The platform is slightly concavo-convex, square in front and circular in the rear, five and one-fourth inches long on a straight line, but following the curve, six inches. The bowl

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360       Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.

is two inches high, very large at the base and gradually tapering to the top, where it is abruptly enlarged to a diameter of more than one inch. The opening in the bowl is five-eighths of an inch across.     TUBULAR TYPE OF PIPES. Three pipes of the tubular form were found in cache No. 2. These are shown in Figs. 87, 88 and 89, and differ greatly from the pipes of the platform type. Fig. 87 shows the largest of the plain tube pipes, which measures nine and one-fourth inches in length, and four inches in circumference at the center. The pipe is made of light gray pipestone, mottled with brown, blue, black and yellow. The diameter of the opening of the bowl is one inch, this being re- tained for six inches of the length of the bowl, which then gradually diminishes until at the stem opening it is three-eighths of an inch. Fig. 88 shows the other plain tubular form. The pipe is

• 98
 

Exploration of the Tremper Mound.361

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362      Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.

 

made of light gray pipestone, is seven and one-half inches long

and five inches in circumference at the center of the tube. The

opening of the bowl is one and one-eighth inches in diameter

this measurement being retained thruout almost the length of the

tube. The stem hole is one-fourth of an inch in diameter.

Fig. 89 is one of the more interesting of the pipes taken

from the Tremper mound and might be termed a modified tubular

form. This form, with a short stem set at right angles to the

long bowl, has been met with frequently in the Scioto valley,

especially in Franklin county. In the collection of Mr. George

F. Bareis, now in the Museum, is a pipe taken from a mound

near Canal Winchester, Ohio, similar in every respect to the

Tremper mound pipe. In the collection of Mr. M. E. Thrailkill,

in the Museum, is another pipe, from a small mound along Big

Darby creek in Franklin County, similar to the two above de-

scribed. The Museum has several found on the surface along the

Scioto river in Pickaway county.

The presence in the Tremper mound of a pipe of the

modified tubular form-the first of this type, so far as known, to

be found in a mound of the Hopewell culture -is an interesting

example of the occasional possession by one culture of artifacts

peculiarly pertinent to another culture. As has been shown, the

modified tube form of pipe is widely distributed, but apparently

peculiar to the Fort Ancient culture; it is interesting also to note

that almost without exception they are made of fine grained

sandstone, and both in material and form so similar as to suggest

their being the product of a single artisan.

The tubular form proper of pipe also might be considered

a Fort Ancient type, although not so certainly as the modified

tube type, as it has been found to some extent in the Adena

mound and other mounds of the Hopewell culture, aside from

the fine specimens taken from the Tremper mound. The ex-

planation, of course, of the finding of types of one culture in

the mounds of another, is the inter-tribal commerce, or exchange

of commodities, which existed between comtemporaneous peoples

living contiguously.

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364      Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.     MISCELLANEOUS ARTIFACTS. Associated with the pipes described were a number of very interesting ornaments made of stone, bone, copper and other materials. Of these the boat-shaped and cone-shaped objects of stone and copper are of particular interest.     BOAT SHAPED OBJECTS OF STONE. The boat-stone shown in Fig. 90 is an effigy of the beaver in the act of swimming, showing only that portion of the animal

which would appear above the surface of the water. The head, with its small ears, the round stout body and flat well marked tail, are characteristic of the beaver. Fig. 91 shows the underside of the specimen, somewhat resembling a canoe or boat, whence the name of the type.

• 102
 

Exploration of the Tremper Mound.         365   Fig. 92 shows an unusual boat-stone which resembles the shell of a beetle. Its upper, or convex surface, is divided into bi-lateral halves by a longitudinal groove running its entire length, while a transverse depression further separates it into halves, each of which resembles the posterior or winged portion of a

beetle. The raised portions corresponding to the wing shields are accentuated by a checkered pattern of incised criss-cross lines. The under side of the specimen is shown in Fig. 93 and is similar to the beaver boat-stone shown in Fig. 91 being pierced with two holes near the center.

BOAT SHAPED OBJECTS OF COPPER. Boat-shaped objects of copper are shown in Figs. 94 to 97, inclusive. Fig. 94 shows a very finely wrought specimen, pierced with a hole at each end. The edge at each side is turned under, forming a curved ridge.

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66   Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.

Fig. 95 shows the opposite side of the above specimen, which contains a quantity of broken quartzite pebbles attached to it by erosion of the copper.

Fig. 96 shows another copper boat-shaped specimen, filled with round quartzite pebbles, white and pink in color. It will be noted that in the specimen just described the pebbles were broken, while in this one they are perfect, all uniformly rounded and about the size of small peas. The specimen is pierced with two holes near the center, similar to the boat-shaped objects of stone. Fig. 97 shows another boat-shaped specimen, pierced with two holes near the center. No pebbles were found in this specimen, as it was placed in the cache upside down. No doubt originally its contents were similar to those of the two others, as the pebbles were found in abundance in the cache but no sig- nificance attached to them at the time.

• 104
 

Exploration of the Tremper Mound.        367

Figs. 98 and 99 show two splendid specimens of copper cones, one and three-fourths inches in diameter. That shown in Fig. 98 has the interior filled with pink and white pebbles similar to those found with the boat-shaped spec- imens. The second specimen, shown in Fig. 99, was up-side down in the cache, and if it originally contained pebbles, they were lost. So far as recorded the copper specimens containing

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small pebbles are the first taken from the mounds of the Scioto valley. Their use is more or less problematical, but they are usually conceded to have served as fetiches for promoting the personal welfare of the owner; as sacred objects, such as charms, talismans or amulets; or as mere ornaments.     REEL-SHAPED ORNAMENTS. Another very interesting type of ornament taken from the cache are the reel-shaped objects made of stone and copper. These for the most part were closely associated; in fact, one of the stone reels was firmly attached to one of copper, by corrosion. The first one removed from the cache is shown in Fig. 100. It is made of slate of a reddish brown color, with bands of black. The ornament is three and three-fourths inches long by three inches wide, and is pierced with two holes. The arms of the reel are angularly cut, which is one of the characteristics of the reel- shaped ornaments found in Ohio. The specimen is very finely polished and symmetrically made. Fig. 101 shows a reel-shaped ornament made of copper and in form almost the counterpart of Fig. 100. The specimen how- ever is larger, measuring four and one-eighth inches wide and four inches long. It is pierced with two holes and the arms forming the reel are angularly cut.

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Exploration of the Tremper Mound.         369

Fig. 102 shows a splendid example of the reel-shaped orna- ment, made of banded slate. The specimen is coated with a de- posit of iron and the banded effect not shown. In many respects this ornament is like Fig. 100, excepting that on one side and parallel with the perforations, there is a concave depression running the full length of the specimen. Length, three and one- fourth inches; width, two and seven-eighths inches. A second reel-shaped ornament made of copper, is shown in Fig. 103, which in many respects resembles Fig. 101; how- ever the terminations of the arms forming the reel are rounded instead of angular. The length of the ornament is three and one-half inches and the width three and seven-eighths inches. The third reel-shaped ornament made of copper is shown in Fig. 104. It is much smaller than the two other copper specimens, being three inches long and two and seven-eighths inches wide. The arms forming the reel are short and the ends angularly cut, Vol. XXV-24.

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370      Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.   while the perforations are wider apart than in the two others. Associated with and attached to this ornament was another, similar in many respects, made of alabaster. Fig. 105 shows another reel-shaped ornament, made of banded slate. The specimen is greatly discolored by copper, as it was closely associated with the copper reel-shaped ornaments and other copper objects in the cache. The reel-shaped specimens, both of stone and copper, no doubt were used purely for ornament and the limited area in Ohio in which this type has been found in mounds, would in- dicate that they were peculiar to certain tribes of the great Hopewell culture.

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Exploration of the Tremper Mound.           371

In the Museum of the Society is a large cache of copper objects, representing copper plates, ear ornaments, bracelets, axes and reel-shaped ornaments, taken from an old village site of the Ft. Ancient culture at Ft. Ancient. All the artifacts were broken or hammered out of shape and deposited in this cache. Some of the plates, if straightened out would measure four by eight inches and all were objects that could be attributed to the Hopewell culture, altho found cached away in a Ft. Ancient culture village. This discovery would indicate a conflict between the two cultures, in which the objects in the cache doubtless were taken as a prize. After being carried by the Ft.Ancient warriors to their village the identity of the captured loot was destroyed and the broken objects hid away in the ground. Among the copper pieces, which number more than sixty, were two reel- shaped ornaments similar to the Tremper specimens but much larger. In the Museum of the Society several splendid examples of

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372      Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications. the reel-shaped ornaments may be found, all coming from Frank- lin county, Ohio. A reel-shaped ornament of copper taken from a mound at Newark, Ohio, is in the collection of Phillips Academy,* Andover, Massachusetts. Mr. Clarence B. Moore+ in his explorations along the Ten- nessee river, obtained nineteen of the reel-shaped ornaments. He was unable, however, to decide positively on what part of the body the ornaments were worn, they being found both on the chest and on the pelvis of the skeletons.

*Aboriginal Sites on Tennessee river; Moore, page 241. +Aboriginal Sites on Tennessee river; Moore, page 246.

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(373)

• 111
 

374      Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.       EAR ORNAMENTS OF COPPER. Spool-shaped ear ornaments of copper generally are present in burials of the Hopewell culture and are perhaps more abun- dant than any other of the ornaments made of copper. The ear ornaments usually are made of two concavo-convex discs connected by a short hollow cylinder of the same metal, passing thru a hole in the center of each plate and there clinched. Those shown in Fig. 106 were taken from a grave below the surface of

the Tremper mound. From this same grave was taken a second pair of ear ornaments, shown in Fig. 107, and differing to the extent of having one face perfectly flat, perhaps the first of this form taken from the mounds of the Scioto valley. At the

Harness mound, thirty-seven miles north along the Scioto, more than fifty of these ornaments were found, all having the concavo- convex sides, as did those taken from the Seip mound, along Paint creek. Squier and Davis in their report upon the Mound City group make no record of finding the ear ornaments, altho the group is very similar to the Tremper mound.

• 112
 

Exploration of the Tremper Mound.         375     EAR ORNAMENTS OF STONE. An extremely rare and interesting type of ear ornament is that shown in Fig. 108. This type differs from the copper spool- shaped ear ornament, not only in material, but in form. The specimens shown in Fig. 108 are made from light red pipestone,

very carefully finished and highly polished. Their shape might be compared to that of the modern napkin ring, and if a section five-eighths of an inch long was cut from a hollow cylinder or tube of stone, one and five-eighths inches in diameter with walls one-fourth of an inch thick, the result would be approximately that of the finished specimen shown; that is, a short tube. The only difference would be that in the specimen the circumference of the ring is concavo-convex, from without, and the rim at each end slightly concave toward the center. A second pair of ear rings of this type is shown in Fig. 109.

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376      Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.

 

They differ from the preceding specimens in being made from

Ohio black shale, highly polished and with the exception of one

end, in being shaped like the simple section of a hollow cylinder.

The other end is fashioned similarly to Fig. 108, giving it the

appearance of having a ridge or extended margin around the

rim. The measurements of this pair of ear ornaments are:

length five-eighths of an inch; diameter across ends, one and

seven-eighths inches and two and one-eighth inches respectively;

diameter of opening, one and three eighths inches.

This type of ear ornament has been found only in a few

instances in the mounds of the Scioto valley. Squier and Davis

make no mention of it in connection with the exploration of the

Mound City group, but Professor Moorehead reports the finding

of several specimens in the Hopewell group, Ross county.

 

 

CONE-SHAPED OBJECTS.

Cones made of several kinds of stone were found in the

cache, the most interesting of which are those made of hyaline

quartz, and shown in Fig. 110. The largest of these has a base

diameter of two and three-fourths inches and a height of one and

one-eighth inches, which would require for its making a crystal

with a diameter of not less than two and one-half inches. This

specimen is a truncated cone, has almost a perfectly circalar

base and is one-half inch in diameter at the top.

The second cone is made more after the fashion of the

familiar hemisphere of hematite. It is finely cut, tho this is

not apparent in the figure. The greatest diameter of the spec-

imen is one and seven-eighths inches and the height one and

one-fourth inches, requiring the crystal from which it was cut

to be at least two and one-fourth inches in diameter. Hyaline

quartz seems to have been highly prized by the various tribes of

the Hopewell culture. Squier and Davis found large numbers

of broken arrow and spear points made of quartz in mound

No. 3 of the Mound City group. A foot-note on page 421 of

"Flint Chips," catalog of the Blackmore Museum, Salisbury.

England, states that "judging from the quantity of fragments,

nearly a hundred arrowheads of hyaline quartz must have been

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Exploration of the Tremper Mound.        377   originally deposited on the altar," referring to mound No. 3 of the Mound City group. However, as far as we know, the cones shown in Fig. 110 are the only ones made from hyaline quartz found in the Scioto valley. To cut into form a crystal having the highest degree of hardness of any rock known to him, is a good example of the skill and patience of primitive man.

Quite a number of cones made of galenite were found in the cache. These varied in diameter from one and one-half inches to two inches, with a height of three-fourths of an inch to one inch, and were perfectly conical in shape. Two of these are shown at the top in Fig. 110. Another form, made like the hematite hemispheres so com- monly met with, was found in the cache. The specimen was made of Ohio black shale, and covered with a thin deposit of iron

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378      Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.     STONE PLATE. In the center of the great cache was found a large stone plate, Fig. III, made of a fine-grained sandstone, eleven and one-half inches in diameter, one-half inch thick and ground

perfectly smooth on both sides. The plate is stained by contact with copper ornaments placed in the cache, as shown by the light places on its surface. The darker stains shown are due to a finely pulverized charcoal, which seems to have been ground upon the plate. From the appearance of one side I am inclined

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Exploration of the Tremper Mound.         379   to believe that this stone disc was used in the grinding of pig- ments, as we found a number of indications of the use of red pigments; for instance on one of the effigy pipes, the sandhill crane has its head painted red, the color being well preserved. The plate was broken into four pieces, apparently the result of two distinct and intentional blows.  The parts were readily reunited as shown in the cut.     PAINT CUP. Near the plate was a paint cup, shown in Fig. 112, more than half filled with red paint. The paint cup is made of a

coarse-grained sandstone, is oval in form, three and one-eighth inches in its longest diameter and one and one-half inches in thickness.  The opening at the top is not quite one and one-half inches in its shortest diameter, but is enlarged until it reaches its greatest depth of three-fourths of an inch, where the diameter is about two and one-fourth inches. The cup beneath is rounded after the fashion of the burned clay pottery vessels.

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380      Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.     PIERCED TABLETS. Pierced tablets were present in the cache in large numbers. Many of these, made of Ohio black shale, were so disintegrated that upon removal they fell to pieces.  Some however, made from this material, remained intact. Other tablets in the cache were made of laurentian slate, which did not deteriorate and tho many of them were broken they were readily restored. The pierced tablet shown in Fig. 113 is of special interest because of the finely engraved face. This face is strongly con- vex, while the reverse is perfectly flat and plain. The specimen is pierced at each end with a small hole. The designs on the

face are conventional and consist of a four-lobed figure, one and one-half inches in diameter, and four smaller figures, shaped like the figure 9. The five figures are regularly grouped, covering the the surface of the tablet to within one-half inch of each end. All are decorated with criss-cross lines. The small figure does not seem to be a chance one with the Tremper mound peoples, for a like design cut in copper was found at the Hopewell mound by Prof. Moorehead.*  The design cut on the platform pipe, Fig. 83, is similar to that of the tablet. Fig. I14 shows a pierced tablet made of shale, with streaks of harder shale running through it. The under side of the specimen is flat and the face side extremely convex. The tablet,   *The Antiquarian; Vol. 1, page 242.

• 118
 

Exploration of the Tremper Mound.        381 which is pierced with two holes, one-half inch apart, is one and three-eighths inches wide in the center, gradually tapering to the ends, where it is less than one-fourth of an inch wide. Fig. 115 shows the commonest form of pierced tablet found, as fifteen specimens of this type were taken from the large cache,

either perfect or fragmentary. They were all made of Ohio black shale. The specimen shown in Fig. 115 is a typical one, some being a little smaller, others much larger. The specimen measures four and three-eighths inches long, one and three-

• 119
 

382      Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications. eighths inches wide in the center, gradually tapering on both sides to the ends, which are a little over three-fourths of an inch wide. The bottom of the tablet is perfectly flat and the face is strongly convex, pierced with two holes about one and one- fourth inches apart.

Fig. 117 shows three very beautiful pierced tablets, made of laurentian slate. Tablet No. I is three and one-half inches long, one inch wide, flat on one side and strongly convex on the other. It is pierced with two holes, one of which is one-fourth of an inch in diameter, and is decorated on each edge with five deep

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Exploration of the Tremper Mound.        383

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384      Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.

notches. The ends are oval, as are those of the two others of

this type. No. 2 of Fig. 117 is larger than No. 1, but is of the

same general form. The specimen measures four inches long,

one and one-fourth inches wide; the decorations of the edges

differ, one having four notches and the other six, but in pairs.

No. 3, of Fig. 117, is the largest of this class of pierced tablets

found in the mound. The specimen is about four and one-half

inches long and a little over one and one-half inches wide at the

center, gradually enlarging to the ends. The decoration con-

sists of eleven notches on each edge.

Fig. 118 shows a very unusual type of pierced tablet. The

specimen measures five inches in length and one and one-fourth

inches wide at the center, gradually tapering and terminating in

expanded ends, having much the same shape as the barbed

scrapers made of flint. The tablet is flat beneath and convex

on top and is pierced with two holes.

Fig. 11₉ is a splendid example of the diamond-shaped

pierced tablets. The specimen is four inches long and almost two

and one-fourth inches wide. It is flat on the bottom, the face

strongly convex, and is pierced with two holes.

Fig. 120 shows four types of pierced tablets made of bone.

No. 1, the most common of the four, is three inches in length

and one inch wide at the center. One edge is practically straight,

while the other is convex.

The tablet is pierced with a hole at each end, and has two

holes near the edge on the curved side. Many tablets like No.

I were taken from the cache in a more or less imperfect state,

many of them having been badly burned when the structure was

destroyed.

No. 2 of Fig. 120 shows another type of pierced tablet, made

of bone, somewhat larger than No. 1 and having the edges equal,

both being convex. The end holes in this specimen are quite

large. Ten or more of this type were secured, mostly in an

imperfect state of preservation.

No. 3 of Fig. 120 shows another bone tablet, in many re-

spects similar to No. 1. The specimen is three and three-fourths

inches long, one inch wide in the center, has one straight edge,

while the other is strongly convex. The tablet is pierced with a

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Exploration of the Tremper Mound.     385

hole at each end. Only a few specimens of this type were se- cured. No. 4 of Fig. 120 shows a pierced bone tablet made in the effigy of a bear canine. The specimen is four and one-fourth inches long and one and three-eighths inches wide near the center. It is made from deer antler, and is fully one-half inch Vol. XXV-25.

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386      Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.

in thickness, flat on the under side and strongly convex above. It is pierced with two holes one inch apart. Many artifacts made of bone were placed in the cache, but being exposed to the fire of the burning timbers when the struc- ture was destroyed, suffered almost complete destruction. Hundreds of broken pieces of cut lower jaws of the bear, moun- tain lion, wild cat and even of man were found, which had been deposited with implements and ornaments made of wood, as shown by the charred remains. Associated with the wood and bone artifacts were remnants of woven fabrics, made of bast fiber, which added to the combustible material piled together, so that all were burned beyond possibility of being restored.

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Exploration of the Tremper Mound.      387

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388      Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.

 

 

OBJECTS OF MICA.

Large pieces of mica in blocks a quarter of an inch in thick-

ness and from eight to ten inches in diameter were found in the

cache. Mica no doubt was highly prized by the Tremper mound

peoples for making ornaments, as almost every part of the floor

yielded uncut pieces.

In one of the rooms of the sacred building, designated as

25 on the map showing the "Plan of the Tremper mound," Fig.

3, the floor was practically covered with small to very large

pieces of mica. Some of these were simply refuse pieces while

others show designs partly cut, but rejected for some reason.

Other pieces of the mica had been subjected to fire, destroying

their resiliency, making the thin sheets of the mineral as soft

and pliable as tin foil.

At the Harness mound, along the Scioto river, less than

forty miles directly north, imitation pearls were found which

were made by covering burned clay beads with the pliable mica,

which gave them a close resemblance to genuine pearls. Designs

cut in mica, especially of the conventional form, were not plenti-

ful in the Tremper mound, altho its builders had an abundance

of mica. However, the crescent form was found in some num-

bers in one of the graves below the floor of the mound. The

crescents were eight in number, about one inch wide in the center

and gradually tapering to the ends, which were cut round. The

crescents varied in length from seven inches to ten inches.

Associated with them in the same grave was found a large

bear effigy cut from mica, which is shown in Fig. 121. The

specimen is a little over six inches long and four and one-fourth

inches wide at the widest part. The effigy is an example of the

ability of the primitive artist to express action in his handiwork.

 

 

GALENA CRYSTALS.

Crystals of galena (lead ore) were found sparingly in the

cache, but large crystals were found in the mound at several

points above the floor.

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Exploration of the Tremper Mound.       389

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390      Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.     CHIPPED FLINT OBJECTS. The chipped flint objects found were characteristic of the culture and consisted of arrow-heads, spear-heads, flaked knives, etc. The flaked knives were found in goodly numbers in the cache, but many of them were destroyed by fire. The effect of fire on flint is shown in the two specimens to the left, in Fig. 122.

Flint knives no doubt were used by the primitive artists in fash- ioning the admirably sculptured animal and bird pipes found in the mound. The broken finely chipped implement on the extreme right in Fig. 122, perhaps was used by the sculptor as a graving tool. Several fragments of these highly specialized implements were found in the cache. Fig. 123 shows a chipped ceremonial spear made of light gray flint, six inches in length and one and three-fourths inches wide. The chipping is well done and one side near the point is slightly curved, not unlike those found by Professor Moorehead at the Hopewell group. Upon the floor of the mound, near the center, was found a quantity of flint spalls, many of them two

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392      Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.

inches in diameter, and numbering more than five hundred pieces.

Perhaps these had been stored for use by the sculptors.

 

 

MEALING STONES.

Among the many interesting specimens found in the large

cache are six mealing stones, which were piled together to one

side of the deposit. Three of these are almost spherical boulders

of granite, well ground and polished and ranging in diameter

from four inches to eight inches, the largest weighing more than

twenty-five pounds. Two of the mealing stones were common

granite boulders, flattened on one side with rounded ends. A

perfect bell-shaped pestle, with a base diameter of three and one-

half inches and a height of five and one-half inches, was among

the mealing stones. Mealing stones of any kind are rarely met

with in the mounds of Ohio. Professor Moorehead found a

large stone mortar or bowl in the Hopewell mounds* and claims

that nothing like it ever has been discovered in our Ohio valley

mounds.

POTTERY.

The use of pottery by the Tremper mound peoples is certain,

as many fragments were found on the floor of the mound. At

several points the parts of entire vessels were found, but up to

the present these have not been restored. For the most part the

the pieces secured were not representative of the highest develop-

ment of the ceramic art known to this culture. Squier & Davis

in their explorations of the Mound City group found in Mound

No. 3 large quantities of broken vessels, from which several al-

most perfect restorations were made. One of these,+ as shown

in their report is a very beautiful specimen and has been con-

sidered representative of the highest type of fictile art taken

from the mounds of Ohio. An examination of the engraving by

Squier & Davis would convince one that its maker possessed not

only experience and skill, but also unlimited patience. However,

I gather from reading the description of their finds in the Mound

 

* The Antiquarian; Vol. 1, page 212.

+ Ancient Monuments of the Mississippi Valley; Squier & Davis;

Plat 46.

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Exploration of the Tremper Mound.         393

 

City group, that broken parts of other vessels were found hav-

ing no designs. At the Tremper mound only a few pieces of the

pottery showed design or decoration, the majority of the vessels

represented being of the plain type.

 

 

TEXTILES.

An important industry of the builders of the Tremper mound

was the weaving of fabrics. This is shown by the finding of

charred remains of primitive textiles, upon the floor of certain

small inclosures on each side of the center of the mound. These

rooms may have been the sleeping apartments of the keepers of

the sacred building. The floors of several of these rooms were

covered with carbonaceous matter, several inches in thickness,

consisting of straw, leaves, bark and woven fabrics.

The woven fabric shown in No. I of Fig 124 has both the

warp and woof made from bast fiber.

No. 2 of Fig. 124 shows another weave, of which a number

of fine examples were secured.

No. 4 of Fig. 124 shows the finest fabric secured in the

mound. The woof and warp both are made of a very fine

thread, and the fabric is a splendid example of primitive weaving.

No. 3 of Fig. 124 seems to be material prepared for making

baskets, although no remains of baskets were found.

Fig. 125 shows a very good example of a coarse weave,

and may have been used as bedding, as quantities of this weave

appeared on the floor of the small rooms.

 

 

OBJECTS MADE OF WOOD.

A regrettable feature of the burning down of the structure

covered by the Tremper mound, and one always present in the

mounds of this culture, was the destruction of articles made

from wood and other combustible materials. Throughout the

great cache were to be seen what must have been very interest-

ing objects of wood, but which had been almost entirely con-

sumed, leaving only the charred remains, which quickly became

nothing more than dust.

In one instance however, great care resulted in our being

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394      Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.

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Exploration of the Tremper Mound.       395

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396      Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.

 

able fully to observe and in part to remove and preserve, one of

the more interesting of these perishable objects. This was what

might be considered as a ceremonial bundle, suggesting in its

purpose similar bundles used by very many of the historic tribes,

particularly thruout the far west and southwest. This bundle

consisted primarily of three lengths or sections of the southern

bamboo, about twelve inches long, carefully wrapped together

in several yards of a woven mat-like fabric. Scattered over the

fabric and no doubt originally attached thereto, were numerous

very small copper beads, which owing to their diminutive size

were so badly corroded from oxidation and heat action as to be

mere green spots of salts of copper.

 

 

RESUME.

A brief resume of the exploration of the Tremper mound

shows the following outstanding features, which, it is believed,

add materially to the fund of information concerning the great

Hopewell culture of prehistoric inhabitants of Ohio, and which,

it is hoped, will prove to be an important chapter in the history

of the aboriginal peoples of the Ohio valley:

The mound marks the site of a sacred structure, wherein

its builders cremated their (lead, deposited the ashes in com-

munal receptacles, made similar disposition of the personal arti-

facts of the dead, and observed the intricate ceremonies incident

to funereal rites.

The builders of the Tremper mound had arrived at a cultural

stage where united or communal effort in great part replaced

individual endeavor, and in so doing had reached a plane of ef-

ficiency probably not equalled by any other people in the stone age

period of its development. This fact is attested most strongly by

their burial customs, in which by the use of communal depositories

for cremated remains and personal artifacts, they effected a plan

for the disposal of the dead unhampered by the limitations of

the Seip mound and Harness mound plans, the next highest

noted in the Ohio mounds. In these latter mounds, individual

graves soon exhausted the available floor space, while in the

Tremper mound plan, burial was limited only by the size of the

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Exploration of the Tremper Mound.         397

 

communal depositories, the number of which, moreover easily

could be increased if needed.

The high development of sculptural art by the builders of

the Tremper mound is a most striking feature of their versatility.

While artistic achievement is not always an index to the culture

status of a people, the fact that in this respect they probably sur-

passed any other strictly stone age people, is significant, and taken

together with other pertinent facts, places them very well along

toward the upper stages of barbarism, with civilization waiting

but a short distance away. The great number of admirably exe-

cuted carvings of birds, animals and other life forms, taken from

the mound many of which would be worthy the efforts of the

modern workman, cannot but excite wonderment and admiration

for the primitive artists of prehistoric Ohio.

The finding of large fireplaces, showing evidences of very

long-continued use and significantly located with respect to the

communal deposits of ashes and artifacts, seems to indicate the

use of sacred fires, so important an adjunct of ceremonial and

religious observances among the early peoples of the old world.

The great depth to which the earth below these fireplaces was

burned suggests that they were kept perpetually burning, while

the charred contents indicate that the fires were extinguished only

when the earth composing the mound was heaped over them.

Of scarcely less importance than the exploration of the

Tremper mound, per se, is the light it sheds on the Great Mound

City group, of northern Ross county. Owing to the methods em-

ployed by Squier and Davis in examining the mounds of this

group, in 1846, their character and purpose have remained until

now matters of surmise. The plan employed by these early ex-

plorers was the sinking of shafts into the tops of the mounds,

and from the limited area of a mound and its base thus exposed,

to draw conclusions as to its character as a whole. In this way,

mound No. 8, of the group, from which was taken a great cache

of pipes and other objects very similar to the Tremper mound

cache, was described by them as covering a great sacrificial altar,

on which had been kindled intense fires, resulting in the breaking

up of the specimens deposited thereon.

The conditions found in Mound No. 8 were exactly dup-

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398      Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.

 

licated in the Tremper mound, but the complete examination of

the latter showed that the conclusions drawn from the partial

exploration by Squier and Davis were not warranted; in short,

it is strikingly evident that the two mounds in their character

and purpose were entirely similar, and that their builders were

closely related. So similar indeed are the mounds and their con-

tents, that it would not be surprising to find, if not already

proven, that the builders of the Mound City group migrated

southward through the Scioto valley, and constructed the Tremper

mound and earthwork. Thus are forged several important links

in the chain of evidence as to the existence and career of this

most advanced of stone age peoples. We find them extending

from Mound City, where their skill as builders and artists has

been the wonder and admiration of archaeologists, southward to

the Ohio river, where at the Tremper mound site, they reached

the highest point of their development so far noted.

The life story of this people, as told in the Tremper mound,

certainly is one of the highly interesting chapters in the history

of primitive civilization. No primitive people has shown such

skill and perseverance in wresting from nature the raw materials

needed for their purposes, nor such versatility in fashioning these

materials into finished products. The most striking phase of

this perhaps, is the manner in which with only the simplest of

tools, the stone for their making was quarried from the hills and

the realistic portrayals of bird and animal life, sculptured in full

relief and finished in minutest detail, were effected. In the

record preserved in the mound we find a vivid picture of the

strength and persistence of the forces underlying human develop-

ment, and urging it against all odds, toward a higher plane of

development.

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