EXPLORATION OF THE HOPEWELL GROUP OF
PREHISTORIC EARTHWORKS
PREFATORY
The Ohio State Archaeological and
Historical So-
ciety's examination of the Hopewell
Group of Prehis-
toric Earthworks, if set down in
detail, would more than
fill the allotted space; and yet, such
a report, without
some mention of two former partial
explorations would
lack much of being a complete story.
Moreover, should
anything like a full review of previous
explorations be
included, the resultant report would
extend entirely out
of bounds.
The solution, then, appears to lie in
the direction of
a somewhat curtailed account of the
recent Survey, sup-
plemented by sufficient reference to
former ones to pro-
duce a report suited to the
requirements of the average
reader. Adapting this plan to the
following pages, such
recent data as seem not to be of
immediate importance
are omitted; and minute details of
exploration and ma-
terial not recorded herein, but to be
found in the So-
ciety's field notes and study collections
will be available
at the Museum to those interested.
As regards former explorations, only
outstanding
phenomena and features not duplicated
in the recent ex-
amination are cited. Unfortunately, the
material from
the first examination of the group --
that of Squier and
Davis -- is not easily accessible for
study, it having been
taken from this country to England at
an early date.
Their official report, however, will be
found in Volume I
Vol. XXXV-1. (1)
2 Prefatory
of Smithsonian Contributions, under the
title "Ancient
Monuments of the Mississippi
Valley". As regards the
second examination, conducted by Warren
K. Moore-
head, students are referred to the
Field Museum of
Natural History, Chicago, where the
material there-
from is displayed, and to Professor
Moorehead's report,
published by that institution.
Through the kindness of officials of
the Field Mu-
seum -- the Director and the Chief of
the Department
of Ethnology -- the writer was accorded
permission to
carry out an extended study of the
Hopewell material
in that institution and to make
photographs, drawings,
casts and replicas of specimens.
Fortunately, as in the
present Survey, many of the rare types
of artifacts in
the unexcelled Hopewell collection at
the Field Museum
are in duplicate. As a result, an
exchange between the
two institutions was effected whereby
each secured
types and material not previously
contained in its col-
lections. As a result of this exchange
of original speci-
mens and the making of replicas of
others, the Society's
display of Hopewell material now
illustrates practically
all types and materials secured by the
several explora-
tions of the group.
The thanks of the Society and its
Survey are grate-
fully accorded to the following
persons:
To Mrs. M. C. Hopewell, of Chillicothe,
owner of
the Hopewell group, for exploration
privileges, and for
presentation to the Museum of specimens
taken from
the group by the former survey.
To Mr. Albert C. Spetnagel, of
Chillicothe, for hav-
ing secured permission to examine the
group, and for
constant aid and support during its
exploration.
Prefatory 3
To Mr. Morris Anderson, resident
manager of the
Hopewell farm, for assistance and
co-operation during
the period of exploration.
To Mr. D. C. Davies, Director; Dr.
Berthold Lau-
fer, Chief of the Department of
Ethnology; and Dr.
Ralph Linton, Ethnologist; Field Museum
of Natural
History, Chicago, for courtesies and
assistance ex-
tended the Society's Curator of
Archaeology, during a
period of ten days spent in the study
of the Hopewell
material in that institution.
EXPLORATIONS OF THE HOPEWELL GROUP
OF PREHISTORIC EARTHWORKS
BY H. C. SHETRONE, CURATOR OF
ARCHAEOLOGY
INTRODUCTORY
For the benefit of those readers who
may not have
found time and opportunity to acquaint
themselves with
the fundamentals of Ohio archaeology,
this brief out-
line of the mound-building peoples of
the state is of-
fered.
Throughout the valleys of the lower
Mississippi and
the Ohio rivers, together with many of
their tributaries
and adjacent territory, there have been
observed pre-
historic mounds and earthworks,
popularly attributed
to the so-called Mound-builders.
Exploration of these
tumuli and study of their burials and
relics show that
they were constructed, not by a
separate and distinct
race of people, but by various tribes
and nations of
American Indians. In a word, the trait
of building
mounds as monuments to the dead and of
constructing
earthworks for religious, social and
defensive purposes,
was almost world-wide among primitive
peoples, and
the native American Indians were no
exception.
Within the confines of the state of
Ohio three or
more kinds or cultures of prehistoric
inhabitants had
developed the trait of mound-building.
Two of these
are of foremost importance. The
so-called Fort An-
cient culture were widespread and
numerous and left
(5)
6 Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications
behind them extensive village sites.
The Hopewell cul-
ture, the most highly developed of all
the mound-build-
ing peoples, were responsible for the
erection of a score
or more of great geometric earthworks
and accompany-
ing mound groups, throughout southern
Ohio and con-
tiguous territory. It is to this
culture that the Hope-
well Group of Prehistoric Earthworks,
the exploration
of which is set forth in the following
pages, belongs.
Lack of space precludes mention of more
than a few
of the outstanding characteristics of
this and other cul-
tures of the state. Origin, antiquity
and disappearance
are perhaps the three phases of the
subject concerning
which information most often is
desired. As indicated
above, the mound-building peoples
belonged to the na-
tive American race, so that the
question as to their
origin becomes a part of the broader
question as to the
origin of the American Indian. Most
persons are aware
that scientific opinion now inclines
strongly toward Asia
as the place of such origin.
While it is a recorded fact that in
certain sections of
the country mounds have been built and
used within
historic times, there is no evidence of
contact between
the builders of Ohio mounds and white
men; however,
there is no reason to believe that the
building of mounds
in the Ohio area may not have prevailed
well up to the
time of the appearance of Europeans in
the territory.
The question of antiquity of the
mounds, therefore, can-
not be specifically answered, since a
given mound might
be not more than two or three centuries
old, while
another may have witnessed the lapse of
ten or twenty
centuries.
There appears to be but a single
historical incident
Explorations of the Hopewell
Group 7
having a possible bearing upon the
disappearance from
Ohio of the mound-building cultures;
namely, the so-
called Iroquoian invasion, which
occurred about the
year 1650. While the mound-building
trait in the ter-
ritory in question obviously had
reached and passed its
greatest development by that time,
there is reason for
believing that it may not have been
entirely obsolete, in
which case the Iroquoian conquest is a
conceivable fac-
tor in its extermination. Other
possible causes are those
which have obtained throughout the
history of human
society -- social and physical
decadence, famine and
pestilence, conquest and resultant
assimilation or even
annihilation. Archaeologists continue
the search for
evidence that may link the
mound-building peoples with
one or another of several historic
cultures, but in so far
as the Hopewell culture is concerned
there appears to
be little to indicate affinity with
another stock.
The known facts with respect to these
questions may
be found in the various publications of
the Ohio Archae-
ological and Historical Society,
particularly in the
Archaeological History of Ohio, by
Gerard Fowke. A
comparative study of the several
cultures is contained in
a paper entitled The Culture Problem in
Ohio Archae-
ology, by H. C. Shetrone, published in
the American
Anthropologist, (n.s.), Volume XXII,
1920.
In addition to the Hopewell Group, the
subject of
this report, other important groups of
the Hopewell
culture which have been examined and
reports of which
are available, are: the Harness Mound
(Liberty
Group), the Seip Mound (Seip Group) and
the Mound
City Group, Ross county; the Tremper
Mound, Scioto
county; and the Turner Group, Hamilton
county.
I
HISTORICAL DATA ON THE GROUP
The Hopewell Group of Prehistoric
Earthworks is
situated in Union township, Ross
county, Ohio, on the
North fork of Paint creek, a tributary
of the Scioto
river.
While it is evident to the most casual
observer that
the sites occupied by all important
groups of the Hope-
well culture were carefully selected by
their builders,
the location of the Hopewell Group is
easily the most
impressive. The region corresponds to
the glacial
moraine and presents the interesting
phenomenon of
rugged unglaciated hills in close
proximity to glacial
formations of almost equal size and
impressiveness.
Admittedly the most important of the
several groups
of earthworks of its particular class,
it further shares
a foremost place in historic interest
and attention with
the noted Mound City Group, a few miles
to the east-
ward. From its pretentious size, its
great number of
burial mounds and the relatively high
culture status rep-
resented therein, this particular group
assumes rank as
the metropolis of an important and
interesting people
who, in addition thereto, were
responsible for the erec-
tion of other similar groups of
earthworks throughout
the valleys of southern Ohio; and since
it was the first
of its kind to be definitely examined,
it has come to be
accepted as the type group for its
class of remains. The
designation "Hopewell", as
bestowed on this group, in
honor of its owner, Captain M. C.
Hopewell, has come
to serve as a family name for all
remains of its class,
(8)
Explorations of the Hopewell
Group 9
wherever found, and to their builders.
Thus we have,
specifically, "The Hopewell
Group", and generically, a
mound, a group of mounds, or an
earthwork, of the
Hopewell culture; and, referring to
their builders, the
Hopewell culture group.
Historic interest in the Hopewell Group
has been
greatly stimulated by two partial
examinations -- the
first by the pioneer explorers, Squier
and Davis, and
that of Warren K. Moorehead. The
remarkable ma-
terial accruing from these examinations
directed atten-
tion of the archaeological world to the
importance of the
group.
First serious consideration of the
Hopewell Group
is to be credited to Caleb Atwater who,
in 1820, pre-
pared a brief description and a map of
the works.1
A more extended account, accompanied by
a detailed
map, is that of Squier and Davis, in
1848. Their report
furnished a satisfactory description of
the appearance
of the group, and it may be assumed
that at the time of
their observations agricultural
activities had not greatly
modified the original form of the
mounds and earth-
works. As an introduction to the
present examination,
covered in the following pages, their
description, in part,
follows:2
CLARK'S WORK; NORTH FORK OF PAINT CREEK
"The work here presented * * * is
situated on the
North fork of Paint creek, on the estate
of W. C. Clark, Esq.,
and occupied the entire width of the
second terrace, which here
presents a broad and level plain, of
exceeding beauty and fertility.
1 Atwater, Caleb, Description of the
Antiquities Discovered in the
State of Ohio, Transactions and Collections of the American
Antiquarian
Society, Vol. I, 1820, p. 182.
2 Squier,
E. G., and Davis, E. H., Ancient Monuments of the Mis-
sissippi Valley, Smithsonian Contributions to Knowledge, Vol. I, p.
24-29.
10 Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications
Its general form is a parallelogram,
twenty-eight hundred feet
by eighteen hundred, with one of its corners somewhat
rounded.
On the side next the creek, it is
bounded by a wall four feet
high, running along the very edge of the
terrace-bank, and con-
forming to its irregularities; these,
however, are slight. Its re-
maining sides are bounded by a wall and
exterior ditch; the wall
is six feet high by thirty-five feet
base, and the ditch of corre-
sponding dimensions. The lines ascend
the declivity of the table
land back of the terrace, and extend
along its brow, dipping into
the ravines and rising over the ridges
into which it has been cut
by the action of water. Wherever the
ravines are of any consid-
erable depth, the wall has been washed
away; but in all cases
leaving evidences that it once extended
uninterruptedly through.
The bank of the terrace is thirty, that
of the table-land fifty feet
in height.
"The area thus enclosed is one
hundred and eleven acres. To
the right of the principal work, and
connecting with it by a gate-
way at its centre, is a smaller work of
sixteen acres area. It is a
perfect square; its sides measuring
respectively eight hundred
and fifty feet. It has gateways at the
middle of each side, thirty
feet wide, and covered by small mounds,
which are placed fifty
feet interior to the walls. There are
gateways also at the two
outer corners, which are unaccompanied
by mounds. The open-
ing which leads to the principal
enclosure is twice as wide as
the others. The walls of the smaller
work are much lighter than
those of the large one, and have no
attendant ditch.
"Within the area of the great work,
are two small ones: one
of them is a perfect circle, three
hundred and fifty feet in diame-
ter, bounded by a single slight wall,
with a gateway opening to
the west; the other is a semi-circular
enclosure, two thousand
feet in circumference, bounded by a
slight circumvallation and
ditch as represented in the plan. Within
this last enclosure are
seven mounds; three of which are joined
together, forming a
continuous elevation thirty feet high by
five hundred feet long,
and one hundred and eighty broad at the
base. * * * There
are other mounds at the points indicated
in the plan, most of
which have been explored; with what
results will appear in the
chapter on mounds. * * * Where the
defences descend
from the table lands to the left, is a
gully or torrent-bed, which,
before the construction of this work,
kept the course indicated
by the dotted line x. It was turned by
the builders from its
natural channel into the ditch, along
which it still runs for a
considerable distance; but at one place
it has broken over the
wall, obliterating it for nearly two
hundred feet. It is dry at
most seasons of the year; and, unless
much swollen by the rains,
Explorations of the Hopewell
Group 11
keeps the course of the ditch,
terminating in a deep gully, formed
by the flow of water from a copious and
unfailing spring. This
gully is made to answer as a ditch, for the space yet
intervening,
to the edge of the terrace. It is
fifteen feet deep, by sixty or
seventy wide. * * *
"The gateways of this work are six
in number; one opening
into the smaller enclosure to the east,
two upon the table lands,
one to the spring first mentioned, and
two others towards the
creek. Two considerable springs occur
within the walls. It is
not necessary, however, upon the
hypothesis already advanced in
respect to this work, to suppose its
ancient population wholly
dependent upon these sources for their
supply of water; inas-
much as it is very evident that many
centuries have not elapsed
since the creek, now one hundred rods
distant, washed the base
of the terrace upon which it stands. * *
*
"The slight wall along the terrace
bank is composed chiefly
of smooth, waterworn stones, taken from
the creek, and cemented
together by tough, clayey earth. The
wall of the square is wholly
of clay, and its outlines may be easily
traced by the eye, from a
distance, by its color. It appears, as
do the embankments of many
other works, to have been slightly
burned. * * *"
It will be noted in their quoted
description that
Squier and Davis conducted examinations
of certain of
the Hopewell mounds, as evidenced in
their statement
that "There are other mounds at
the points indicated in
the plan, most of which have been
explored; with what
results will appear in the chapter on
the mounds". Their
final record of these, however, is
rather indefinite. Spe-
cific mention is made of the
examination of four small
mounds and it is probable that
tentative examination
was made of some others of the tumuli.
THE MOOREHEAD EXAMINATION
Much more exhaustive, as will be noted
in subse-
quent pages, was the examination of the
Hopewell
mounds by Warren K. Moorehead. His explorations,
carried out in 1891-'92, were conducted
for the Depart-
12 Ohio Arch. and Hist.
Society Publications
ment of Anthropology of the World's
Columbian expo-
sition. The vast amount of interesting
material secured
was exhibited at the Exposition and is
now in posses-
sion of the Field Museum of Natural
History, Chicago.
His report, published some years later
(1922) describes
the group as he found it, details the
work of exploration
and illustrates the material
therefrom.3
PRESENT EXAMINATION
Notwithstanding that partial
examination by two
previous explorers presumably had
exhausted the
greater number of the Hopewell mounds,
and that many
years of cultivation had obliterated
several of the
smaller mounds of the group, it was the
sentiment of
the Ohio Archaeological and Historical
Society that its
examination should be completed.
Through the kind
offices of Mr. Albert C. Spetnagel, a
Life Member and
an ardent supporter of the Society,
exploration privi-
leges were graciously accorded by Mrs.
M. C. Hope-
well, owner of the land upon which the
group is situ-
ated. The work of examination was begun
late in the
season of 1922, and was completed in
August of 1925.
In keeping with the Museum's fixed
policy of thor-
ough and exhaustive examination, it was
decided to
carry out the exploration of the
Hopewell group in the
same manner as though no previous
partial examina-
tions had obtained. The need for such
procedure was
emphasized by the fact that former
examinations of
the group, in addition to being
incomplete, were carried
3 Moorehead, Warren K., The Hopewell
Mound Group of Ohio,
Field Museum of Natural History,
Publication 211, Anthropological
Series, Vol. VI, No. 5.
Explorations of the Hopewell
Group 13
out under difficulties which precluded
the degree of thor-
oughness desirable in such work.
The additional labor in so large a
group, which this
plan entailed, will be at once
apparent. In order that
nothing might be overlooked and that
complete floor
plans of each mound might be prepared,
all mounds,
whether previously exammed or not, were
to be ex-
plored. In several instances, it is
true, former explora-
tions served to lighten the final
examinations. For ex-
ample, after Professor Moorehead's
partial examina-
tion of the great central mound of the
group (No. 25)
the owner of the land had the entire
structure graded
down to about one-half its former
height. As a result
the present Survey, instead of having
to raze a mound
of more than 20 feet in height, found
it not to exceed
14 feet at its greatest altitude.
However, the surplus
earth, which had been graded off the
top and spread
along its lateral margins, proved to be
something of a
handicap, for instead of our progress
being through a
series of progressive cuts of the
normal conical sections,
they were necessarily rectangular and
scarcely less in
height toward their ends than at
center. This resulted
in an unexpectedly high cubical content
for the suc-
cessive sections across the body of the
mound.
RECENT ASPECT OF THE GROUP
Squier and Davis' map of the Hopewell
group shows
a total of 20 mounds which, while some
of them do not
bear numbers, evidently were intended
to be numbered
from 1 to 20. In his report, Moorehead,
using the same
map, assigns missing numbers and adds
five mounds --
18, 19, 20, 21 and 24. Our Survey was
unable to verify
14
Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications
the existence of mounds 18 and 19,
although the land
corresponding to their map location was
scrutinized
under every condition of cultivation.
Mounds 21 and
22 are very small supernumerary mounds
located out-
side the earthwork and upon the plateau
to the north.
On the accompanying Map prepared by our
Survey, the
numbering of these two mounds, for
reasons which will
be apparent presently, is changed to 37
and 38. They,
with seven others first located by our
Survey, are sup-
plemental in character as will be noted
in a subsequent
page.
Since the map of Squier and Davis was
drawn the
Baltimore and Ohio railroad has been
constructed
through the group, effecting important
changes therein.
The old highway, as depicted on their
map, is quite ir-
regular in its course and passes
directly over Mounds 9
and 10 and quite close to several
others. However, in
the construction of the railroad, in
1852, the right-of-
way came to occupy in great part the
old highway, which
in turn was thrown to the north side of
the railway and
directly over and across Mounds 12, 6,
7 and 8. As
may be noted on the new Map the
railroad and the high-
way, entering the group from the east,
run parallel in a
straight course until well toward the
western end of the
rectangular enclosure, where they
swerve to the north
and pass out of the group some 200 feet
to the north
of the old exit. This change, not noted
in the Moore-
head report, has quite an important
bearing upon the
group and accounts for the
disappearance of several
mounds.
The only other changes of importance
are those due
to erosion and cultivation, resulting in
the gradual low-
Explorations of the Hopewell
Group 15
ering of the several mounds and the
earthen embank-
ments enclosing them.
As a result of careful scrutiny of the
site previous
to and during final explorations, our
Survey added
to the mounds shown on the earlier maps
the following:
Mounds 21 and 22, two low structures in
the north cen-
tral portion of the rectangular
enclosure, which had
been despoiled by cultivation, the
plow-line extending
to or below their bases; Mound 26, an important
and
undisturbed tumulus lying adjacent to
and just south
of the railroad, within the old orchard
lot; Mound 27,
just east of Mound 20 -- a low mound
which lay mostly
within the plow line; Mound 28, a low
but undisturbed
tumulus at the extreme northern edge of
the second ter-
race; Mound 29, a structure of some
size just south of
the main spring, which, although not
shown on earlier
maps, had been entirely explored; and
Mounds 30 to 36,
inclusive, comprising, with Mounds 37
and 38, nine
small subsidiary mounds, lying entirely
outside the en-
closures.
With regard to this total of 38 mounds
for the
group, the Survey found the following
conditions:
Mounds obliterated by railroad and
highway: Num-
bers 6, 7 and 8 (in part); numbers 9,
10, 12 and 13.
Mounds destroyed by previous
exploration and cul-
tivation, in some instances the sites
being indeterminate,
and in others the mounds so low that
their bases lay at
or below the plow-line: Numbers 1, 5,
14, 15, 16, 18,
19, 21 and 22.
Mounds found to have been partly
explored: Num-
bers 2, 3, 4, 7, 8, 23, 24, 25 and 27.
Mounds found to be undisturbed: Numbers
11, 17,
16 Ohio Arch. and Hist.
Society Publications
20, 26 and 28; and subsidiary mounds
numbers 30 to 36
inclusive.
Supplemental or subsidiary mounds
(lodge-sites):
Mounds 30 to 38, inclusive. Numbers 37
and 38 were
noted by Moorehead and numbered as 21
and 22. They
had been examined by his survey. The
remaining seven
were first noted by our Survey, and the
results of their
examination will follow.
In the following pages an attempt is
made to keep
an otherwise interminable report within
bounds. In the
descriptions of individual burials
certain characteristics
which are reasonably constant do not
warrant repeti-
tion; for example, uncremated burials
almost invariably
are extended upon the back. Where there
is divergence
from the general rule in any respect,
mention is made
thereof. The interested reader is asked
to make use of
the floor-plan maps, on which the exact
locations, di-
mensions, orientation and other
pertinent data are reg-
istered. Detailed descriptions and measurements
of
specimens will be found under Artifacts
from the
Mounds.
II
THE MOUNDS AND THEIR CONTENTS
MOUND NUMBER 1
This small mound, located well toward
the northeast
angle of the larger enclosure, is one
of four examined
by Squier and Davis -- the three others
being Numbers
2, 5 and 9. In their report (P. 157)
they say:
"This mound, although one of the
richest in contents, was
one of the smallest met with, being not
over three feet in height.
Its deposit was first disturbed by the
plow, some years ago, and
numerous singular articles were then
taken from it. Upon in-
vestigation, in place of the altar, a
level area ten or fifteen feet
broad was found, much burned, on which
the relics had been
placed. These had been covered over with
earth to perhaps the
depth of a foot, followed by a stratum
of small stones, and an
outer layer of earth two feet in
thickness. Hundreds of relics,
and many of the most interesting and
valuable hitherto found,
were taken from this mound, among which
may be mentioned
several coiled serpents carved in stone,
and carefully enveloped
in sheet mica and copper; pottery;
carved fragments of ivory;
a large number of fossil teeth; numerous
fine sculptures in stone,
etc."
It is significant that the coiled
serpent effigies (rep-
resentations of the rattlesnake) bore
supposed feather
markings about the head, thus
suggesting the plumed
serpent. Unfortunately, they were badly
damaged when
removed.
At the Turner Group,4 in Hamilton
county, Profes-
sor Putnam found a horned serpent
effigy, in mica,
4 Willoughby, Charles C., and Hooton,
Earnest A., The Turner
Group of Earthworks, Hamilton County,
Ohio, Peabody Museum of
American Archaeology and Ethnology,
Harvard University, Vol. VIII,
No. 3, 1922, p. 68.
The Turner Group was examined under the
direction of Professor
Frederick Ward Putnam, Peabody Museum,
Harvard University, begin-
ning in 1882 and continuing for several
years thereafter. During the
greater part of the time the work was
under the direct supervision of Dr.
Charles L. Metz, of Madisonville, Ohio.
The report on exploration of
the Group was published subsequent to
Professor Putnam's death.
Vol. XXXV-2. (17)
18
Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications
which in many respects closely
resembles those discov-
ered by Squier and Davis.
On the site of Mound Number 1, now
practically
obliterated, the present Survey picked
up fragments of
carved bone and several sharks' teeth.
MOUND NUMBER 2
From the historic standpoint at least,
Mound Num-
ber 2 is the most spectacular of the
Hopewell tumuli. It
has the distinction of having bared its
treasures to three
separate examinations, and of yielding
bountiful results
to each. Squier and Davis, in 1845-'46
were the first
to probe its contents. They have this
to say (p. 158):
"(The mound) is remarkable in being
very broad and flat,
measuring at least 80 feet in diameter
by but six or seven in
height. It has two sand strata; but
instead of an altar, there
are two layers of disks chipped out of
hornstone, some nearly
round, others in the form of spearheads.
They are of various
sizes, but are for the most part about
six inches long, by four
wide, and three-quarters of an inch or
an inch in thickness. They
were placed side by side, a little
reclining, and one layer resting
immediately on the other. Out of an
excavation six feet long
by four feet wide, not far from six
hundred were thrown. The
deposit extends beyond the limits of the
excavation on every side."
Further examination of Mound Number 2
was con-
ducted by Moorehead in 1891, with the
result that more
than 7,000 additional disks were
recovered. This great
number, combined with those taken out
by Squier and
Davis and some scattering lots in the
hands of individ-
uals give a total, according to
Moorehead's calculation,
of 8,185 disks.
After receiving such marked attention
from explor-
ers, Mound Number 2 seemed to offer
little to a third
examination. However, since no mention
of either
burial or basin was made by former
explorers, and since
20 Ohio Arch. and Hist.
Society Publications
the impression seemed to prevail that
the mound was
merely a heap of earth thrown over the
great cache of
disks, it was believed that careful
examination might
throw some light upon its purpose or
significance. Fur-
thermore, it was felt that if a few of
the flint disks
might be found, in situ, the
work entailed would be justi-
fied.
Briefly, the results of this Survey's
examination
were the finding of five burials, rich
in artifacts; a
crematory basin; a number of flint
disks, in place and
undisturbed; and upwards of 100
additional disks scat-
tered loosely through the mound. The
floor plan of
the mound is shown as Figure 1.
Burials 1 and 2 occupied a
common grave well out
toward the southeastern margin of the
mound. The
remains, uncremated, (Fig. 2) lay
extended upon their
backs, heads toward the west. They
occupied a rude
rectangular platform or earthen fill
extending about 6
inches above the floor, and were
unaccompanied by any
special preparation. No log-molds
indicative of the
usual timber enclosure were present,
and the hard black
muck of which the mound mostly is
composed had been
filled in directly upon the bodies, the
depth of which
below the present surface of the mound
was about 18
inches. Both skeletons, despite the
lack of the usual
burial preparations, were in a fair
state of preservation.
Skeleton Number 1 was that of a male
apparently
about 25 years of age, exceptionally
tall and strongly
built, the femur measurement being more
than 19 inches
in length. In each hand was found a
finely made cop-
per ear-spool, one of which was
surfaced with silver
foil. A feature of this burial not
understood when first
Explorations of the Hopewell Group 21 uncovered was the apparent absence of the skull. Where the skull should have been, however, lay a finely pre- served head-plate of copper, curved to fit the crown, with perforations at the corners for attachment. This helmet-like plate was partly embedded in the loose un- derlying soil and upon investigation it was found that |
|
a pit, 18 inches in diameter and 4 feet deep, had been excavated directly beneath the skull. This was filled with loose loam and apparently had contained a large post, or had been left unfilled, with some sort of tem- porary covering. When the perishable content or cover- ing gave way, the skull had fallen into the pit, and was found 2 1/2 feet below its normal position, face downward. Scattered between the skull and the surface were found the lower jaw and the cervical vertebrae. |
22
Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications
Skeleton Number 2, lying alongside and
to the south
of Number 1, was that of a young adult,
apparently a
female, measuring approximately 5 feet
8 inches in
height. At the left hand of the
skeleton lay about 100
well-made copper beads, with which were
associated
woven fabric and bark. Near the left
foot, and between
the feet of the two skeletons, lay a
finely made copper
adze blade, showing plainly across its convex
face where
a wide band, or withe, had secured it
to the handle.
Just below the feet of Skeleton Number
2, but not
extending upward into the clay fill
upon which the
bodies lay, was found a peculiar
feature. A hole, in the
form of an inverted cone, 14 inches
across the top and
15 inches deep, had been dug into the
floor. This was
partly filled at the bottom with
stones, and thence up-
ward with highly colored red and yellow
burned clay.
When the mound earth had been removed
from the floor
line this circular surface appeared as
a colorful mosaic
set into it. It was apparent that the
clay filling had been
taken from a crematory basin, as
portions of it retained
the smooth burned surfaces
characteristic of those re-
ceptacles. A second and exactly similar
feature was
found five feet northwest from the
above, while two ad-
ditional ones were located as shown on
the plan. At a
distance of 10 feet southwest from the
pit at the head
of Burial Number 1 was found another
altogether sim-
ilar pit, filled with loose mold.
Scattering post-molds
were noted as shown on the accompanying
floor plan.
A Crematory Basin,5 (Fig. 3) measuring 44 inches
5 The characteristic basins found in
mounds of the Hopewell cul-
ture have been designated as altars by
several writers. Since with one or
two exceptions the surveys of this
Society have not found them to con-
tain offerings, the most plausible explanation seems to
be that they served
as places of cremation.
Explorations of the Hopewell Group 23 by 35 inches, trending north-west and south-east, was found bordering the central dug-over space of previous exploration. It was quite bold in form, but the muck soil of the mound was so incorporated with it that it was difficult to uncover without disfiguration. The construc- tion of this basin, which was without artifacts or ashes, was interesting. Fully two cubic yards of the usual bright yellow clay used for basin construction had been |
|
spread upon the floor level, and the basin proper shaped and troweled into form at its center. Burial Number 3 lay 15 feet in from the south-west margin of the mound. It occupied a pretentious stone grave, (Fig. 4) the outside measurements of which were 11 feet by 8 feet. In preparing the structure, flat stones of large size had been set vertically at the ends and sides, and laid horizontally on the floor at a depth of one foot beneath the original level or base of the mound. At the center of the grave, extended upon the back with head to the south-east, lay the skeleton of a young adult, 5 |
Explorations of the Hopewell
Group 25
feet, 6 inches in height. Owing to the
rather poor state
of preservation the sex of the
individual was not def-
initely determinable. At the right side
of the head lay
a finely preserved ocean-shell
container; several thou-
sand beads of ocean shell were strewn
over the head,
face, neck and shoulders; a copper
plate lay under the
left shoulder and another under the
hips; in each hand
was a copper ear-spool, while between
the feet was
found a small carefully made copper
axe. The depth
of the mound proper above this burial
was two feet, and
the grave itself had been dug to a
depth of one foot be-
low its base. This was the only burial
of the entire
group which occupied a highly
specialized stone grave,
although this type of burial was common
at the Turner
Group.
Burial Number 4, located a few feet to the north
of Burial 3, contained the skeleton of
a young adult of
about 5 feet 9 inches in height. The
burial (Fig. 4)
was without noticeable preparation, and
lay extended
upon the back with head to the
south-east. At the base
of the skull lay a fine large copper
plate; at the right of
the skull, a large ocean-shell
container; many shell beads
and a few of pearl were strewn over the
head and neck,
and in each hand lay a copper
ear-spool. The skull was
removed intact.
Burial Number 5 was perhaps the most interesting
of Mound Number 2. It lay some 6 feet
to the north of
Burial Number 4, and contained the
skeleton of a very
old male of approximately 5 feet 10
inches in height
(Fig. 5). This individual apparently
was a person of
importance, since the burial was
unusually elaborate.
26 Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications Although no timber structure had enclosed the remains, they were profusely supplied with artifacts. At the head lay an unusually fine shell container, made from a convoluted ocean shell (Fasciolaria) measuring 15 inches in length; in each hand were two copper ear- spools; at the neck were many shell beads; a mussel- |
|
shell spoon lay at the right foot; a small plate of mica near the right shoulder; and under the head was found a rectangular copper plate, upon which is preserved a finely woven fabric. Ten inches to the right of the skull lay a detached human skull -- that of a young male upon which rested a curved helmet-like copper plate. This separate skull, apparently a trophy, shows dis- |
Explorations of the Hopewell
Group 27
tinctly the marks of the flint knife
employed in detach-
ing the scalp and tissues.
While the skeleton proper of this
burial was badly
decomposed its skull, as well as the
trophy skull, was in
an excellent state of preservation, as
shown in the cut
(Fig. 6).
At the western margin of the central
space ex-
cavated by former examination there was
found a small
deposit of the flint disks (Fig. 7) for
which this mound
is noted. These were five in number and
had not been
disturbed. Two of these were placed
horizontally and
the three others set upon edge against
them. The pho-
tograph shows these disks in place, and
also the floor
level, the vertical cut of the mound,
and its top. A small
amount of coarse gravel placed around
the disks and
the undisturbed gravel stratum beneath
them may be
seen in the cut. A number of perfect
and broken disks
-- perhaps 100 in all -- were found
throughout the
mound.
Reference to the accompanying floor
plan of Mound
Number 2 shows it to have been a much
more interesting
and complicated structure than had been
supposed. In ad-
dition to five burials, all rich in
accompanying artifacts,
there will be noted the more or less
regular plan of post-
molds which, in this mound, are
unusually large and
deep, ranging in diameter from 6 inches
to 10 inches,
and being from 3 feet to 3 1/2 feet
deep. The several pits,
as that underneath the skull of burial
Number 1, and
the conical depressions filled with
colored earths, are
difficult to account for.
The central portion of the mound from
which the
great deposit of disks was taken
represented a circular
|
(28) FIG. 6. The Skull of Burial 5 (below) with Trophy Skill; Mound 2. |
Explorations of the Hopewell Group 29 space some 20 feet in diameter. The mound was un- usual in having two floor levels, the lower of which was rather poorly defined. The upper level, which was from 8 to 10 inches higher, and which seems to have ex- |
|
tended continuously throughout the mound, was strewn with a thin covering of whitish limestone gravel. Ap- parently the deposit of disks had been placed one layer on each of the two floors. Of their total number, only |
30
Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications
one was a finished specialized
implement. It was turned
over by Professor Moorehead to Mr.
Hopewell, owner
of the mounds, and presented by Mrs.
Hopewell to the
Museum at the close of the final
explorations. This re-
markable specimen, which measures 9
inches in length
and 6 inches in width, is illustrated
as Fig. 66.
MOUND NUMBER 3
Of this structure, Moorehead (p. 101)
says:
"In this mound we found an altar
whose contents had been
removed, probably by Squier and Davis, a
copper celt, small
knives, and a few other objects."
The present Survey found Mound Number 3
to be
approximately 55 feet in diameter with
an altitude of
30 inches. With the exception of a
marginal strip 6
feet across, the mound had been
entirely dug over. Well
out toward the north-west margin was
uncovered a
basin of small size and poor
construction, which had
been disclosed by former examinations,
as it lay within
the disturbed area. At the south-east,
an undisturbed
cremated burial was uncovered, lying
just below the
plow line. It contained no artifacts.
The only development of value resulting
from the
re-examination of Mound Number 3 was
the finding
upon the floor within the disturbed
area of two pottery
fragments of an unusual kind. One of
these fragments,
2 inches across, is from the body of a
medium-sized
vessel, while the other, of similar
size, is a portion of
rim apparently from the same vessel.
The paste of
which they are composed is of a uniform
dark choco-
late, with a very slight tempering
admixture of shell or
other calcareous matter, while the
outer surfaces are
Explorations of the Hopewell
Group 31
covered by a distinct slip varying in
color from ocherous
to brick red. This surface appears to
be the result of
intentional painting rather than an
incidental accom-
paniment of firing. Paste, tempering
material and sur-
face coloring all are foreign to, or at
least very unusual
in, the Hopewell type of pottery, and
closely resemble
ware of the south-western group. A
large sherd from
this mound, and apparently from the
same vessel, is in
the Hopewell collection at the Field
Museum.
MOUND NUMBER 4
This structure lies just to the east of
and almost
adjoins Mound Number 25. It was
originally 6 feet in
height but at the time of final
examination it measured
2 feet and 8 inches high at center and
had a diameter
of approximately 45 feet. The entire
central portion
had been dug over, as indicated on the
map of the floor
plan (Fig. 8).
Although Moorehead makes no mention of
Mound
Number 4 in his report, he describes
its examination in
a preliminary paper printed in the
Antiquarian.6 In
this article he states that the central
portion of the
mound, 8 by 10 feet in size, had been
excavated, pre-
sumably by Squier and Davis. He
mentions the finding
by his survey of a perforated trophy
skull, ocean shells,
and copper ornaments.
In the marginal strip left undisturbed
the present
Survey found a total of 9 burials. The
mound was not
a highly specialized one. The floor
level was moder-
ately distinct and the body of the
mound was composed
0 Moorehead,
Warren K., The Hopewell Group, The Antiquarian,
Volume I, Columbus, 1897.
|
(32) |
Explorations of the Hopewell
Group 33
of rather homogenous soil, dark in
color, with occa-
sional small amounts of gravel
interspersed throughout
its mass. It was devoid of a crematory
basin and none
of the burials showed a prepared grave
or accompani-
ment of timber enclosure. A single one
of the nine was
cremated and the usual custom of
placing uncremated
remains upon the back with feet
extended was carried
out.
Just within the southern border of the
mound was
a pit, 2 1/2 feet across, and extending
4 feet beneath the
floor level. It contained dark soil and
ashes.
A Bundle Burial -- one of the few found in the
entire group -- occurred at the
south-west margin, just
below the plow line and 8 inches above
the floor level.
It lay in a deposit of coarse gravel,
and comprised long
bones representing two or more adult
individuals, and
a single skull. An interesting feature
was the ankylosis
of a tibia and its corresponding
fibula, the bones being
securely united at two distinct points.
The deposit was
accompanied by a copper ear-spool and a
bone awl.
Burial Number 3 was that of a young adult of large
size, lying in a grotesque position,
with arms and legs
"akimbo", unaccompanied by
specimens. It is shown
in Figure 9, along with Burials 4, 5, 6
and 7.
Burial No. 4 lay in close proximity to Number
3, the knees of the latter almost
touching the skull. It
likewise contained the skeleton of a
large-sized young
adult. Its peculiar position -- head
well down to the
floor level, pelvis higher, and knees
and feet almost
reaching to the plow-line, -- was
explained later when
a cremated burial was found directly
beneath it, upon
Vol. XXXV--3.
34 Ohio Arch and Hist. Society Publications the floor line. At the neck lay two cut and perforated wolf jaws. With Burial Number 5 -- the skeleton of a youth -- were found, at the right elbow, two finely made flint- flake knives and 12 perforated canines of the raccoon. Large flat stones had been set up vertically at each side of the head. 1975 |
|
Burial Number 6 comprised the remains of a child, with which had been placed a small container made from an ocean shell. Burial Number 7 was a typical cremated burial, and was placed beneath the shoulders and back of Burial 4. There was the usual amount of coarsely charred bones, deposited without preparation and with them a long fli nt-flake knife, remnants of a shell ornament, four |
Explorations of the Hopewell
Group 35
copper ear-spools and a finely made
perfect platform
pipe, of gray Ohio pipe-stone.7
Burial Number 8, cremated, was without artifacts.
Burial Number 9 comprised the skeleton of a young
adult of medium size, in a poor state
of preservation.
At the head had been placed seven flake
knives and a
notched arrow-point, all of handsome
translucent
chalcedony. The burial lay well out
toward the south-
west margin of the mound.
MOUNDS 5 AND 6
Previous explorations and
long-continued cultiva-
tion have resulted in the complete
demolition of these
tumuli. Squier and Davis' description
of Number 5
(P. 156) follows:
"In this mound the altar was
covered with stones; and in-
stead of the usual sand stratum, there
was found a layer of large
flat stones, corresponding to it. The
altar was composed of earth
elevated two and a half feet above the
original level of the soil,
and was five feet long by three feet
four inches broad, the sides
sloping at an angle of nearly 30
degrees. It was faced on the top
and on the sides with slabs of stone,
quite regular in form and
thickness * * *. The altar bore
the marks of fire, and a
few fragments of the moundbuilders'
ornaments, a few pearl
beads, etc., were found upon and around
it."
The employment of stone, as described,
both as a
covering for the basin and in place of
the gravel
stratum, is interesting and unusual.
7 The
so-called Ohio pipe-stone is a highly indurated almost flinty
variety of fire-clay, occurring in
extensive deposits in Scioto County,
Ohio. Its range of color is broad, the
pink and red phases so closely re-
sembling the Minnesota catlinite as to
be almost indistinguishable to the
novice. The material was extensively
used by the Hopewell peoples and
to a lesser extent by other Ohio
cultures. For particulars see Mills, Wil-
liam C., The Feurt Mounds and Village
Site, Certain Mounds and Vil-
lage Sites in Ohio, Vol. III, Pt. 1.
36
Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications
Mound Number 6 had entirely disappeared
at the
time of the final examination. Never a
large mound,
it has entirely yielded to cultivation
and the construc-
tion of the highway which in part
passes over it.
MOUND NUMBER 7
Of the four minor mounds (Number 5, 6,
7, and 8)
lying within the embankment enclosing
Mound Number
25, the only one which in any degree
had survived de-
struction was Mound Number 7, and even
in this in-
stance the survival was more apparent
than real. The
southern one-third of the structure had
been obliterated
as a result of construction of the
railroad, while the
one-third portion to the north was
found to have been
completely examined. The central
portion lying beneath
the highway seemed to offer
possibilities, since the road-
bed, instead of being cut through the
mound, had been
carried over it, with only a foot or
two graded off its top.
Since the highway is little traveled
and unimpor-
tant, permission to disturb the portion
thereof imme-
diately overlying the mound was secured
from the town-
ship commissioners, the only
requirement being that the
Survey prepare a proper detour.
The principal result of the final
examination of
Mound Number 7 was the light thrown on
the charac-
ter of what proved to have been an
important and un-
usual tumulus. As nearly as could be
determined the
mound originally had been elongated,
measuring 85 feet
from north to south and having a width
of 75 feet. Its
recent height, alongside the highway,
was 7 feet, and
apparently the original elevation had
been something
near ten feet. Marking the outer margin
of the mound
Explorations of the Hopewell
Group 37
was a wall or circumvallation of stones
and gravel, from
3 1/2 to 5 feet wide and from one foot to 20 inches in
height. Within this corral-like wall
was a carefully pre-
pared floor level, strewn with gravel
and sand. It was
found, however, that the sole purpose
of the mound
proper was to cover a primary mound,
occupying its
center.
This primary mound, or core of the
large mound,
was elongated with the mound proper.
Its width at
center was nearly 50 feet, while its
length, owing to
disturbance, was indeterminate, but
probably about 60
feet. Its outer margin and lower slope
had been marked
by timbers and by a covering of flat
stones, some of
them quite large. The upper slope and
top were cov-
ered by a stratum of yellow sand.
Unfortunately, this interior mound had
been exam-
ined by means, of a drift or cut
carried in from the rail-
road grade at the south side. No
definite record as to
who effected this examination is to be
had, but it is un-
derstood that at the time of the
construction of the
railroad, in 1852, numerous fine
specimens were taken
from this mound. With one burial there
was found an
elaborate head-plate of copper (Fig.
104). This speci-
men was secured by Mr. John Seip of
Chillicothe who
many years later presented it to the
Museum. The drift
carried into the interior of the
primary mound had dis-
closed three separate burials, its only
contents. The
locations of these graves were readily
apparent to our
Survey, and the skeletal remains, which
had been
thrown back into the trench, were
recovered. These,
strangely enough, were perhaps the best
preserved of
any secured in the entire Hopewell
Group, despite the
38
Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications
fact that they had been disturbed more
than three-quar-
ters of a century previously and
carelessly thrown
back into the mound. One skeleton in
particular was
exceptionally large and strong, the
bones indicating an
individual of well over six feet in
height. A perfect
and finely preserved skull with lower
jaw was recov-
ered, which appears to have been in the
nature of a
trophy skull. A feature is the fact
that the occipital
bone has been removed, apparently cut
by a flint imple-
ment, and somewhat ground off along the
resulting
edges. Two fragments of human skull
(parietal) were
picked up in the loose earth of the
trench which bear
neatly drilled holes, 1/8 inch in diameter. The skulls and
other bones of two of these disturbed
burials were deeply
stained by copper, indicating that they
were richly sup-
plied with specimens.
One of the three burials -- that at the
north side of
the interior mound -- had not been
completely removed.
Bones of the lower right leg and foot
and finger bones
of the right hand remained in place. At
the right foot
were found a number of shell and pearl
beads, while at
the right hand lay an exquisite flint
spear-point, 4 inches
long and 2 inches wide, fashioned from
translucent pink
and white Flint Ridge chalcedony. A
number of beads,
copper-covered buttons and other small
objects were
found scattered through the disturbed
soil.
It is interesting to note that not a
single post-hole
nor a sign of fire or burning was to be
seen in the whole
of Mound Number 7. It contained no
crematory basin.
Explorations of the Hopewell
Group 39
MOUNDS 8, 9, AND 10
Mound Number 8, closely adjoining
Number 7 on
the west, was mostly destroyed by the
highway. What
remained of it was examined by
Moorehead, with scant
return (p. 102). Mounds 9 and 10 were
entirely ob-
literated by the highway and by Squier
and Davis' ex-
amination. Of Mound Number 9, they (p.
155) have
this to say:
"The altar, instead of occupying
the center, is placed consid-
erably toward one side; and a layer of
charcoal fills the corre-
sponding opposite side. Over the altar
curves a stratum of sand,
and over the layer of charcoal another. This altar was
the small-
est met with. It was round, not
measuring more than 2 feet
across the top. It was nevertheless rich
in remains."
Among the objects taken from this
basin, they men-
tion several thin finely made blades of
obsidian; taste-
fully cut scrolls of mica; woven
fabric; fragments of
bone needles and gravers; pearl beads,
and so forth.
MOUND NUMBER 11
Mound Number 11 was not examined by
Moore-
head, owing to its location within the
orchard lot, the
owner not caring to have the sod
disturbed.
Our Survey found Mound 11 to be upward
of 50 feet
in diameter and 18 inches in height at
center. During
the course of its examination it was
disclosed that at
some former time a test hole, 5 feet in
diameter, had
been sunk at center, evidently without
disclosing any-
thing. Another hole had been dug midway
between
center and the north margin, which had
disclosed a
small circular basin, 3 1/2 feet across
and 3 inches deep.
This basin, burned to a red color to a
considerable depth,
40
Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications
apparently was one of the so-called
"round altars" men-
tioned by Squier and Davis as occurring
in other
mounds of the group. Apparently it had
contained a
cremated burial, since charred human
bones were found
alongside it and scattered from floor
to top of mound.
Well out toward the south side of the
mound the
Survey found an interesting and perhaps
unique de-
posit. (Fig. 10.) Alongside a small and
highly spe-
cialized crematory basin, measuring
only 20 inches by
28 inches, lay a cremated human
skeleton. It was that
of an adult, and the pelvis and
vertebrae lay in place,
only partly consumed. With it were two
sheets of mica
and a few pearl beads. Bordering this
burial, to the
south, lay an extensive deposit of
obsidian, mostly in
the rough, occupying a rounded
rectangular space
measuring 6 feet by 7 feet. For the
most part this de-
posit was such as would result from the
manufacture
on a large scale of chipped implements
-- flakes of every
size and shape, some of them as much as
4 inches long,
and very thin; chunks and small blocks
of unworked
obsidian, a number of which (Fig. 11)
showed definite
bruising and wear, presumably as a result
of friction
one with another in the long journey
incident to their
transportation from the far West.
However, several
notched arrow-points which had been
discarded either
as a result of defects, or from being
broken in manu-
facture, and a number of cores (Fig.
12) from which
delicate flake knives had been thrown
off, were in the
mass. Further, there were found
portions of two
figures cut from mica, and a cut and
polished specimen
of green chlorite. This specimen is
flat on its base, and
oval above, in form an elongated
cabochon. The de-
|
FIG. 11. Obsidian from the Offering in Mound 11, showing Bruised Edges as a Result of Primitive Transportation. FIG. 12. Cores and Arrow-points, from the Obsidian Deposit, Mount 11. (42) |
Explorations of the Hopewell
Group 43
posit of obsidian, which is believed to
be from the Yel-
lowstone Park district, weighs close to
300 pounds. The
finding of so great an amount of raw
obsidian seems to
justify the surmise that the fine
obsidian implements
found in Mound 25 by the former survey
were fash-
ioned on the site of the Hopewell
Group.
Encircling the cremated burial and the
deposit of
obsidian was a row of stones, widely
spaced, with an
opening toward the basin.
MOUNDS 12, 13, 14, 15 AND 16
With the exception of Number 16, all
these have
been entirely obliterated. The site of
Number 16 is still
evident, but examination showed that
the plow-line has
reached and mostly destroyed its base
level or floor.
MOUND NUMBER 17
In the extreme north-east corner of the
large en-
closure, at the very foot of the
terrace leading to the
plateau, is a small mound, at the time
of these explora-
tions almost undiscernible. This mound,
shown on the
map of Squier and Davis, without
number, is designated
by Moorehead as Number 17. In the
latter's report (p.
90) is a description of its
examination. However,
Moorehead clearly confused this mound
with another
(see description of Mound No. 29) or
rather, erred in
the matter of designating on his map
the number of the
mound in question.
The present Survey found Mound Number
17 to be
altogether undisturbed, and the most
prolific in results,
44
Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications
aside from Mound Number 25, of any of
the entire
group. Its apparent height was not
above six inches,
and except when its surface was freshly
plowed its lo-
cation was difficult to determine. At
best, the mound
appeared to be merely a part of the
lower slope of one
of the many spurs which project from
the terrace
declivity into the plain below.
However, it proved to
be actually 18 inches in height, the
apparent lower alti-
tude being due to the filling in around
it of detritus from
the slope above, as the result of
erosion, the original
level of the surrounding surface thus
being elevated at
least one foot.
The mound was composed of the clayey
loam of the
surrounding surface with some
admixture, here and
there, of gravel. The floor, (Fig. 13)
not particularly
well defined, had an extent of about 38
feet north and
south, by 32 feet. A few scattered
stake-holes, but no
post-molds, were present. There were no
burials of
human remains. Instead, the mound seems
to have been
erected over the site of two distinct
and important sac-
rificial or ceremonial offerings of
artifacts.
Ceremonial Offering Number I, south of its cen-
ter, occupied an oval space 5 feet by 7
feet, alongside
and partly filling a rectangular basin
of typical form,
measuring 22 by 26 inches. Perhaps a
cubic yard of
the peculiar yellowish-green clay so
often associated
with burials and deposits of the
Hopewell type had been
placed upon the oval space mentioned,
and upon and in-
termixed with this were the following
objects:
A large beautifully carved platform
pipe, of steatite, each
end of the stem representing the head of
the wild duck, the necks
running back and intertwining around the
bowl; a very large plain
|
Mound N 17 Hopewell Group --4ft-- FIG. 13. Floor Plan of Mount Number 17, in which two Important Offerings were found. (45) |
46 Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications
platform pipe, of drab Ohio pipestone;
10 plain platform pipes,
and fragments of 10or more others, of
Ohio pipestone; a hollow
(boatshape) ceremonial in the image of
the eagle, finely exe-
cuted, eyes set with pearls, Ohio
pipestone; hollow image, head
and neck of the crow, made from black
shale; 2 small saucer-
shaped dishes, finely made, of micaceous
stone (so-called gold-
stone); 2 large disks, or discoidals, of
fine-grained sandstone; 3
cones, of chlorite and gold-stone; 2
goigets, of green chlorite;
6 large tablets, of Laurentian slate; 2
bar-like gorgets, of slate;
a long slender plummet, of granite; 2
large finely made rings, of
slate; a large obsidian spear-point; 2
large discoidal-like speci-
mens, made from transparent quartz
crystal; a copper perforator,
resembling a 20-penny spike; 2 heavy
copper anklets or bracelets;
a large copper axe; a copper pendant,
circular, with bosses; a
human head, in the round, made from
copper; 10 cup-shaped ob-
jects of copper; a small perforator of
meteoric iron; buttons,
beads, arrow- and spear-points of flint;
sharks' teeth, carved
bone fragments, a copper ear-ornament, a
silver-covered button,
potsherds; many pieces and chunks of
graphite, foliated or
micaceous hematite,
"gold-stone", and so forth. At the center
of the deposit there had been placed a
large circular plate, worked
from a peculiar "cone-in-cone"
stone, which had become badly
deteriorated. With the deposit there was
a remarkable series of
celts, or ungrooved axes, from 1 1/2 to
15 inches in length. Sev-
eral of the larger of these celts weigh
5 to 6 pounds each. The
materials from which these implements
are made include granite,
gabbro, slate, and so forth. Most of
them are very carefully
made, while others resemble digging
tools, one of which shows the
mark of the thong by which it was
attached to its handle, mattock-
like.
Many of the finer specimens among the
above were
undamaged, while others had been
intentionally broken.
Fortunately, with a few exceptions it
was possible to
recover all portions of specimens, and
to effect restora-
tions. The more interesting of the
specimens from this
cache are shown in the cuts.
There was evidence of considerable
burning in con-
nection with this cache, and a good
deal of charcoal and
charred wood were in the deposit.
However, it ap-
pears that the burning had not taken
place where the
Explorations of the Hopewell Group 47 objects were deposited, and the fact that in several in- stances portions of ceremonially broken specimens were not included in the cache, leads to the presumption that the ceremonial fire had been kindled elsewhere, and that the offering afterwards was scooped up and carried to the place of deposit. Near the center of the floor space of the mound there was found a typical rectangular basin, badly mutilated, which apparently had been used and then abandoned in favor of one or both the other basins of the structure. Deposit Number 2 (Fig. 14) was located well to- ward the northern margin of the mound and marked the first instance, in so far as the present Survey is con- cerned, where a deposit or offering of great importance |
|
48 Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications was placed directly within a basin. The basin, (Fig. 15) in this instance, was of typical form and measured 18 inches by 22 inches at the rim. It was carefully con- structed and was burned red to a considerable depth beneath its base. The deposit of specimens filled and extended outward from the basin, covering a circular space 4 1/2 feet across. The objects were intermingled with earth, clay and charcoal, apparently intentionally. |
|
Immediately over the center of the basin and at the cen- tral point of the deposit lay a large gorget-like object of sandstone, measuring 8 1/2 inches long by 4 1/2 inches wide. This object corresponded to the large decom- posed disk found at the center of Deposit Number 1, and to a similar disk in the great deposit of the Tremper Mound.8 Instances of similar marking of shrines on which such offerings were made are of frequent occur- rence. 8 Mills, William C., The Tremper Mound, Certain Mounds and Vil- lage Sites in Ohio, Volume II, part 3. |
Explorations of the Hopewell
Group 49
Other objects of the cache are: Spatulas
of bone, mostly
broken; numerous fragments of potteryware, mostly
utility; cut
strips of mica and fragments of designs;
3 flint-flake knives; 10
bear claws; 2 hammer-stones of granite; 3 granite celts; 2 elon-
gated specimens of granite, use unknown; a club-shaped
imple-
ment of sandstone; a fine bar-shaped
ornament of chlorite; a
rare cup-shaped ornament of crystal
quartz; 3 boat-shaped orna-
ments, perforated, made from large
quartz crystals; 3 bar-shaped
ornaments of Ohio pipestone; 6 bar-like
objects of chlorite; 15
gorgets, tablets, and so forth, of
chlorite; 2 notched and decorated
specimens of green chlorite; 30
cone-shaped specimens of
chlorite; 50 cones made from pyrite
nodules; and a finely made
grooved axe.
The finding of a grooved axe in a mound
of the
Hopewell culture is probably unique;
and there appear
to be only two or three authenticated
instances of the
finding of this implement in mounds of
any culture in
Ohio. The cones of pyrite (Fig. 118)
are extremely
unusual and interesting.
As in Deposit Number 1, specimens in
the second
cache were ceremonially broken up, but
to a lesser de-
gree. Something near one-half the total
number were
undamaged or slightly broken, while
most of the others,
broken in two or more parts, were
readily restored.
While several fragments of human skull
were identified
with this cache, it, like Deposit
Number 1, appears not
to have been accompanied by cremation
of human re-
mains.
MOUNDS 18 AND 19
On the map prepared by the present
Survey are
shown Mounds 18 and 19, as located on
Moorehead's
map. However, our Survey was unable to
determine
even the sites of these mounds,
although the field was
under cultivation and was scrutinized
under every pos-
sible condition. Present and former
tenants of the farm
Vol. XXXV-4.
50
Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications
had no recollection of mounds having
existed at the
points shown on the earlier map.
Of the two mounds, Moorehead says (p.
92):
"It (No. 18) was found to be about
75 feet longest diameter
by 55 feet east and west, and 3 feet 8
inches in height. There
was an altar in it, the base of which
was 1 foot 4 inches long by
1 foot 3 inches in width and 2 3/4 inches deep. * * * In this
mound there were some incised human
maxillaries, a platform or
monitor pipe, and various layers of different colored
earth."
"The men dug out No. 19, which
appears to have been dis-
turbed. This was a small mound 54 by 53
feet and 3 feet high.
It contained a rude stone layer and an
altar of clay, in the de-
pression of which were carbonized bones,
some human, some
mica and galena, fragments of bone
implements and two flake
knives. The altar was taken out entire.
As it was only partly
burnt and not much harder than sun-dried
brick, no little diffi-
culty was experienced in removing it. It
was not shipped, and
still lies in the mound, boxed, and
covered with 3 feet of earth."
MOUND NUMBER 20
Of this mound Moorehead (p. 94) says
"(it) is one
of a group of four, numbered 9, 10, 11
and 20, which
form almost a square." He also
records its examina-
tion.
It is clear, however, that this
structure is a victim
of mistaken identity, since our Survey
found it to be
undisturbed. The most plausible
explanation, viewed
in the light of completed explorations
and borne out by
recollections of old inhabitants, is
that a low mound
(27) lying outside the orchard to the
east, and not far
removed from the actual Number 20, is
the mound de-
scribed in Moorehead's report. There
can be no error
in our identification of Mound Number
20, since Moore-
head accepts its location as shown on
the Squier and
Davis map, and so numbers it on his
own; however, he
makes no mention, as such, of the mound
above referred
|
Mound N 20 Hopewell Group. --6 ft--- FIG. 16. Floor Plan of Mound Number 20. (51) |
52 Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications to as Number 27 which, as will be noted on the present map, is in close proximity to Number 20. The recent examination showed Mound Number 20 to be approximately 25 feet in diameter, with a height at center of 20 inches. It yielded three burials -- two of which were cremated -- and a small rectangular |
|
FIG. 17. Cremated Burial Number 1, of Mound 20. basin, in addition to a burned area some four feet across, upon which were strewn small sheets and frag- ments of mica (Fig. 16). Burial Number 1 occupied approximately the cen- ter of the mound, and consisted of the usual amount of coarsely cremated skeletal remains (Fig. 17) resting upon an elevated earthen surface about three inches higher than the surrounding floor. Above and around the burial was a conical covering of stones, with a lat- |
Explorations of the Hopewell
Group 53
eral extent of 5 feet. With the remains
were found two
copper ear-spools, and an unusual
copper object (Fig.
117) in the form of conjoined tubes,
each of which en-
closes a tubular bone.
Burial Number 2 was that of an uncremated elderly
adult, rather badly decomposed. It lay
extended upon
the back, head to the north-east. It
was unaccompa-
nied by artifacts.
Burial Number 3 comprised the cremated remains
of an adult, the charred bones being
strewn along the
right side of Burial 2, reaching from
neck to knee.
The Basin of this mound lay to the south-east, par-
allel with Burials 2 and 3. It measured
17 inches by 22
inches, and was well made and sharply
outlined. The
location of the mica sheets was well
out toward the
north-west margin of the mound.
MOUNDS 21 AND 22
These were two very small mounds,
located at north
center of the large enclosure. They
were hardly notice-
able except when the surface was
freshly plowed. Ex-
amination showed that cultivation had
extended to and
below their base levels and had
completely obliterated
any burials which they may have
contained.
MOUND NUMBER 23
With the exception of Mound Number 25,
this was
the largest tumulus of the Hopewell
Group. Its di-
mensions at the time of Moorehead's
examination
are given as 150 feet long and from 10
to 12
feet high. Its width, as nearly as
could be determined
by the present Survey, was a trifle
less than 55 feet,
and the height had been reduced to less
than three
54
Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications
feet. Tests showed that with the
exception of the
western one-third, the mound had been
pretty thor-
oughly examined by the former survey
and, the field
being in corn, the final examination
was confined to this
unexplored portion. Beginning at the
western end, ex-
ploration was carried forward the
entire width of the
mound for a distance of 50 feet. At 40
feet in, the
examination came upon the disturbed area.
The un-
disturbed portion of the mound was
composed of grav-
elly loam until a primary mound, which
lay mostly
within the disturbed area, was reached.
This interior
mound was composed of highly colored
mottled earths,
perhaps the most striking seen in any
mound of the
group. The floor or base level
throughout was well
defined, was covered with sand, and
bore scattering
post-molds. Two burials only were
encountered by our
Survey -- the western end of the
tumulus being almost
destitute of graves.
Burial Number 1, located near the north margin
some 30 feet in from the west end, was
a cremation, with
which were placed a pair of copper ear
ornaments and
a finely preserved container, made from
an ocean shell.
Three large flat stones had been set up
around the
burial.
Burial Number 2 contained
the uncremated skele-
ton of a middle-aged individual -- the
smallest adult
found in the entire group. Although the
skeleton was
poorly preserved, precluding exact
measurement, it was
evident that it represented a person of
less than 5 feet
in height. This burial lay within the
primary mound,
the greater portion of which had been
examined by
Moorehead. The body had been placed
upon a bed of
Explorations of the Hopewell
Group 55
bark and was surrounded by small
timbers. With it
were found a copper ear-spool in each
hand; a long flat
pierced bodkin or needle, of bone, and
a portion of a
rounded bone awl, at the left femur; a
finely fashioned
flint-flake knife at the head and a
similar specimen at
the left hand.
Around the margin of Mound 23 was the
typical
wall of stones and gravel, while
throughout the body
of the structure there extended two or
more ceremonial
strata of sand and fine gravel.
More than 50 burials and two basins
were discovered
by Moorehead during his examination of
this mound.
A number of these burials -- perhaps 10
or 12 -- ap-
parently were of an intrusive nature. A
number of in-
teresting specimens accompanied the
burials, among
which were some unusual examples of
human jaws cut
and perforated for ornaments or
trophies; several pipes,
and many copper plates, pearl beads,
and so forth. The
most striking finds of the mound,
however, were a cop-
per spud, 12 inches long and weighing
17 pounds (Fig.
47) and a unique dish or bowl, of white
limestone, 14
inches in diameter and weighing 12
pounds (Fig. 56).
MOUND NUMBER 24
In his report Moorehead describes the
examination
of Mound 24, and appends a floor plan
thereof, but fails
to show its location on his map. The
mound was identi-
fied, however, through the finding in
an unrecorded
mound of the disturbed graves as shown
on his floor
plan. It is situated a short distance
north-west of
Mound 3, with which and Number 2 it
forms a triangle.
It is so located on our map.
56
Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications
Our Survey found this mound to be 50
feet in diame-
ter and 30 inches in height. It was
composed uniformly
of a clay loam, and rested upon a
distinct floor made
by plastering over the original surface
two inches of
black muck or marl, presumably from one
of the nearby
spring runs.
It was found that the southern one-half
of this
mound had been but slightly disturbed
and examination
thereof revealed a small finely made
crematory basin
measuring 22 inches by 28 inches; three
typical cre-
mated burials, with one of which was a
copper ear-spool
and sheets of mica; and two additional
burials -- one of
which was cremated -- which appear to
have com-
prised parts of the skeletal remains of
one and the same
individual. The uncremated remains
consisted entirely
of the lower portion of the skeleton,
from the hips down-
ward, in place and undisturbed; while
at a distance of
3 feet lay the cremated burial, only
partly consumed
and consisting entirely of bones of the
skull and upper
parts of the body. Comparison of the
remains in the
two deposits indicates that they
pertain to the same
person.
Moorehead's examination of this mound
revealed
several burials, with one of which were
placed a trophy
skull and various artifacts.
Explorations of the Hopewell
Group 57
MOUND NUMBER 25
Mound Number 25, formerly known as the
"Effigy
Mound" is by far the largest and
the most important of
the Hopewell group. Its original
dimensions, according
to Squier and Davis, were 500 feet
long, 180 feet wide
and 33 feet high. At the time of
Moorehead's examina-
tion the maximum height of the mound
was 23 feet, its
length 550 feet and its width 220 feet.
His estimate of
the original area covered by the mound
is 400 feet by
160 feet.
Divergence of opinion as to the lateral
extent of a
mound is inevitable, since no two
persons would agree
exactly as to where its margins
terminate. Obviously,
the external dimensions and extent of
the structure are
unimportant, except in so far as they
may furnish clues
as to its original form. Internal
dimensions, or extent
of floor space, however, generally are
unchanged and
available through complete examination,
and in the case
of Mound 25 these were definitely determined
by our
Survey.
Mound Number 25 (Fig. 18) was found to
cover an
elliptical floor surface approximately
470 feet long and
130 feet maximum width. This prepared
floor level
was enclosed, corral-like, by a ridge
or circumvallation
composed of stones and coarse gravel,
(Figs. 19 and
20) varying from 18 inches to 3 feet in
height and hav-
ing a lateral extent of from 10 to 16
feet. The interior
aspect of this encircling wall was as
abrupt as practical
construction would permit, while the
outer descent, from
its crest to the surface level, was an
easy decline repre-
senting at least two-thirds of the
total width of the wall.
|
FIG. 19. First Cut in Mound 25, West end. Showing the Stone Wall. FIG. 20. Cut in Mound 25, 50 feet in from the West, showing Section of Wall or Circumvallation of Stones and Earth. (59) |
60
Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications
Upon this slope, at several points,
were evidences of the
activities of its builders. A definite
surface was noted,
upon which were the remains of fires,
accompanied by
considerable charred matter. This was
particularly
true of the western end of the mound,
where consider-
able quantities of quartz crystal
fragments, chips of
flint and obsidian, and so forth, were
strewn about.
Although our examination disclosed 95
feet of un-
disturbed floor intervening between the
extreme west-
ern end of the mound and Moorehead's
westernmost
cut (No. 4), the sole result was the
finding of two post-
molds and a small fire-place. As in
Mound Number 23
-- the next larger of the group -- the
westernmost one-
fourth of the structure was devoid of
burials. A care-
fully prepared floor level obtained
throughout this
sterile section, but there were no
primary or interior
mounds, in which it later developed most
burials of the
tumulus occurred.
The location and extent of Moorehead's
western-
most cut is shown on the accompanying
floor plan (Fig.
21). Of this section his report (p.
113) says:
"Section 4. Skeleton 262 was found only
18 inches below
the surface. A large stone celt lay near
the neck. It is highly
probable that it was an intrusive
burial. Skeleton 263, that of a
child, was found near the surface on the
north side. Skeleton
276 was found on the base line. There
were no objects with it.
The floor of this section presented the
same appearance as that
of sections 2 and 3, being
burned hard, but no platforms sur-
rounded by trenches were found."
From this description, it appears that
Section 4
yielded to the former survey a single
burial attributable
to the builders of the mound. However,
as will be noted
on the floor plan, a total of eight
additional burials,
Explorations of the Hopewell
Group 61
three of which were rich in artifacts,
were discovered
by the present Survey in this disturbed
section. Three
of these lay just outside the southern
limit of the old
cut, while the five others lay in close
proximity beneath
a stratum of hard gravel slightly more
than one foot
above the floor. It is evident that
this cement-like cov-
ering was mistaken for the floor, a
circumstance which,
under the handicap attending the work,
is not surpris-
ing.
Throughout our examination photographs
and
drawings of the wall of the mound,
corresponding to
the various cuts, were made and careful
measurements
were placed upon the field map. The cut
at the 100-foot
line (Fig. 22) shows the entire wall
across the body of
the mound; the margins of the old cut
where it inter-
cepted the floor level and passed
upwards, the markings
of the undisturbed portions at either
end being in strong
contrast to the mixed homogeneous soil
of the central
disturbed portion; the cuts through the
stone wall at
either end, with their characteristic
overlying strata of
gravel; and the clean original outer
slopes of the mound.
The position, orientation and location
of all burials
are shown on the accompanying floor
plan; and in order
to avoid tiresome details of minor
importance, only
those burials of unusual interest will
be described in
detail.
Burials I and 2, adults, lay 4 1/2 feet above the floor
and 2 1/2 feet below the present
surface of the mound.
They, with Number 3, were the only
burials disclosed
which were not upon the base line. Both
1 and 2 had
been placed upon a bed of gravel,
presumably at the
same time. With Number 1 were several
hundred pearl
Explorations of the Hopewell
Group 63
beads, at the neck; 2 copper ear-spools
under the head;
and six large bear canines, three of
which were cut or
sawed into two parts. Burial 2 was
without artifacts.
Both skeletons were badly deteriorated.
Burial Number 3 lay 6 feet above the floor, upon a
bed of gravel; adult, badly
deteriorated. Stones, both
large and small, were placed at the
head and feet; on
the chest was a large saucer-shaped
gorget of marine
shell, and on the forearms numerous
beads of small
univalve shells. None of the above
burials was in-
trusive.
Burial Number 4, cremated, was of unusual inter-
est. The charred bones, those of a
massive adult, lay
toward the north-west corner of a
raised earthen plat-
form measuring 7 feet by 4 1/2 feet. At
the south end of
the platform lay two shield-shaped
ornaments of mica;
four thin copper figures resembling in
form a modern
tobacco pipe; and an elaborate curved
head-plate of
copper, decorated with cut-out
conventional designs.
Burial Number 5 comprised portions of a skeleton
which had been disturbed by the plow.
With it was a
stone celt. Possibly intrusive.
Burial 6 and 7 -- These burials, (Fig. 23) occu-
pying a common grave, were richly
supplied with arti-
facts and in several respects exhibited
features probably
unique in Ohio mound exploration. They
lay extended
upon the back, heads to the south-west,
with a space of
three feet intervening between them.
The skeletons
lay upon a heavy bed of bark, placed
directly upon the
floor. The skeleton of Number 6 (to the
south) was that
of a young male of about 5 feet 11
inches in height, and
of striking massiveness and
muscularity. At the head,
64 Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications neck, wrists and knees were hundreds of pearl beads, ranging from very small to exceedingly large fine speci- mens. Along with these were more than 50 button- shaped ornaments, made variously from stone, clay and wood, with copper coverings; at each ear, a copper ear |
|
ornament; at the neck six extremely large bear canines, measuring almost 4 inches in length, cleverly cut into two or more sections and set with large pearls; beneath the head, hips and knees, large copper plates, more than one foot in length, upon which were preserved cloth and fabric; lying across each collar bone, from points |
Explorations of the Hopewell Group 65 beneath the ears to about the lower extremity of the breast-bone, two unique copper objects, skewer-shaped, 3/8 inch in diameter and about one foot in length. The last-named were cord-wrapped and apparently had served as supports or ornaments for hair braids. Skeleton Number 7 was that of a young adult of medium height and build, apparently a female, and was |
|
even more elaborately decorated than its companion. Along the left side, upon strips of bark and placed in a straight row from head to foot, were more than 50 copper ear ornaments of the usual form; encircling the entire skeleton was a line of pearl beads and copper- covered buttons; at the head, neck, knees and hips, hun- dreds of pearl beads; under the head, hips and knees, Vol. XXXV--5. |
66 Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications
copper plates; in each hand two copper
bracelets of
unusual form; and at the neck, as in
the companion
burial, two copper skewers similar to
but not quite as
long as those with Skeleton Number 6.
The most striking feature, however, of
these com-
panion burials, is that the skull of
each was supplied
with an artificial nose of copper. This
(Fig. 24) was
effected by inserting into the nostrils
funnel-shaped
copper tubes of about 2 1/2 inches in
length, having the
outer openings made to correspond to
the nostril aper-
tures. These copper noses were firmly
imbedded in place
in both skulls, and afford striking
imitations of the orig-
inal features. The copper noses
doubtless were post-
mortem insertions, and if one wished to
indulge in sur-
mise it is easily conceivable that the
Hopewell builders,
obviously familiar with human anatomy
and thus re-
alizing that the nasal appendage
quickly decomposes
after death, supplied this young couple
with imperish-
able noses, that they might not pass
into the beyond
lacking these useful and ornamental
facial features.
Number 8, the remaining burial of this particular
group, was that of a cremated
individual, without arti-
facts.
The puzzling situation resulting from
the finding of
this group of burials at practically
the center of the old
cut was difficult to clear up. What
otherwise would
have been easily apparent was
complicated by the ir-
regular disturbance of the former
examination in this
portion of the mound. As nearly as
could be deter-
mined, however, the group of five
burials, in close prox-
imity and occupying a space not more
than 15 feet
across, had been covered by a low mound
not exceeding
Explorations of the Hopewell
Group 67
one foot in height which, in turn, had
received a thin
covering of clay and gravel. This
covering stratum
had become highly indurated and closely
resembled the
floor proper of the mound, for which it
apparently was
mistaken. Unlike other interior mounds
of the struc-
ture, that covering this westernmost
group of burials
lacked the definite circumferential
line of post-molds as
well as the log structures enclosing
individual graves.
There were, indeed, large outlying log-molds,
suggest-
ing a charnel house for the several
burials, but these
had been mostly obliterated by the
former examination.
In the absence of individual log
structures there was
nothing to indicate the presence of the
several graves
until their contents were disclosed
through removal of
the hard-packed earth above them.
Continuation of our examination
disclosed, 175 feet
in, the margin of what proved to be the
most important
of several primary or interior mounds
of the main struc-
ture. Moorehead's westernmost cut had
touched upon
its western edge (see floor plan),
intercepting a single
burial; his Section 3 had cut through
its center and his
Section 6 corresponded to its eastern
end. This great
interior mound was 135 feet from east
to west and 75
feet in width.
Burials 9 and 10, the first discovered in the large
interior mound, were uncremated adults,
with only
minor artifacts accompanying them. The
grave of
Number 10, however, was an interesting
example of the
timber structures characteristic of
Hopewell burials.
It measured 7 1/2 feet long by 3 1/2
feet wide and was com-
posed of exceptionally large timbers,
some of which
were above 6 inches in diameter. At
each corner there
68
Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications
had been set a post, for support of the
structure, while
exteriorly there had been driven stakes
to hold the three
tiers of logs in place.
At the point shown on the floor plan
there was
found an extensive log-mold, the timber
of which had
been burned. In the resulting ashes
were found numer-
ous beads, bear canines, fragments of
mica and so forth.
Burial Number II comprised the skeleton of a mid-
dle-aged individual 5 feet 8 inches in
height. The raised
earthen platform on which it lay was
enclosed by a pre-
tentious log structure, two logs deep,
which measured
10 feet long by 6 feet wide. The logs
were held in place
by small posts at the corners and by
stakes and large
stones at the ends and sides
exteriorly. While most
burials of the mound had coverings of
bark on which
the body was laid, in this burial
(Figs. 25-26) the plat-
form had a covering of fine gravel to a
depth of one
inch. At the left center of the
platform was a large
ocean shell container; at the lower
left were eight large
bone awls made from leg-bones of the
deer, sticking up-
right in the platform; in the left hand
were two copper
ear ornaments, and in the right hand
six incisor teeth
of the bear, perforated for beads. At
each ear was a
copper ear-spool, and at the neck and
wrists numerous
pearl beads. At right center of the
platform were two
large copper breast-plates while at the
neck were four
very large canines, two of them cut
with a mitred joint
and set with pearls.
At the top of the skull lay an
elaborate head-dress
which consisted primarily of a
rectangular curved head-
plate, with large oval copper wings on
either side. This
bird-like head-dress had been assembled
on a saucer-
|
FIG. 25. Face of the Cut in Mound 25, at the 200-foot line showing, from left to right, post-holes, Burial 11, Stone Pavement and Burial 12. (69) |
|
FIG. 26. Burial No. 11, Mound 25, with its Copper Head-dr (70) |
Explorations of the Hopewell Group 71 shaped wooden base, parts of which were fairly well preserved. Along the margins of the wings lay, in place, small designs cut from mica, which evidently had been |
|
fastened to them for ornamentation. The remains of a bonnet-like appendage of woven fabric indicated the original form of the complete head-dress, and to this |
72 Ohio Arch. and Hist.
Society Publications
fabric had been sewed large pearl
beads, bear claws,
bird feathers and the head of a small
raptorial, pre-
sumably a hawk. This remarkable
head-dress, which
was in unexpectedly good condition, is
shown in Fig.
106.
An interesting detail of the process of
building the
mound was the finding, adjacent to
Burial Number 11,
of a "load" of component
earth in its carrying basket.
Evidently the load of earth, consisting
of about 30
pounds of light-colored clay, had been
added to the thou-
sands of others composing the great
structure, "basket-
and-all". The clods of earth
surrounding this load of
earth, with their imprint of the basket
weave, were care-
fully turned back, and together with
the load itself were
photographed, as shown in Fig. 27. The
material of
the receptacle, of which only the
imprint remained, re-
sembles more closely a coarse angularly
woven fabric
rather than true basketry.
Burial Number 12 -- A good illustration of the
caving down of earth above a grave
following the decay
of the enclosing timber structure is
shown in this burial
(Fig. 28). The arch-like opening in
this case was 7 feet
long and 4 1/2 feet wide, extending
about 6 feet above the
floor level. It was not unusual to find
this loose arched
condition extending practically to the
top of the mound,
in some instances more than 10 feet
above the base.
With this burial -- the skeleton of a
medium sized
adult in early middle life -- were
found, at the neck, a
large number of seed pearl beads;
copper plates beneath
the right shoulder and the knees; and a
short copper
tube, enclosing slender reeds, in the
left hand.
Burial Number I3 comprised
the skeleton of a
|
FIG. 28. Arched Opening Above Burial 12, Mound 25, Resulting from Falling in of the Log Structure Enclosing the Skeleton. (73) |
74
Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications
young adult of less than average
height. It was the
only burial disclosed by our Survey in
which the body
had been laid upon a bed of charcoal,
carefully spread
over a bed of gravel covering the
burial platform. With
this burial, at each hand, was a large
copper helmet-like
curved head-plate, while at the wrists
were a few pearl
beads.
RARE FINDS OF FORMER SURVEY
With the continuation eastward of the
work of ex-
ploration, the second of five trenches
or cuts made by
the former survey was encountered. The
form, size
and location of this and others of the
old cuts are shown
on the accompanying floor-plan of the
mound. It was
in this cut, corresponding closely to
the center of the
great interior primary mound, that the
Moorehead sur-
vey made its most impressive finds.
These consisted of
the noted deposit of copper designs and
figures, placed
apparently as a votive offering within
the body of the
mound; a remarkable offering of copper
implements,
placed with a double burial on the
floor of the structure;
and a "cache" of
miscellaneous objects found within a
so-called altar, or basin.
The location of the deposit of copper
designs, since
it lay well above the floor-line, could
only be approx-
imated by our Survey from the presence
in the disturbed
earth of numerous fragments and scales
of copper. Of
this interesting find Moorehead says
(p. 109):
Near the center of the section, four
feet from the base line,
were found 120 pieces of sheet copper. They were all laid flat,
and occupied a space three feet long and
two feet wide, with
layers of bark above and below. There
were no skeletal remains
connected with this deposit, nor was any
altar found near it.
* * * Many of the plates were worked
into various patterns.
Very few of them were of forms known to
exist in Ohio, the
Explorations of the Hopewell
Group 75
greater part of the designs being
unique. The field list is as
follows: A long mass of copper, covered with wood on
one side,
squares and five other traceable things on the
reverse; 18 single
copper rings, two of which are small;
double copper rings, one
set of three and one set of two; five
saucer-shaped disks; saw-
shaped design, arrowhead and other
unknown things massed to-
gether; one combination design of circles and bars;
smaller mass
of copper, wheels, etc.; two
fragmentary fish and one whole fish,
resembling the red-horse; two
diamond-shaped stencils of cop-
per; three long copper plates, one of
them perforated; two
swastika crosses; four copper
spool-shaped ornaments; two with
four holes in each; one mass of ten
little copper circles; four
comb-shaped or bear effigies; two
spoon-shaped pieces of copper;
40 pieces of copper, square, circles,
etc., many fragmentary; 11
pieces showing semi-circles, straight
edges, squares, etc.; one
small cross with two arms.
The more important of the above types
are shown,
much reduced in size, in Figures 151
and 152. These
cuts are taken from outline drawings of
the specimens,
missing portions of which are indicated
by dotted lines.
Duplicate specimens of these copper
figures, in so far as
they were available, were secured by
the Museum in its
exchange with the Field Museum, while
replicas were
made of specimens of which no
duplicates were to be
had.
A remarkable series of designs in
copper, both in
repousse and scroll work, were taken
from the Mound
City group.9
The earthen platform on which the
double burial
and its accompanying tribute of copper
axes and plates
lay was readily located by the
Survey. Portions of
skeletal remains, fragments of copper
and a very small
copper axe less than two inches long
(Fig. 47) remained
to mark the location of the remarkable
find removed by
9 Mills,
William C., Exploration of the Mound City Group, Certain
Mounds and Village Sites in Ohio, Vol.
3, Part 4.
76 Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications
the former survey. Moorehead's
description of this
burial (p. 110) follows:
Two skeletons, Nos. 260 and 261, lay
together near the base
line, with the heads west. The mass of
material deposited with
them exceeds that associated with any
other burial so far dis-
covered in the United States. The
objects were laid so as to
form a rectangle 7 feet long and 5 feet
wide, and were frequently
so closely spaced as to overlap one
another. The most remark-
able find was a copper celt 22 inches
long, which weighed 38
pounds. In spite of its size it was very
symmetrical.
The objects covering the two skeletons
were as follows:
Sixty-six copper celts, ranging in
length from 1 1/2 to 22 1/2 inches;
one stone celt 11 inches long; 23 copper
plates, mostly frag-
mentary, and a great number of pieces;
one very large jaw; a
curious copper head ornament; a broken
shell; some very fine
pearls, pearl and shell beads and teeth;
carved bones and bone
fragments; effigies; meteoric iron,
partly worked copper, etc.;
and colored earth.
The large copper celt, together with
the small one
found by our Survey, illustrated in
Fig. 47, afford a
good comparison of the great range in
size of the im-
plements of this offering.
Of the basin found in this section, and
its contents,
Moorehead says (p. 113):
It was evident that a quantity of wood
had first been placed
in the basin of the altar, and that the
earth had been heaped over
it and the objects, while it was still
burning. Thus, although the
contents of the altar were badly charred
and burned, not all the
objects had been destroyed. The objects
had been heaped in the
cavity of the altar without any
regularity of position and in-
cluded mica ornaments, spool-shaped
copper ornaments, copper
balls, many other copper objects, large
beads, bear's and panther's
teeth, carved bones, several effigies
carved out of stone, stone
tablets, slate ornaments, beautiful
stone and terra-cotta rings,
quartz crystals worked in various forms,
flint knives, and cloth.
The location of this basin was readily
apparent, but
the basin itself either had been
removed or destroyed.
Explorations of the Hopewell
Group 77
Two additional burials of this Section,
removed by
the Moorehead survey, were of
exceptional interest. Of
his burial Number 278, he says (p.
111):
The remarkable incised portion of a
human femur * * *
was taken from beside the head of this
skeleton. A pair of shell
ear pendants was found near the neck. It
is interesting to note
that a similar ornament is represented
in the lobe of the ear of
the carved human figure illustrated in
(see Fig. 137). A num-
ber of small pearl beads, two copper ear
ornaments of the usual
form, several perforated bear's teeth,
two of which were inlaid
with pearls, and (a) large, finely
executed imitation bear's tooth
of antler were also obtained with this
skeleton. There was also
a remarkable human effigy of cannel
coal.
The following objects were found with
(Burial 281): Three
copper plates, one of which lay beneath
the hips, another below
the shoulders and a third under the
head, two of these being the
largest found; a copper helmet shaped
head-dress; copper ear
ornaments; a clay hemisphere covered
with metal; a number of
copper beads, the first found in this
mound; a finely carved sec-
tion of human femur (See Fig. 149) a
portion of a delicately
wrought ornament of tortoise shell. * *
* A bird effigy and
an otter or beaver, both carved in bone,
were found by the side
of the head.
The effigy referred to as an otter or
beaver, is illus-
trated in Fig. 135. It appears to
represent the otter
with a captured shoveller duck, and is
one of the most
striking of the mound carvings. It is
of the hollow
effigy class, and the outline of the
bird is indicated on
the under part and within the cavity by
incised lines.
Emerging from this disturbed section of
the former
survey, there were disclosed in
succession Burials 14
to 22.
Burial Number 14 was that of a cremated body, oc-
cupying a slightly raised surface over
which a small
primary mound and a covering of stones
and coarse
gravel had been erected. It was
supplied with a few
shell beads.
78 Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications Burial Number 15, the skeleton of a young adult (Fig. 29), badly deteriorated, was placed upon the usual slightly elevated earthen platform within its log en- closure. It was accompanied by a single flint-flake knife. |
|
Burial Number 16 contained the skeleton of a very young adult, of medium height. A few shell beads and three flake knives accompanied the altogether typical burial. Burial Number 17 was a typical cremated burial, with log enclosure. It was accompanied by a number of button-shaped pierced beads of mother-of-pearl, and two copper ear-spools. |
Explorations of the Hopewell
Group 79
Burials 18, 19 and
20 -- These
were typical cre-
mated burials, without special
features. With Number
18 was found a small flare-bitted
copper axe, while
Number 20 was accompanied by two copper
pendants
of the size and form of tea-spoon
bowls, and a notched
flint spear-point, 6 1/2 inches long,
made from blue-gray
translucent Flint Ridge material.
Burial Number 21 comprised the badly decomposed
skeleton of an adult, lying extended
upon the back, with
the head to the east. Preparation of
the grave was
entirely typical, except that the
timbers composing the
log structure were unusually large. At
the chest were
four bear canines, drilled for
attachment and pearl-set,
two of them being cut or sawed into two
parts. At the
right side of the head lay an unusual
platform pipe.
This specimen, shown as Fig. 71, is
small and unusually
delicate, the material being a glossy
greenish-black
steatite.
Burial Number 22 -- This
was a double burial,
(Fig. 30) the skeletons occupying an
earthen platform
hardly wider than that usually prepared
for a single
individual, and the log-molds enclosing
it being much
smaller than in the typical grave. The
skeletal remains
were those of a young male, of medium
size and, at his
right side, shoulders touching, the
skeleton of a young
female. They had been deposited upon a
bed of bark
with a similar covering above.
The skeleton of the female was almost
barren of
adornment, nothing more than a few
pearl beads at the
neck and wrists being found. However,
an elongated
rectangular strip of mica, cut into
form, lay across the
left humerus of the female and the
right humerus of
80 Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications the male, apparently so placed as a connecting tie be- tween the two. The male skeleton was more richly endowed. At the neck and left wrist were hundreds of pearl and shell beads; at the neck, four grizzly canines, set with pearls, two of them interestingly repaired by means of bone plugs or dowels; at the left wrist were 22 split bear teeth, |
|
perforated with three holes each; at the left hand, a beautifully wrought spear-point, 9 inches long and ex- ceedingly thin and symmetrical, made from a translu- cent amber-colored chalcedony. At the pelvis was a rectangular copper plate and at the right side of the chest a similar plate; at the ears were copper ear-spools; at the right hand, two beaver incisors and two cut jaws of the wolf; at the right side of the head, between the two skulls, was a curved copper head-plate, helmet- |
Explorations of the Hopewell Group 81 shaped; and between the knees, a highly polished celt of cannel-coal, 6 inches in length. Burial Number 23, as will be noted on the floor- plan of the mound, lay outside the large primary mound, occupying a small separate post-enclosed compartment to itself. In this burial (Fig. 31) the usual log struc- |
|
ture immediately enclosing the remains was lacking, and instead of the raised platform the skeletons occupied a rectangular basin, 8 inches in depth. The burial was a double one, but the skeletal remains were so badly de- teriorated that it was impossible to determine the sex of either of the two adults represented. The skeleton at the north side of the grave had noth- ing more than a flake knife placed with it. That to the Vol. XXXV--6. |
82
Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications
south had at the neck four pearl-set
canines of the black
bear, a pair of copper ear-spools and a
few pearl beads;
and on the chest a crescent-shaped
copper ornament, 12
inches in length. This specimen, badly
deteriorated, is
in the form of the conventional
"new moon" and is
one of only two found in the Hopewell
group by the
present survey. A fine specimen of this
type was taken
from the Seip Mound.10
Burial Number 24 comprised the uncremated re-
mains of a medium-sized male of middle
age, in an ad-
vanced stage of deterioration. At the
north-east corner
of the grave was a large post-mold and
at intervals
around the enclosing log-molds were
stake-holes, the
stakes having been driven in around the
log structure
to hold it in place. This feature is
quite common in
connection with the log enclosures of
the Hopewell
mounds, but was particularly marked in
this instance.
A typical copper plate lay at the top
of the skull, with
large pearl beads at the perforations,
and a similar plate
lay under the dorsal vertebrae, just
above the pelvis.
An interesting feature of this plate is
the fine imprint
on its upper face of an elaborate
garment or robe, the
lower portion being of woven fabric and
the upper part
of fur. At each ear of the skeleton was
a copper spool
while at the neck and wrists were
numerous pearl beads.
At the right hand were two cut jaws of
the mountain
lion and at the neck were four canines
of the grizzly
bear, one of them plain, one set with a
large pearl, while
a third had the tip sawed off and was
ingeniously
mended with bone dowels. The fourth
specimen was
10 Mills, William C., The Seip Mound,
Certain Mounds and Village
Sites in Ohio, Vol. II, part 1.
Explorations of the Hopewell Group 83 in five pieces as a result of the characteristic checking and splitting and had been ingeniously reassembled and restored by means of bone dowel-pins passing through the detached portions into the body of the tooth. At the feet of the skeleton lay a large container made from a fulgur shell. |
|
Burial Number 25 -- This burial contained the skeleton of a young male of 5 feet 9 inches in height, moderately well preserved. In this typical burial the bark bed and covering of bark were strongly marked, the covering having been laid transversely across the body. At the neck and wrists were numerous pearl beads; at each ear, a copper spool to which large pearl beads had been attached; at the right side of the head |
84
Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications
a rectangular tablet of tortoise-shell,
a small mica orna-
ment and a short bone spatula.
Upon the chest of the skeleton (Fig.
32) there was
found an unusual pendant. This was made
from the
lower jaw of the barracuda, a
perforation through the
anterior end serving for suspension
from the neck.
The specimen (Fig. 90) has, in addition
to the canine,
a total of 26 teeth.
Burials 28 and 29 were typical cremated burials
without special significance. With
number 29 was
found a large sheet of mica.
Burials 26, 27, 30, 31 and 32: This group of five
burials, all of which were cremated,
represented a dis-
tinct departure from conditions
obtaining in Mound
Number 25 up to the time of their
disclosure. They
occupied a distinct small primary mound
to the south-
east of the large primary in which the
preceding burials
were found, and presented features
strikingly different
from those attending the typical burials
of the struc-
ture.
In comparison with others of the main
structure the
primary mound covering this group of
burials appeared
almost archaic in character.
With the exception of Burial Number 26,
the
graves within it showed but little
preparation, only
slight indications of small timbers
being in evidence and
the cremated remains being
unaccompanied by artifacts.
Burial Number 26 occupied
a rectangular basin-
like grave, dug into the floor to a
depth of 10 inches and
measuring 4 1/2 feet long by 4 feet wide.
Bordering the
sides of the grave, on the floor line,
were a number of
large stones -- 15 in all. These stones
apparently had
Explorations of the Hopewell
Group 85
been selected for their attractive
appearance, they being
mainly mica schists with inclusions of
small iron garnets,
and handsome granites. The stones had
been subjected
to heat and were much decomposed. With
the cremated
remains were two copper ear-spools.
At the western margin of this primary
mound, cor-
responding closely to the location of
burials 26 and 27,
there were a number of post-molds.
ADDITIONAL PREVIOUS FINDS
It will be noted on the floor-plan that
with the re-
moval of the burials above described,
the Survey was
passing through another disturbed
section (Number 6)
of the former survey. Two features of
this disturbed
section deserve mention. Of his burials
289 and 290 --
two of four disclosed by Moorehead's
examination in
this cut -- he says (p. 114):
Bowlders to a thickness of 14 or 15
inches had been laid over
the bodies. At the heads, bowlders the
size of a man's fist had
been arranged in arch, sheltering the
skulls, which were fairly
well preserved. A peculiar substance
similar to resin or gum
was found upon the shoulder blades of
one skeleton.
In digging through the disturbed earth
on the site of
this double burial, our Survey found a
specimen made
from the resin or gum above referred
to. This was in
the form of a pear-shaped pendant, with
a double per-
foration through the top or smaller
end, and measures
1 3/4 inches long by 1 1/2 inches in diameter. It is shown
as Fig. 113.
The second of two basins found by the
Moorehead
survey was situated in this section. Of
it (p. 114) he
says:
The objects found in it had been heaped
above the fire, as in
the altar previously described. It was
somewhat larger than the
86 Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications
latter and included more objects. Most
of the finds were of the
same character, but in addition it
contained obsidian and some
fine pipes.
From his Section Number 2, separated by
only a few
feet of undisturbed mound from the old
Section 6,
Moorehead removed a total of 18
burials, the most in-
teresting of which was his Burial
Number 248. Of this
he says (p. 107):
The skeleton, which was badly decayed,
was 5 feet, 11 inches
long. * * * At the right shoulder lay a
large platform pipe
and a beautiful agate spear-head. A
copper plate lay on the
breast, and another on the abdomen,
while a third lay under the
hips. These plates, when lifted, were
found not only to have
preserved cloth and sinews, but portions
of the muscles of the
individual. Cut, sawed and split bears'
teeth covered the chest
and abdomen, and several spool-shaped
ornaments and buttons
of copper were found among the ribs. The
body had apparently
been dressed in a cloth garment,
extending from the neck to the
knees, upon which had been sewn several
thousand beads, some
of pearl and others of shell. Upon the
skirt of the garment had
been sewn some of the largest and most
beautiful pearl beads
found in any of the mounds, together
with bears' teeth, etc.
The head had been decorated with a
remarkable head-dress
of wood and copper. The mass of copper
in the center was
originally in the form of a semi-circle
reaching from the lower
jaw to the crown of the head. It had
been crushed flat by the
weight of the earth, but part of the
original contour was still
apparent. The antler-shaped ornaments
were made of wood, en-
cased in sheets of copper, one-sixteenth
of an inch thick. They
originally had four prongs of nearly
equal length.
This remarkable burial is an
illustration of the pop-
ularity with the Hopewell culture
peoples of antlers as
adjuncts of the head-dress. A
head-dress found by
Moorehead with his burial 260-261 bears
the short bud-
ding or "velvet" antlers,
while an elaborate engraving
on bone of a human head, illustrated in
his report shows
the antlers attached to the head-dress.
A remarkable
Explorations of the Hopewell
Group 87
series of imitation antlers in copper
was taken from
Mound Number 13 of the Mound City
group. (p. 366.)
In his Section 1, toward the east end
of Mound 25,
Moorehead found no burials.
The remaining burials found by the
present Survey
in Mound 25--numbers 33 to 47--lay
within the eastern-
most of the several interior primary
mounds or charnel-
houses of the great structure. As will
be noted on the
floor plan, Section Number 6 of the
former survey had
impinged upon this primary mound and
had removed
therefrom a number of burials.
Burial Number 33 -- an uncremated adult -- lay
mostly within the old cut and with the
exception of the
bones of the lower legs had been
removed. With the
latter were found several bear claws
and a number of
univalve shell beads.
Burial Number 34 -- With this typical uncremated
burial were found some of the more
interesting of the
many specimens secured from Mound 25. A
feature
of the burial was the size of the log
structure enclosing
it and of the individual logs employed.
The dome-like
aperture above the grave, resulting
from the decay and
falling down of the log structure, was
strikingly large
and bold, reaching almost to the top of
the mound which
at this point was ten feet in height.
In the illustration
(Fig. 33) it will be noted that the
gravel strata of the
primary mound have broken off and
dropped down with
the loose earth filling the cavity.
The skeleton was that of an adult, of
middle life and
of medium height, but the degree of
deterioration was
so great as to preclude determination
of sex. At the
88 Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications left of the head lay a trophy skull, of a middle-aged adult, badly crushed. At the right hand of the skeleton lay an ornament fashioned from the lower jaw of the wild-cat; extend- |
|
ing across the pelvis, from wrist to wrist, were numer- ous split bear canines and many shell beads, both glob- ular and barrel-shaped; at the left humerus and at the neck were several hundred beads of shell and pearl; on |
Explorations of the Hopewell
Group 89
the chest was a fine shield-shape
copper plate; just above
this plate, where it had been suspended
from the neck,
was an ornament made from the upper jaw
of a human
being in early adult life; at the neck
were four cut and
pearl-set bear canines and a dozen
canines of very young
bears, the posterior portions very thin
and the tips
ground off to expose the neural cavity,
thus permitting
them to be strung in a manner suggesting
use as rattles.
Between the skull proper and the trophy
skull were four
copper ear ornaments. At the right side
of the head
was a finely made ceremonial
spear-point of mica, 8 1/2
inches long, and at the left side of
the head two similar
ones, measuring 8 inches in length.
Above the skull lay
a female human figure, cut from sheet
mica, and meas-
uring 13 inches in length. Like the
copper human figures
found at the Mound City group (p. 374)
this specimen
is headless. The mica spear-points are
quite similar to
that found in the Harness mound.11
Burial Number 35 (Fig. 34) so closely adjoined
Burial 34 that they might with
propriety be considered
together as a double burial; the
platforms occupied by
the remains, however, were separate.
The grave was
altogether similar to that of its
companion burial. Un-
fortunately, the skeleton, representing
a middle-aged
adult of average size, was little more
than streaks of
dust, as was true of a trophy skull
placed 15 inches to
the left of the skull proper. At the
right wrist of the
skeleton lay a cut wild-cat jaw and
some shell beads.
About the neck and chest were several
hundred pearl
beads of every size and form; at the
ears were copper
11 Mills, William C., Explorations of
the Harness Mound, Certain
Mounds and Village Sites in Ohio, Vol.
I, part 4.
90 Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications
spools, and on the chest a finely
preserved copper plate,
with large pearls at the perforations.
Beneath the hips of this skeleton lay a
copper plate
which measures 16 1/2 inches in length
and 7 inches wide.
This plate, it is believed, is the
largest taken from an
Ohio mound. At the neck were several
pearl-set bear
canines and two bear canines set into
sockets of bone,
the latter decorated with incised designs.
At the top
of the skull and scattered throughout
the loosely caved
earth above it were fragments of an
elaborate copper
ornament, presumably a head-dress. It was evident
that the object had been placed on the
log structure cov-
ering the body and that as the
superincumbent earth
dropped into the grave, following the
decay of the logs,
it had been dragged downward and broken
into several
parts. The specimen is illustrated in
Figure 150.
Burial Number 36, cremated, and accompanied by
two copper ear-spools, lay on a
platform adjoining
Burial 35, to the south.
Burial Number 37, cremated and without artifacts,
occupied the southeast corner of the
platform of Burial
Number 35.
Burial 38, cremated and without artifacts, occupied
a small carefully prepared platform 3
feet long and 22
inches wide, enclosed with logs.
Burial Number 39 (Fig. 34) was a cremated one, oc-
cupying a raised platform 3 feet 4
inches by 2 feet 3
inches in size, with log enclosure.
This burial, as is true
of many other cremated burials of the
mound, was ex-
actly similar in its preparation to
graves containing un-
cremated skeletons, with the exception
that its dimen-
sions are less. With the burial was a
sheet of mica, a
92
Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications
copper breast-plate, four drilled bear
canines and some
flakes of flint.
Burial Number 40 -- This skeleton of an adult, 5
feet 7 inches in height, was badly
deteriorated, despite
the fact that the bark covering was so
marked that at
no point had the earth above it come in
contact with
the remains. At the side of the skull
were a few large
shell beads, and at the right hand the
cut lower jaw of
a mountain lion.
Burial Number 41 -- This triple burial -- the only
one of its kind found by this Survey in
the Hopewell
group -- comprised three uncremated
skeletons, placed
side by side on an earthen platform
measuring 6 1/2 feet
long by 7 1/2 feet wide. As a result of
the unusual size
of the grave and the heavy timbers
enclosing it, the
caving of the earth above was unusually
marked. As
will be noted in the photograph (Fig.
34) this caving is
noticeable to a height of 9 feet above
the floor and to
within 18 inches of the top of the mound.
Skeleton Number 1 -- to the south side
of the grave --
was that of a middle-aged individual,
sex indeterminate,
but apparently a male; height, based on
femur measure-
ment, approximately 5 feet 9 inches.
This skeleton, as
was true of others of the grave, was
badly decomposed.
Between the knees lay a cone of
limestone; under the
left side, a copper plate on which is
preserved a woven
fabric; at the hips were 14 imitations
in bone of bear
canines, finely made; at the neck, a
pair of plain per-
forated bear canines together with two
bear canines cut
diagonally and set with pearls; a
pendant made from
the lower jaw of the barracuda, and
shell and pearl
Explorations of the Hopewell
Group 93
beads; and at the left foot a bone
needle, 8 inches long,
curved to correspond closely to the
segment of a circle.
Skeleton Number 2 -- the central one of
the three
-- was that of a young adult of about 5
feet 8 inches in
height. At each wrist were a number of
perforated
raccoon teeth; at the left arm, more
than 25 bear claws;
at the neck, pearl and shell beads;
near the right shoul-
der, four flint-flake knives and three
bone awls, one of
the latter being very large, of
circular section, and
another made from the leg-bone of the
deer.
Midway between the humeri of this
skeleton and
Number 1, and possibly belonging to the
latter, was
found an ornament or trophy made from
the upper and
the lower jaws of a human being of
early adult life.
Both jaws pertain to the same
individual, and each has
two or more perforations for suspension
and fastening
together.
A separate skull, large and finely
developed, of a
middle-aged individual, lay to the left
of and somewhat
above the central skeleton. A drilled perforation
through the occiput showed this to be a
trophy skull.
Skeleton Number 3 was that of an
individual of
middle life, apparently a female of
approximately 5 feet
3 inches in height. At the right of the
skull lay a large
hollowed antler tine; at the neck,
numerous shell beads;
and at the left side of the skull a
finely made ring, pul-
ley-shaped, of black steatite, having
eight perforations
through the circumference.
Burial Number 42 demonstrated
a somewhat dif-
ferent method of placing offerings or
possessions with
the dead from that usually followed.
The skeleton was
that of a young adult measuring 5 feet
10 inches in
94
Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications
height. Sex of the individual was
indeterminate, owing
to advanced decomposition. On an
elevated surface of
mixed charcoal and clay, at the top of
the skull, there
had been placed the following objects:
numerous flakes
and small pieces of sheet mica; several
thin elongated
marine bivalve shells; a few pearl
beads; several copper-
covered buttons; a fragment of a
tortoise-shell orna-
ment; and eight imitation bear canines,
cut from mica.
The objects covered approximately one
square foot of
surface and were elevated about 10
inches above the
floor line.
Burial Number 43 was of decided interest, in that
it contained a simple story, plainly
told. Upon a care-
fully constructed earthen platform,
enclosed within the
usual log structure, there had been
placed the inter-
mingled cremated remains of an adult
and a child. At
each corner of the west end of the
platform there re-
posed a container made from an ocean
shell, one of
average size and the other quite small.
With the
charred remains were two copper
breast-plates, of the
usual form; one of these was of average
size, while the
other was very small. A logical
conclusion would be
that this burial represented the
cremated remains of a
mother and her child. In addition to
the shell con-
tainers and the copper plates, there
was found with the
burial a flint arrow-point and a finely
preserved orna-
ment made of tortoise-shell,
rectangular in form with
one end rounded, measuring 8 inches
long by 2 inches
wide.
Burial Number 44, a typical cremated burial, was
accompanied by a single bear canine.
Burial 46 was
entirely similar and was without
artifacts.
Explorations of the Hopewell
Group 95
Burial Number 45 contained the skeleton of a
male past middle life and of extremely
massive build,
At the neck were a number of shell
beads, and at the
top of the skull lay several bone
needles and a scroll-like
ornament of tortoise-shell. On the
chest lay an orna-
ment made from the lower jaw of the
barracuda, drilled
for suspension. Along the right side of
the skeleton,
extending from the elbow to the knee,
were the cre-
mated remains of an adult individual.
Burial Number 47, the last one to be removed from
Mound 25, contained two uncremated
skeletons, (Fig.
35) placed side by side in the usual
manner. The burial
to the south side of the platform was
that of an adult,
sex indeterminate owing to advanced
decomposition;
height about 5 feet 8 inches. At the
head lay an ocean-
shell container and several bone
needles, one of which
contained an eye; at the neck were
pearl and shell beads;
on the chest a copper axe, on which was
preserved
woven fabric and the head of a small
raptorial, pre-
sumably a hawk; and an image of an
eagle's foot and
claws, cut from mica; on the abdomen, a
second copper
axe, and at the right hand a beautiful
spear-point, 7
inches long, made from the same
amber-colored chal-
cedony as that found with Burial
22. Between the
skulls of the two burials lay a mica
human hand of large
size and fine workmanship; at the
abdomen, and be-
tween the forearms of the two skeletons
were two shield-
shaped objects of mica. Effigies of
human hands, made
of copper, were found in the Mound City
Group (p.
375).
On the chest of the skeleton to the
north lay a second
mica eagle foot, differing from the
other specimen in
|
(96) |
Explorations of the Hopewell
Group 97
having, in addition to the three toes,
a fourth toe, or
thumb. At the hips were two mica
circles and a curved
mica figure; at the ears were copper
spools and at the
neck a number of shell beads.
A crematory basin, (Fig. 34) the largest found by
the present Survey in the Hopewell
group, measured 4
feet in length and 3 feet 1 inch in
width. It was care-
fully made and measured 8 inches in
depth. The loca-
tion of this basin, which contained
nothing, is shown on
the floor plan.
MINOR FEATURES OF MOUND 25
Minor features of the interior of Mound
Number 25
include the post-molds, which for the
most part corre-
spond to the outer circumferences of
the primary
mounds or charnel-houses over which
they were built;
the log-molds, the purpose of which is
not obvious;
hearths or fire-places, which occur at
several places on
the floor-plan, and which are the usual
accumulations of
charred matter, ashes and debris
resulting from cere-
monial or utility fires kindled on the
floor of the sacred
structure.
As a result of his partial examination
of the mound,
Moorehead suspected the existence of
intentional de-
signs, or mosaics, effected both
through the use of
stones and colored earths. As to the
great boulder mo-
saics reported to have existed just
below the surface of
the mound prior to its disturbance, the
Survey obviously
can afford no further information owing
to their com-
plete eradication before its
examination was effected.
Reference is made to Moorehead's
comment thereon in
his report (p. 104).
Vol. XXXV-7.
98 Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications
With respect to earth mosaics, we read
in the same
report (p. 106):
"This being removed (a stratum of
indurated gravel near
the bottom of the section) by dint of
hard labor, what may be a
mosaic of red, yellow and
purplish-colored earth was encoun-
tered. These masses of earth were so
numerous, and of such
definite shape, that, after a careful
examination, we have come to
the conclusion that they were intended
to represent certain forms
and, although larger and much cruder,
were probably not unlike
the sand paintings made by the Navajo
and some other tribes."
The Survey eagerly anticipated the
finding and veri-
fying of definite and intentional earth
mosaics in Mound
Number 25, as well as similar phenomena
in stone. The
evidence was not forthcoming, however,
and while the
coloration of the various earths, due
to mineral content
and bacterial action often was
striking, no intentional
use of colors to effect designs could
be detected.
In the matter of stone mosaics, on the
floor of the
mound, Moorehead (p. 106) says:
West of this fireplace (Section 2) upon its outer
edge, there
was a small mosaic of fine stones. About
four feet * * *
south of the fireplace was a layer of
stones in the form of a semi-
circle. Nine feet south of this was
discovered still another layer
of stones which had been laid with so
much regularity that it
was impossible not to remark its
intentional shape. It seems
evident that mosaics of many definite
shapes were built at the
base of these mounds, although hitherto
these have been generally
overlooked by archaeologists.
There is no reason to doubt that such
phenomena
existed in Mound 25, and it would have
been most grati-
fying to this Survey to be able to
record them. How-
ever, while stones intentionally placed
on the floor were
discovered, they failed to assume any
definite form. The
most noticeable manifestation of the
sort noted in the
present examination consisted of an
oval area 12 feet
Explorations of the Hopewell
Group 99
by 6 feet in size, carefully paved by
rounded stones. The
location of this, which appeared to
have no connection
with any other activity, will be noted
on the floor plan.
A similar though not so marked an
example of this sort
was noted adjacent to Burial Number 11,
within the
great central charnel-house. A
condition which might
easily suggest the presence of
intentional figures in
stones was noted in connection with the
outer margins
of the interior primary mounds, where a
fringe of coarse
gravel and fine stones often was found.
Owing to the great size of Mound Number
25, its
unusual original shape, and its partial
examination,
much speculation has been had as to its
interior struc-
ture, as a whole, and the significance
of its form. The
completed examination and the resulting
floor-plan map
furnish answers to these queries.
EVIDENCE ACCRUING FROM EXAMINATION
The evidence of the completed
examination is as
follows:
The oval area corresponding to the
floor of the
mound as a whole -- some 470 feet long
by approx-
imately 130 feet maximum width -- had
been utilized
as a sacred place, where funeral
ceremonies and inter-
ment -- cremated or otherwise -- were
held. The en-
tire space was carefully leveled and
cleared of all ob-
structions and was covered by a stratum
of coarse sand
and gravel.
A sort of wall or circumvallation,
composed of
stones and earth, enclosed the area,
corral-like. This
wall may have been supplemented by
pickets, although
no definite proof of this was evolved.
100
Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications
Within this area, corresponding to its
central por-
tion, were erected, as needed,
charnel-houses for the
dead, their confines usually being
marked by vertical
posts set into the ground. An
alternative of this pro-
cedure was the heaping of small mounds
of earth over
burials placed on the floor. A total of
four or possibly
five of these structures existed in
Mound 25, two of
which were of first importance. Three of
the five were
delimited by vertical posts, and two of
them -- the two
more important ones -- had definite
primary mounds
erected over them.
Not a single burial was found in more
than 100
feet of either end of the mound proper;
and yet these
barren portions contained a marked
floor and had been
accorded the mound-covering along with
the central
grave-bearing area. At points approximately 100 feet
in from either end the Survey
encountered the margins
of the central mound, erected over the
interior primary
mounds and charnel-houses. The
outermost trenches
of the former survey had come down upon
these, but
their extent had not been sufficient to
identify them as
such. By systematic razing of the
entire structure it
was plainly evident that the central
portion had first
received its covering and that
afterward each of the
ends, which presumably served as
assembly room for
those participating in the sacred
ceremonies, and there-
fore was of itself sacred ground, was
similarly covered.
The mounds erected over these ends,
piled upon and
against the slopes of the central
mound, naturally pro-
duced the form which, before its
disturbance, gave the
impression of being three conjoined
mounds.
As has been assumed by others, Mound 25
must
Explorations of the Hopewell
Group 101
have been a process of growth through a
considerable
period of time. To account for the
multiple burials,
apparently representing family groups,
found in this
and other mounds of the culture, it
becomes a logical
supposition that some form of temporary
burial and re-
burial obtained with the Hopewell
peoples, as with cer-
tain historic tribes.
MOUND NUMBER 26
Mound Number 26 of the Hopewell group
had been
entirely overlooked in previous
explorations, and is un-
recorded in text or maps of Squier and
Davis and
Moorehead. It is located just within
the extreme south-
ern arc of the enclosure encircling
mounds 25 and 5, 6,
7, and 8. It is so near the embankment,
in fact, that its
southern margin blends with the
enclosing wall of earth,
while on its north side it has barely
escaped destruction
by the railroad, on whose right-of-way
fully one-third
of the tumulus lies.
It is not surprising, perhaps, that the
existence of
Mound 26 had been overlooked. When the
old Clark
residence was built, some years prior
to Squier and
Davis' examination of the group,
considerable modifi-
cation of the mound resulted from
grading the farm-
yard and in preparing a private
driveway, which passes
directly over the tumulus. Its
identification came as the
result of a test shaft sunk by the
present Survey to de-
termine whether or not the low extended
elevation was
natural or artificial in origin. This
test disclosed at a
depth of slightly under three feet a
marked floor level,
heavily graveled and showing the
effects of burning.
The floor plan of the mound is shown as
Fig. 36.
Explorations of the Hopewell
Group 103
Burial Number I, disclosed by the Survey's test
shaft, was a typical cremated burial,
with which was
a small rectangular plate of thin
copper. The burial
had been enclosed by a structure of
small timbers. One
other cremated burial -- Number 3 --
was found in this
mound. It was very similar to Burial 1,
excepting that
it was accompanied by a copper
ear-spool and a number
of shell beads.
Burial Number 2 -- Young adult, badly deteriorated;
100 pearl beads, some of them very
large and well pre-
served, at the neck; a few smaller
pearls at the right
wrist.
Burial Number 4 -- Uncremated adult of about 5
feet 10 inches; remains much
deteriorated, owing to
shallowness of burial and passing of
wheel-track of
private roadway directly above it. At
the head, two
copper ear-spools and a few shell
beads.
Burial Number 5 -- Uncremated skeleton of an
adult of medium size; in each hand a
copper ear orna-
ment and at the neck a few pearl beads.
Burial Number 6 (Fig. 37) was the most interest-
ing of the mound. It contained the
uncremated skeleton
of a massive male, of middle life, and
of about 6 feet in
height. The body had been placed in the
grave flat
upon the back, as were all others of
the mound. Legs
and arms were flexed, producing a
rather grotesque ef-
fect. Upon the skull rested a
helmet-like head-dress of
copper, curved to conform to the crown
of the head.
While the skull was crushed, it was
evident that it had
been adorned with a very elaborate covering,
since in
addition to the copper helmet there
were portions of
woven fabric, many pearls, both large
and small, a num-
104 Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications ber of large spherical shell beads, and small beads made from marginella shells. At the neck were two pairs of canine teeth of the grizzly bear cut and drilled in an ingenious manner and set with large pearls. At the neck, also, were six split bear canines, drilled for attach- ment, and several hundred exceptionally fine and well preserved pearl beads. At the hips were the remains of an elaborate loin covering, consisting of a rectangu- |
|
lar copper plate, upon which, at the perforations, were two very large oblong pearls. This plate had been fastened to a coarsely woven fabric, or loin cloth, which was further decorated by numerous pearl beads. Addi- tional split bear canines were at the hips, and near the right foot was a container made from an ocean shell. To the left of the head, at a distance of 15 inches, lay a finely preserved trophy skull -- that of an adult of perhaps 25 years. With this separate skull was a fine |
Explorations of the Hopewell
Group 105
platform pipe, of gray pipestone; four
circular shell
disks, perforated; and a number of
shell beads, some of
which were large spherical specimens.
The burial had
been enclosed in a pretentious
rectangular enclosure of
logs.
The pearl beads forming the necklace
with this
burial, shown as Fig. 78, are perhaps
the finest and best
preserved taken from any Ohio mound.
They retain in
great part their rich luster, and a degree
of hardness
that in many of the individual
specimens approximates
that of fresh pearls.
Burial Number 7 was that of a middle-aged person
measuring about 5 feet 11 inches in
height. A pair of
copper ear-spools were at the skull,
one at each ear; a
number of shell and pearl beads were at
the neck and
above the head; while in each hand was
a fine copper
axe. This skeleton, as was true of most
others of this
mound, was badly decomposed.
An interesting deposit, presumably a ceremonial
offering similar in purpose to the more
pretentious de-
posits of some of the larger mounds,
was disclosed a
few feet west from Burial 6. The
deposit occupied a
basin-like depression in the body of
the mound, the bot-
tom of which was one foot above the
floor. This basin
had been dug into the mound after it
had reached its
present height, as was clearly
evidenced by a cross-sec-
tion, its gravel stratum forming the
prepared bottom of
the receptacle; but whether it had been
dug after the
mound had been completed or at some
stage of its prog-
ress could not be determined, since the
grading off of
the mound had destroyed the evidence,
above its present
top surface.
106 Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications Within the basin-like receptacle, which measured almost 4 feet across its top, were found about 1000 shell beads; five extremely long flake knives of a red translucent flint; a pair of copper ear-spools; fragments of woven fabric; and an exceptionally fine large scrolled copper plate, with which, at the perforations, were two large oblong beads, one of pearl and the other of shell. The plate had been secured to a base of wood, about 5/8 of an inch in thickness, portions of which were fairly well preserved. No human remains accompanied the deposit. A Crematory Basin, (Fig. 38) small and finely made, measuring 20 by 26 inches at the rim and having a depth of 5 inches, was disclosed toward the west cen- ter of the mound. The floor contiguous to this basin was burned to a deep red color and was strewn with |
|
Explorations of the Hopewell
Group 107
carbonaceous matter. The basin was
filled with loose
charred matter to its very top, and
within this mass was
found a deposit of specimens, as
follows: four finely
made copper axe- or adze-blades, two of
which had
been intentionally broken; six peculiar
objects, made
from marine shell, and strikingly like
the modern thread
spool in size and form; a large oval
bead of shell; a
number of large shell beads, pointed at
the ends; frag-
ments of thin marine shell; and several
thousand very
small tubular bone beads, made from
sections of the
hollow bones of small birds. There were
no cremated
human remains in the basin, and the
greater part of the
charred mass was composed of grass,
twigs and leaves,
with a considerable amount of charred
woven fabric.
The basin in which this deposit rested
was removed
intact and placed on display in the
Museum.
A Second Basin, similar in form to the above but
without contents, was disclosed near
the outer margin
of the mound at the north-east. It
measured 22 by 28
inches, and was 5 1/2 inches deep. Dimensions of Mound
26 were approximately 35 feet by 40
feet.
MOUND NUMBER 27
This mound, of considerable extent but
almost oblit-
erated by cultivation and (presumably)
former exam-
ination, lay not more than 60 feet to
the north-east of
Mound 20. It was found to have been
almost com-
pletely dug over, and only a single
burial -- well out to-
ward its western margin -- was found.
This, the badly
decayed skeleton of an adult, was
accompanied by a bone
awl, placed at the head.
According to two or more old residents
of the vi-
108
Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications
cinity it was this mound, and not the
nearby one within
the orchard lot, which Moorehead
examined and which
he described (p. 94) as Mound Number
20. Since the
actual Mound 20 was intact, this seems
probable. He
records the finding of several
interesting burials some
of which were richly supplied with
specimens, among
which were large bear canines, plated
with copper; mica
designs; copper bracelets and copper
cones.
An exceptionally handsome platform
pipe, of large
size and made from cream-colored Ohio
pipestone,
tinged with red, is shown as Fig. 70.
It was presented
to the Survey along with other
specimens by Mrs. M.
C. Hopewell, owner of the group, with
the information
that it was taken from the above mound.
It is one of
several specimens retained by Mr.
Hopewell, the (then)
owner, by arrangement with the former
survey.
MOUND NUMBER 28
This small mound, not previously
recorded, is located
toward the northwest corner of the
large enclosure at
the very foot of the steep terrace. It
was only ten inches
in depth with a lateral extent of
probably not more than
20 feet, there being no distinct floor
and the original
surface line being disturbed by the
plow, excepting at
the central highest point. Its identity
was disclosed only
by a test, since it resembles several
other slight eleva-
tions bordering the foot of the
terrace, due to the depo-
sition of talus from the adjacent
slope.
The mound was found to contain a small
basin,
measuring 27 by 23 inches, in which
were fragments of
a pottery vessel; portions of mica
designs; two flint-flake
knives, and several hundred small
tubular bone beads.
Explorations of the Hopewell
Group 109
No cremated skeletal remains were in
evidence. The
top of this basin lay within an inch of
the plow line.
MOUND NUMBER 29
Just at the foot of the ravine which
carries the
overflow from the large spring into the
plain below,
is a mound which must have been of
considerable mag-
nitude before exploration and
cultivation reduced it
to its present not inconsiderable
size. It is not
shown on either the map or Squier and
Davis or
that of Moorehead. However, it was
found to have
been fully explored and the evidence
that was forth-
coming from its partial re-examination
makes it clear
that it is the mound described by
Moorehead (p. 90)
as Number 17. Since the true Number 17
was found
to be undisturbed and far too small, it
is not surprising
to find that the mound in question
answers both as to
dimensions and internal structure to
that described by
Moorehead. The striking feature of his
examination
was the finding of immense quantities
of sheet mica.
Mound 29 is permeated with fragments
and scales of
mica, resulting from the removal of
such a deposit, and
there seems to be no doubt as to its
identity.
AUXILIARY MOUNDS
Mounds 30 to 38 -- Two small mounds, lying out-
side the Hopewell enclosure, were noted
by Moorehead
and shown on his map as Numbers 21 and
22. Of the
former he says (p. 95): "This
mound was examined
on September 28. It was small and had
been pre-
viously examined. Nothing was
found."
These mounds are shown on the present
map as
110 Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society
Publications
Numbers 37 and 38. The change in
numbers of these
tumuli -- the only instance wherein the
former number-
ing has not been followed -- is in the
interest of numeri-
cal sequence, so that designation of
the supplemental
mounds, as compared with the mounds
proper, may be
distinct and consecutive.
Examination of the fine plateau lying
above and to
the north of the Hopewell works proper
disclosed that
in addition to Mounds 37 and 38 there
exist five other
similar mounds, all of them quite
small, entirely outside
but in close proximity to the
enclosures of the group.
Two additional outlying mounds were
located on the
lower terrace, on which the group is
situated. These
likewise are outside the enclosures,
and lie within the
angle formed by the union of the square
with the rec-
tangular enclosure, at the north-east.
Thus, the pres-
ent map depicts the location of a total
of nine auxiliary
or supplemental mounds, in addition to
the 29 mounds
within the enclosure -- 38 in all.
Since, in this section of the state, it
is the rule rather
than the exception to find burial
mounds of a lower cul-
ture on the highlands adjacent to
Hopewell remains;
and since but few outlying supplemental
mounds had
been noted in connection with others of
the Hopewell
culture groups, the present Survey
hardly expected to
find that the auxiliary mounds, in this
instance, were to
be attributed to the builders of the
great group under
examination.
Re-examination of the two noted by
Moorehead
showed that both had been dug over, and
that nothing
remained to furnish a clue to their
origin. Each of the
remaining seven, however, yielded
unmistakable evi-
Explorations of the Hopewell
Group 111
dence of having been erected. by the
builders of the
Hopewell group proper. Of the total of
nine supple-
mental mounds, only one (Number 33) was
of more
than rudimentary size.
Mound Number 33 was 30 feet in diameter
and 3
feet in height and, as is true of
others of the supple-
mental series occupying the plateau has
never been dis-
turbed by cultivation, the land on
which they are situ-
ated being a fine upland pasture, with
scattering forest
trees. The floor level of the mound was
found to be the
artificially smoothed and compacted
original surface of
the soil, some 20 feet across. Around
its circumference
was an encircling ridge of coarse
gravel, 6 inches high
at its inner margin and spreading
outward from 3 to 5
feet to the original level. With the
exception of the
one-third portion to the southwest the
entire floor was
covered by charcoal and ashes, in which
were inter-
spersed burned animal and bird bones,
fragments of
mica, many pottery fragments and other
evidences of
intensive occupancy. At the center and
northeast the
floor was considerably burned,
suggesting fire-places.
Among the pottery fragments were
several large dec-
orated pieces of the ceremonial
variety, including the
entire base of one vessel with the
characteristic feet;
the greater portion of the potsherds,
however, were of
the utility sort. Other objects found
were a section of
two-ply rope, the size of clothes-line;
portions of bone
bodkins and needles, several with eyes;
bear canines; a
broken sandstone gorget; flint-flake
knives, broken flint
projectile points, and so forth. While several post-
molds were found interiorly, they could
not be definitely
located around the margin.
Nevertheless, the evidence
112 Ohio
Arch. and Hist. Society Publications
appears to indicate that the mound
covered a lodge- or
house-site, where domestic activities
prevailed.
Locations of others of the supplemental
mounds may
be noted on the map. Their examination
was, on a
lesser scale, a repetition of that of
Mound 33, including
Mounds 30 and 31, on the lower terrace.
In every in-
stance potsherds, flake knives, mica
fragments and flint
flakes were found, and in each, usually
at the center,
was the burned space suggesting a
fire-place.
EXAMINATION OF THE WALLS
Mindful of the possibility of the
presence of burials
or occupational evidences within or
beneath the walls of
the enclosures of the Hopewell group,
examination of
their more prominent portions was
effected. Some 200
feet of the east wall of the principal
enclosure, adjacent
to the conjoined square where the
embankment was ex-
ceptionally bold, was excavated. Upon
the original sur-
face were found several unimportant and
not well de-
fined fire-beds, which apparently were
only incidental to
occupation previous to the erection of
the wall. Tests
at other points revealed nothing.
EVIDENCES OF OCCUPANCY
Within the large enclosure at the
points indicated on
the Map are small areas containing
evidences of occupa-
tion, such as fragments of bone, flint
flakes, occasional
flake knives, potsherds and bits of
mica. Dark soil and
burned stones indicate limited
occupancy of the site, but
nothing commensurate with the
importance of the group,
and the problem as to where its
builders and occupants
lived, remains a puzzling one.
III
SPECIMENS FROM THE MOUNDS
A satisfactory classification of
artifacts from the
mounds is difficult to effect.
Classification on the basis
of raw materials of which they are
composed is im-
practicable, for obvious reasons; while
uncertainty as to
use or purpose of many types and
individual specimens,
together with the probability that for
the most part they
served more than a single purpose,
makes any conceiv-
able classification something in the
nature of a com-
promise.
The fact that in primitive human
culture the several
phases of activity are not so abstract
or specific as un-
der an advanced stage of civilization
is particularly
marked in the evidences from the
Hopewell mounds.
Domestic utility, personal adornment,
social diversion,
artistic and decorative effort,
ceremonial and religious
procedure -- all are found overlapping
and merging one
with another.
However, in the hope of making more
concise and
intelligible the description of
artifacts from the Group,
the following classification is
offered:
Objects of Domestic Utility
Objects of Personal Adornment
Objects of Ceremonial (problematical)
Use
Objects of Artistic (aesthetic)
Conception
List of Raw Materials Utilized.
OBJECTS OF UTILITY
The builders of mounds of the Hopewell
culture
placed very few implements and utensils
(utility ob-
Vol. XXXV--8. (113)
114
Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications
jects) with their dead. Further, it is
a lamentable fact
that very little in the way of
work-shop sites or habi-
tation sites, the normal sources of
information as to the
every-day life of a primitive people,
have been found in
connection with works of the Hopewell
culture. As a
result of these conditions, the few
objects of domestic
utility recovered are confined to
occasional occurrence
in ceremonial offerings and to scattered
specimens on
the floors of mounds, within their
component earth, or
on habitation sites in connection
therewith. Many of
the objects listed in this group
logically might be classed
with objects of ceremonial or artistic
use. This is par-
ticularly true of the tobacco pipes,
the pottery ware and
the chipped implements of flint and
obsidian.
Woven Fabric -- Considerable quantities of coarse-
ly woven cloth, somewhat resembling
burlap, were found
with burials of the several Hopewell
mounds. In one
or two graves there was noted the
imprint of a fabric
loosely woven from flat fibers or
splints, suggesting a
sort of basketry. None of the more
finely woven fabric,
such as that taken from the Tremper
Mound (p. 236)
was found by the Survey. A study of the
Hopewell
fabrics is incorporated in Moorehead's
report on the
group (p. 172).
An interesting example of weaving was
the finding,
adjacent to Burial 11, of Mound 25, of
a carrying bag
used in transporting soil in
constructing the mound.
The container was woven from splints or
flat strips and
resembled fine basketry rather than
cloth.
Abrading Stones -- An interesting series of sand-
stone implements was found by Moorehead
in Basin
Number 1 of Mound 25. These specimens,
some of
|
(115) |
116
Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications
which are shown in Figure 39, were not
so identified at
the time but personal study of them by
the writer and
comparison with a similar series found
by this Survey
in Mound 17 leads to the conviction
that they clearly are
tools used for abrading, grinding and
sharpening. The
fairly large series of these specimens
from the two
mounds ranges from small angular pieces
of sandstone,
one inch long, bearing facets resulting
from use as
abrasives, to specialized forms,
tabular, square and oval
in shape and measuring up to 6 inches
in length. These
implements are made from sandstone of
fine to coarse
texture, and in every respect are
admirably suited to the
working of stone, copper and other
materials used by
the Hopewell peoples. Two of the larger
of the imple-
ments from Mound 17 are shown in Fig.
40.
Stone Celts -- The stone celt, or ungrooved axe, is
occasionally found with burials of the
Hopewell culture,
and not infrequently on the floors of
mounds where they
apparently have been unintentionally or
accidentally
left. From the relatively greater
abundance of copper
implements of this type, the metal tool
seems in great
part to have supplanted that of stone.
Doubtless the largest and most
important deposit of
stone celts taken from an Ohio mound is
that found
as a part of the great ceremonial
offering in Basin Num-
ber 1, of Mound 17. This series of
implements, com-
prising more than 50 specimens, ranges
in size from
less than 2 inches to 15 inches in
length. The materials
from which they are made comprise the
granites,
diorite, syenite, gabbro, slate and
other rocks from the
local glacial drift. The range of size
and form is shown
in Figures 41 and 42, while in Figure
43 are. illustrated
|
FIG. 42. Stone Celts or Ungrooved Axes; Mound 17. (1/5) (117) |
|
FIG. 44. Ceremonial Celt of Cannel-coal; Burial 22, Mound 25. (1/2) (118) |
Explorations of the Hopewell Group 119 two specimens which have been subjected to the cere- monial breaking, or "killing" so frequently found in connection with ceremonial offerings. Some of the larger specimens, as the upper two in Figure 41, appear to have been used as digging implements. One of these had been supplied with a handle, after the manner of the modern pick or mattock, as evidenced by a rough- ened dark section toward its upper end. |
|
FIG 45. Grooved Stone Axe from Ceremonial Offering. Mound 17. (1/2) A finely fashioned celt made from cannel coal is shown in Figure 44. This specimen was found with Burial 22 of Mound 25, and probably was a ceremonial implement. Grooved Axes -- The grooved axe is not associ- ated with the Hopewell culture, the specimen illustrated in Figure 45, found in Deposit Number 2 of Mound 17, being the only one recorded from a Hopewell mound. This finely-made specimen, presumably a product of a |
120
Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications
non-moundbuilding tribe, may have been
found by the
builders of Mound 17 and added to the
sacrificial of-
fering of which it was a part.
Copper Axes and Adzes -- This type of implement
is almost as characteristic of mounds
of the Hopewell
culture as are the ever-present copper
ear-spools and
copper breast-plates. It assumes two
forms, suggesting
somewhat different methods of attaching
the handle
and consequently in its use. The adze
type, three speci-
mens of which, from graves of Mound 25,
are shown
in Figure 46, has the cutting edge
curved with respect
to the plane of the long axis, thus
presenting one con-
vex and one concave face for the
implement. In this
type evidently the handle was secured
at right angles
to the faces of the blades while in the
axe type, the edge
of which corresponds to the median
line, the handle ap-
parently extended parallel to the
faces. In Figure 47
are shown drawings of interesting
implements of the
axe type. The largest specimen, which
is 22 1/2 inches
long and weighs 38 pounds, probably is
the largest pre-
historic copper implement in existence.
It was found
by the Moorehead survey in the
remarkable deposit of
artifacts, including 66 copper axes,
with Burials 260
and 261, Mound 25. The second largest implement
shown, a spud-like specimen, is 12
inches in length and
weighs 17 pounds. It was taken from
Mound 23 by
the former survey. The smallest of the
four specimens
shown was found by the present Survey
on the site of
the above-mentioned deposit. It affords
a good scale
for comparison in the great range in
size of these cop-
per implements. The fourth specimen is
a typical axe
from Mound 26.
Explorations of the Hopewell
Group 123
The copper axe and adze are patterned
closely after
their prototypes in stone; and while
obviously the metal
implement had mostly displaced the
stone tool, it is in-
teresting to note that the latter,
though presumably
much inferior for most purposes, was
still in use by the
builders of the Hopewell group.
That the copper axe, while primarily a
utility imple-
ment, possessed a considerable degree
of ceremonial
significance is indicated by its
frequent burial with the
dead. Furthermore, such implements as
the two larger
specimens shown in Figure 47 plainly
are more than
utilitarian in purpose.
Chisels and Gravers -- Canine teeth of the beaver
were freely used by the Hopewell
peoples as chisels, the
cutting edge of the tooth sometimes
being accentuated
by grinding. Two such implements, found
with Burial
22, Mound 25, are the central specimens
in Figure 48.
Beneath these is a short straight chisel
and above, a
curved chisel, both specimens made from
meteoric iron.
In Figure 49 will be seen several
additional curved
chisels of meteoric iron, set in
handles of antler. These
specimens were taken from Altar 1 of
Mound 25 by the
Moorehead survey. It is worthy of note
that the metal
implements appear to have assumed the
curved form
of the natural tool afforded by the
beaver canines.
Awls and Needles -- Piercing and sewing imple-
ments are of occasional occurrence in
the Hopewell
mounds. They usually are made of bone
or antler and
less frequently of copper. In Figure 50
there are shown
typical specimens of these implements.
At the bottom
of the illustration is an awl made from
the leg-bone of
a deer and, above, a long curved perforated
bodkin fash-
|
49. Chiscls of Metcoric Iron, in Bone Handles; Mound 25, former Survey. (1/1) (124) |
Explorations of the Hopewell Group 125 ioned from a deer rib, both from Burial 41, Mound 25; immediately above the bone awl is a flat perforated bod- kin, from Burial 2, Mound 23; and two bone needles from Burial 47, Mound 25. A number of broken per- forated needles were found in several of the auxiliary mounds. |
|
FIG. 50. Bone Awls, Needles and Bodkins; Mound 25. (1/2) In Figure 51 is shown an awl or punch of copper, the battered head of which suggests the manner of its use; from sacrificial offering Number 1, Mound 17. Pottery Ware -- Numerous sherds but no whole pottery vessels were found by the present Survey in the Hopewell group. On the floors of the auxiliary mounds there were the remains of several broken vessels of the utility type, as shown in Figure 52. Occasional pieces of ceremonial vessels were found scattered through the |
126 Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications |
|
soil or on the floors of the several mounds. Examples of these are shown in Figure 53. The Moorehead survey took from one of the two habitation sites within the en- closure a broken vessel of the utility type, and from Altar 1, Mound 25, portions of an interesting vessel of ceremonial ware. Two fine vessels are described in the So- ciety's report on the Mound City group, (p. 332) and an interesting study of the Hopewell type of pottery-ware may be found in the report on the Turner group (p. 90). Incidentally, pottery-ware is one of the few sources of comparison which seem to indicate affinity of the Hopewell peoples with other cultures -- the Hopewell ware having decided resemblances to that of the early Algonquian peoples of the northeast. A noteworthy study of the pottery-ware of the Hopewell and adjacent cultures is that of W. H. Holmes.12 Shell Containers -- Of common occur- rence in the mounds of the Hopewell group and others of the culture are containers, vessels and dippers made from marine shells, preferably the large conchs from the Gulf and the Southeastern seaboard. Three of these specimens are illustrated in Fig- 12 Holmes, William H., Aboriginal Pottery of the East- ern United States, Twentieth Report, Bureau of Am'n. Ethnology, Washington. |
|
FIG. 53. Potsherds from Ceremonial Pottery, showing Designs; Mound 17. (1/2) (127) |
|
Fig. 55. Large Shell Containers; from Mound Number 2. (1/5) (128) |
Explorations of the Hopewell
Group 129
ures 54 (Cassus) and 55 (Fulgur and
Fasciolaria).
Removal of the whorl of the shell and
grinding or
smoothing of its margins resulted in a
very serviceable
container. This natural and presumably
earlier vessel
had one decided advantage over the
pottery-ware, in
that it was much less subject to
breakage.
Stone Vessels -- Containers fashioned from stone
are of very rare occurrence in mounds
of the Hopewell
culture. The most noteworthy of the few
found is that
shown in Figure 56. This remarkable
vessel, made from
white limestone, is 12 inches in
diameter and weighs 14
pounds. It was taken by the Moorehead
survey from
Mound 23.
Two small saucer-shaped vessels, shown
in Fig. 57,
were found by the present Survey in
sacrificial offering
Number 1, of Mound 17. They are
exquisitely fash-
ioned, the material being a chloritic
schist closely re-
sembling the so-called goldstone.
Flint-Flake Knives -- Typical examples of the many
flint-flake knives found with burials
of the Hopewell
mounds are shown in Figure 58. Two
specimens at the
upper right are slightly notched,
apparently for attach-
ment to a handle. The flake knives of
the Hopewell
mounds are made almost exclusively from
Flint Ridge
material, the exceptions being
occasional ones of ob-
sidian and chert and several unusually
large and fine
specimens found with the ceremonial
offering in Mound
26 which were made from translucent red
flint, the
source of which is unknown. The unusual
quality of
the Flint Ridge chalcedony appears to
have rendered it
superior to copper for cutting
purposes, since no knives
proper are found of that material.
Cores from which
Vol. XXXV--9.
130 Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications the flake knives were struck are frequently found on the surface adjacent to the mounds. Several cores of ob- sidian, from Mound 11, are shown in Figure 12. Flint Blades and Disks -- This Survey was partic- ularly fortunate in finding numbers of chipped flint ar- |
|
row- and spear-points. The Hopewell builders were particularly adept in the art of flint-chipping, although few such specimens are reported by other surveys. In Figure 59 are shown three typical notched arrow-points, |
|
FIG 57. Small Delicately Fashioned Stone Dishes; Mount 17. (2/3) from Mound 17; in Figure 60, a small spear-point or knife, delicately wrought from translucent creamy flint from Mound 8, while in Figure 61 are illustrated two arrow-points, from Mound 4, and a large spear-point, |
132 Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications of Flint Ridge material, found with Burial 20, Mound 25. The two fine spear-points, presumably ceremonial specimens, shown in Figure 62, are from Burials 47 and 22, of Mound 25. They are fashioned from a strikingly handsome translucent amber-colored chalcedony, the source of which has not been determined. Both speci- mens are exceedingly thin and finely made. |
|
In Figure 63 are shown a portion of a large finely chipped blade, of quartz crystal; examples of unworked crystals; and, left to right, large chips or flakes of smoky quartz, milky quartz and clear quartz, the resi- due from the chipping of quartz blades. This material was found within the component earth of Mound 25, at the western margin, apparently having been carried in from the adjacent surface in constructing the mound. Moorehead's survey secured a number of chipped quartz blades from the deposits of this mound. |
Explorations of the Hopewell Group 133 The fine obsidian spear-point shown in Figure 64 is from Deposit Number 1, of Mound 17. It doubtless is more ceremonial than utilitarian in its purpose and is |
|
altogether similar to the large number of obsidian blades taken by the former survey from Altar Number 2, Mound 25. In Figure 65 are shown two of the more than 8,000 |
|
FIG. 62. Large Finely Made Spear-points of Translucent Amber-colored Flint; from Burials 22 and 47, Mount 2.5 (2/3) (135) |
136 Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications flint disks, comprising the remarkable offering in Mound Number 2, most of which were removed by the Moorehead survey. These disks are made from a nodu- lar or concretionary flint, similar to deposits found in southern Indiana and in Tennessee. Apparently the great number of disks were blocked out at the quarry and, at the expense of a surprising amount of labor, were transported to the Hopewell site and placed in the |
|
mound as a ceremonial or sacrificial offering. It is pos- sible that the disks were intended as blank forms to be worked into finished blades by the persons or deities to whom the offering was made. A single one of the large number of disks was fash- ioned into a specialized completed form. This speci- men, shown in Figure 66, was reserved from the former exploration by Mr. M. C. Hopewell, the owner of the group, and by Mrs. Hopewell presented to the present |
|
FIG. 64. Finely Made Ceremonial Spear-point of Obsidian; Mound 17. (2/3) (137) |
FIG. 65. Examples of more than 8000 Flint Disks Found in Mound Number 2, most of which were Removed by the former surveys. (3/4) (138) |
|
Large Flint Spear, the only Finished Specimen in the Desk Deposit of Mound Number 2. (2/2) (139) |
140
Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications
Survey. It is almost 9 inches in length
and 6 inches
wide.
The unprecedented sacrificial or
ceremonial offering
-- a theory which seems to be the only
logical way of
accounting for this and similar
deposits -- of 8000 flint
disks, fashioned at great labor,
brought from a distance
and deposited in Mound Number 2, is
doubtless the most
pretentious phenomenon of its kind so
far disclosed.
Obsidian Blades -- Although the obsidian spears
from Basin 2 of Mound 25 are manifestly
ceremonial
in character, in form they are
patterned after the utility
spear-point of flint, and perhaps may
be as properly dis-
cussed at this point as elsewhere.
The striking importance of this
discovery of cere-
monial spear-points of obsidian is not
made apparent
in Moorehead's report on the group.
Only those who
have seen the actual specimens in the
Field Museum
can have an idea of their great number,
size and beauty.
There are upwards of 150 of these
almost unique ob-
jects, ranging in size from 3 inches to
17 inches in
length and from one inch to 6 inches in
width. The
chipping, while bold, is remarkably
clean and confi-
dently executed. In form and outline
the specimens
are most pleasing. There are at least
six distinct
types or forms, the principal ones of
which are illus-
trated in Figure 67, from outline
drawings of the speci-
mens. These definite forms are
represented in the total
number by a pair or more of each, the
slender curved
type being least in evidence and the
large notched form
the most abundant. Through exchange
with the Field
Museum, the finds of the present Survey
were aug-
mented by a number of these implements.
0 FIG. 67. Outline Drawings Showing Range in Form and Size of Obsidian Spear-points in Basin Number 2, Mound 25; former Survey. (1/4) (141) |
142 Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications Tobacco Pipes -- As practiced by the Hopewell peoples, smoking seems to have been in the nature of a ceremonial procedure, as in the case of others of the native race. However, while the act of smoking may be regarded as a ceremony, the pipe itself, as the means of carrying out the procedure, is in a sense a utility. The typical Hopewell pipe, and the commonest form found, is that illustrated in Figure 68. These two plain platform pipes are from the offering (Number 1) found in Mound 17. An additional pipe from this offering, which contained a total of more than a dozen, is shown |
|
Explorations of the Hopewell
Group 143
as Figure 69. This pipe is made of the
so-called Ohio
pipestone, as are the above-mentioned,
and is the
largest typical platform pipe reported
from an Ohio
mound, its length being more than 6
inches. A hand-
some pipe, made from pink and
cream-colored Ohio
pipestone, is shown in Figure 70. This
specimen was
taken from Mound 27 by the former
survey, presented
to Mrs. Hopewell, owner of the group,
and by her in
turn given to the Museum.
In Figure 71 there is shown an unusual
pipe, found
with Burial 21 of Mound 25; material,
green-black
steatite. The top of the bowl is
rectangular with square
corners, the front and rear edges being
decorated with
notches. Corresponding to the median
line of the plat-
form, both above and below, is a raised
portion. The
platform is drilled from both ends, one
perforation hav-
ing been closed by fitting into it a
neat plug of light-
colored stone, while the other,
apparently drilled too
large, is closed by the insertion of a
close-fitting cylin-
drical plug through which a smaller
perforation has
been effected. Around this inserted
plug is a circular
incision, which passes from the end to
both faces of the
platform.
Two interesting pipes, found by the
Moorehead sur-
vey in Altar 2 of Mound 25, are shown
in Figures 72
and 73. The former bears on the bowl a
decorative
motif representing apparently the
shoveller duck,
(Spatula clypeata), while the latter
shows what appears
to be the same bird with a captured
fish.
Figue 74 illustrates a unique pipe,
taken by the
present Survey from Deposit Number 1,
Mound 17.
The specimen, of modified platform
type, has each end
|
FIG. 71. Unusual Type of Platform Pipe; Burial 21 Mound 25. (1/1) FIG. 72. Fine Platform Pipe, with Decoration representing the Shoveller Duck; from Basin 2, Mound 25; former Survey. (3/2) FIG. 3. Rare Effigy Platform Pipe; Mound 25 (146) |
FIG. 74. Rare Pipe Representing the Heads and Necks of Wild Ducks or Geese; from Ceremonial Offering Number 1. Mound 17. (1/2) (147) |
148
Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications
of the platform carved into the
semblance of the head
of a wild goose or duck, the necks
intertwining around
the bowl.
The pipe presents certain features
suggesting the
calumets employed in the Pawnee hako
ceremony and
in similar ceremonies of their Siouan
neighbors. It
clearly represents, not living
waterfowl, but the heads
and necks of such fowl drawn over a
cylindrical stem.
The specimen is fashioned from
green-black steatite and
is highly polished.
A suggestion as to the significance of
this pipe is
found in a description of Pawnee
calumets by Miss Alice
C. Fletcher, in part as follows:13
"It was by this end (the end of a
calumet enclosed within
the head and neck of a wild duck) that
the feather stem was
held. The duck is familiar with the
pathless air and water and
is also at home on the land, knowing its
streams and springs. It
is the unerring guide."
Any discussion of pipes from the Ohio
mounds would
be incomplete without reference to the
classic find of
upward of 200 specimens, in effigy,
taken by Squier and
Davis (p. 152) from Mound Number 8 of
the Mound
City Group; and to the equally striking
discovery, by
this Museum, in the Tremper Mound, (p.
335) of Scioto
county.
A valuable study of pipe forms and
smoking cus-
toms, in which are included several
Ohio pipes, is that
of Dr. Ralph Linton,14 of the Field
Museum of Natural
History.
13 Fletcher,
Alice C., "The Hako, a Pawnee Ceremony," An. Rep.
B. A. E., Vol. XXII, Pt. 2, Pl. 21.
14 Linton, Ralph., Use of Tobacco
Among North American Indians,
Field Museum of Natural History,
Anthropology Leaflet 15, 1924.
Explorations of the Hopewell
Group 149
OBJECTS OF PERSONAL ADORNMENT
Specimens described under this caption,
while
mainly objects of personal decoration,
partake in some
instances of the ceremonial, the
artistic, and even of
utility. Pearls, teeth and jaws,
particularly those of
human beings, and some other objects
must have held
an element of ceremonial significance,
while such ob-
jects as breast--plates, primarily
decorative, may have
served the subsidiary purpose of protection
from ar-
rows. Some of the head-plates and other
objects of
copper exhibit considerable artistic
ability.
Shell Beads--In Figure 75 are shown a few of
several thousand small beads, made from
sections of
hollow bones of birds, found in the
crematory basin of
Mound 26. In Figure 76 are shown, from
various
graves, globular, oval and disk-shaped
beads of shell
and, to the upper right, beads made
from leptoxis shells.
Pearl Beads It
would be difficult to disassociate
pearl beads from the Hopewell culture
peoples. A
burial which does not contain at least
a few pearls is
looked upon as poor indeed. In Figure 77
are illustrated
the range in size of pearl beads found
in the graves, the
small seed pearls and the large
specimens, comparable
to small marbles in size, representing
the extremes. In
Figure 78 is shown a remarkable
necklace of pearl beads
found with Burial 6 of Mound Number 26.
These
beads, more than 300 in number, are not
remarkable for
their form, being mostly of the baroque
and button
forms and in no way comparable to the
many fine
spherical pearls found with other
burials. Their preser-
vation, however, as a result of a
covering of charred
vegetable matters and woven fabric, is
perhaps un-
|
FIG. 77. Pearl Beads from the Various Mounds; Illustration shows the ** range of size and form. (1/4) (151) |
Explorations of the Hopewell
Group 153
equalled in any prehistoric pearl
necklace. Hardness
and luster, aside from a yellowish
tinge resulting from
mineral stain, is almost unimpaired.
The cord on which
this necklace was strung was in part
preserved but as
shown in the illustration the beads
have been re-strung.
While the present Survey removed
thousands of
)earl beads from the burials of the
group, many of them
unequalled in preservation, the
Moorehead survey se-
cured a much greater number. The same
is true of the
Turner group, from which, in addition
to perforated
pearls, many unperforated specimens
were secured.
The uncounted thousands of pearls
possessed by the
Hopewell peoples, many individual ones
of which would
be almost priceless in fresh condition
at this time, come
as a revelation to the student of these
fresh-water
gems. In contrast to the present
scarcity, as a result of
pearl- and shell-fishing and pollution
of streams, pearl-
bearing mussels undoubtedly were very
numerous in
prehistoric times. The presence of the
pearls in Hope-
well burials is proof that their
pursuit was a leading in-
dustry of the occupants. The Ohio
river, the Scioto
and others of its tributaries, and some
of the streams
farther south appear to have been the
principal sources
of pearls and of the fresh-water clam
or mussel (Unio),
the mollusk which secretes them. An
extended study
of the Hopewell pearls and methods of
drilling them,
may be found in Moorehead's report (p.
146). A his-
tory of the pearl as a gem by G. F.
Kunz15 is
perhaps
the most exhaustive and complete
treatment of the sub-
ject.
15 Kunz, George F., The Book of the Pearl, New
York, 1908.
154 Ohio
Arch. and Hist. Society Publications
Copper Beads -- Copper was much less frequently
utilized for the making of beads than
either pearls or
shell. An example from Burial 1 of
Mound Number 2
is shown in Figure 79.
Shell Disks -- The specimens shown in Figure 80
were found with a trophy skull
accompanying Burial 6,
Mound 26. They are the only examples of
the kind
found by this Survey in the group.
Beads of Teeth and Claws -- In Figure 81, above,
are shown canine teeth of the raccoon,
drilled and used
as beads; found with Burial 6, of Mound
Number 4. In
the same illustration are shown the
canine teeth of an
immature bear, utilized in an unusual
manner. The tips
of the teeth are ground off to expose
the neural cavity
and thus to permit stringing as
suggested in the illus-
tration. Since the bodies of the
immature bear teeth
are thin and shell-like, their
utilization in this manner
suggests the deer-toe rattles of the
southwestern In-
dians. From Burial 34, Mound 25. Beads
made from
bear claws, found with Burial 41, Mound
25, are shown
in Figure 82.
Bear Canine Ornaments -- The extent to which the
canine teeth of the bear were used by
the Hopewell peo-
ples, and the ingenious manner in which
they were cut
or sawed, mended by insets and dowel
pins, drilled for
suspension or attachment, and set with
pearls, is most
surprising. Not alone did they make use
of the teeth
of the native black bear, but they
reached out to the far
west in order to secure the canines of
the grizzly bear.
Of the hundreds of bear canines secured
by the Survey
from the Hopewell mounds, examples of
the more in-
teresting details of treatment are
shown in the follow-
156 Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications ing cuts. The only constant feature of the preparation of these teeth for ornaments are the two countersunk holes on the reverse sides. Otherwise, the teeth may or |
|
may not be cut into two or more parts, set with one or more pearls, or mended by the use of bone dowels. In figure 83 are shown five specimens illustrating most of the details of treatment. The specimens at the |
|
FIG. 82. Bear Claws Perforated for Beads; Burial 41, Mound 25. (1/2) (157) |
Explorations of the Hopewell
Group 159
left have detached bases, made from
other and younger
teeth; the fourth from the left has the
tip cut off, ap-
parently the original, and has a
separate piece carefully
set into the specimen and attached by a
dowel. The
tooth at the extreme right having
suffered from the
characteristic tendency to split and
separate has been
reinforced by two dowel pins of bone,
the short portion
at the tip being from a different
tooth. The specimens
shown in this cut are teeth of the
grizzly bear, the long-
est of which measures 4 inches in
length.
The drawing shown as Figure 84 affords
a detailed
study of nine canine teeth. In addition
to external de-
tails, obverse and reverse, such as cutting,
pearl-setting,
decoration, insetting of separate
pieces, mending by
dowel pins, and so forth, neural
cavities and drilled per-
forations connecting with them are
indicated in dotted
lines.
Figure 85 illustrates a specimen,
obverse and re-
verse, having a mitred joint. The two
parts, as is true
in most instances, are made from
separate teeth, care-
fully ground to effect a close joint.
In the same cut are
two pearl-set canines, the forms of
which have been al-
tered by grinding and polishing.
Imitation bear canines, made of bone,
are shown in
Figure 86. These were found with Burial
41, Mound 25.
An interesting example of the use of
bear canines,
found with Burial 35, Mound 25, is
shown in the photo-
graph, Figure 87 and in the drawing of
Figure 88. The
specimens consist of pearl-set canines
inserted into
handles or sockets of bone. These
sockets bear decora-
tions consisting of drilled
depressions, incised lines and
cross-hatching. Counter-sunk holes for
suspension
|
FIG. 86 Imitations of Split Bear Canines made of Bone; Mound 25. (2/3) Vol. XXXV- 11. (161) |
|
FIG. 88. Drawing of the Above Specimens to Show (162) Details; Burial 35, Mound 25. (7/8) |
Explorations of the Hopewell Group 163 pass through the reverse of the sockets and connect with those in the teeth. Jaw and Teeth Ornaments -- In addition to using the detached teeth of various animals as beads and pendants, the Hopewell peoples frequently utilized the jaws with their contained teeth in a similar way. Both upper and lower jaws were used, undesired portions of which usually were ground off, and the specimen pierced for attachments or suspension. In Figure 89 are shown |
|
FIG. 89 Ornaments Made from Jaws of the Wolf, Wildeat and Mountain Lion; from Burials of Mound 25. (2/3) several examples, among which will be recognized the upper jaws of the wolf, a lower mandible of the wild cat, a lower jaw of the wolf and two lower jaws of the cougar. An unusual ornament, found with Burial 25, Mound 25, is shown in Figure 90. It is in the form of a pend- ant, made from the lower jaw of the barracuda. (Sphyraena barracuda.) It is the lower specimen in |
164 Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications the photograph, the detached ramus being shown im- mediately above and to the right. The jaw is drilled at the anterior end for suspension. It has, in addition to the canine, 26 teeth. Portions of two additional bar- racuda jaws, found with Burials 41 and 45, Mound 25, are shown in this cut. In so far as recorded, these are the only instances of the finding of jaws of the bar- racuda in Ohio mounds. The discovery emphasizes the |
|
FIG. 90. Ornaments Made from the Lower Jaw of the Barracuda; Burial 25, Mound 25. (1/2) extent and importance of the travel and commerce de- veloped by the Hopewell peoples. Human Skulls and Jaws as Trophies -- A striking trait of the Hopewell peoples is the placing with their dead of separate human skulls and ornaments made from human jaws. Several examples of this practice were found by the Moorehead survey and the trait has been observed in most of the important Hopewell groups, notably at Turners. Our Survey found a num- |
Explorations of the Hopewell Group 165 ber of examples, the more important of which were that with Burial 5, of Mound Number 2 (see Figure 6) in which instance a separate skull bearing a copper head- dress had been placed with the burial proper; a skull similarly placed, with Burial 6, of Mound 26; and with Burials 34 and 41, of Mound 25. The last-named bore a perforation through the occiput. In Figure 91 (to the left) and 92 are shown an up- per and lower jaw of the same individual, perforated |
|
FIG. 91. Trophies made from Human Upper Jaws and Teeth, Drilled for Suspension; left, Burial 41; right, Burial 34; mound 25. (2/3) each with 5 holes for suspension and presumably for fastening together of the two. These objects were found, teeth together in their natural position, with Burial 41, Mound 25. An ornament made from a hu- man upper jaw, the palate cut away and the specimen drilled for suspension (Figure 91) was found with Burial 34, Mound 25. Interesting examples of human jaws used as trophies were found in the Harness Mound (p. 57). |
166 Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications An explanation of this interesting trait, as noted in the Hopewell works, may perhaps be found in the widespread primitive custom of retaining the skulls of captured enemies as trophies. Another possible ex- planation is the suggestion that the trophy skulls and jaws were those of departed relatives. |
|
FIG. 92. A Human Lower Jaw, Perforated for Suspension as a Trophy; Burial 41, Mound 25. (1/1) Spool-shaped Ear Ornaments -- The copper ear- spool is the commonest form of metallic artifact found in burials of the Hopewell culture. Several hundred specimens were secured by the Survey from the various mounds, the most noted find being that with Burials 6 and 7, of Mound 25, where more than 50 of the cop- per ornaments were placed in a line extending from head to foot of the skeleton. Typical specimens of the copper ear-spool are shown in Figure 93, while in Figure 94 are several examples, from the above-men- tioned burials, in which one side of each is covered by silver and the other side by copper, while the body of |
Explorations of the Hopewell Group 167 the spool is made of meteoric iron. This combination of three metals in one object perhaps is unique in Ohio archaeology. A number of typical copper ear-spools with one face covered by thin meteoric iron were found. |
|
FIG. 93. Examples of Copper Ear Ornaments; Burial 6, Mound 25/ (1/1) Two unusual and highly specialized copper ear- spools, found by the former survey in Mound 25, are shown in Figure 95. These specimens, of which a pair each was found, are the only ones of their type reported. An interesting and valuable study of the copper ear |
168 Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications ornaments and their manufacture will be found in the Moorehead report (p. 121). Copper Bracelets and Anklets -- Three forms of this type of ornament were found by the Survey, the |
|
FIG. 94. Ear Ornaments of Copper and Meteoric Iron, covered with Silver, from Burials 6 and 7; Mound 25. (1/1) simplest of which is shown as Figure 96. These speci- mens are solid cylindrical bars of copper fashioned into circular form to fit the wrist, and were found in De- posit Number 1, Mound 17. Another pair of bracelets or anklets, from the same Deposit, is shown as Figure |
Explorations of the Hopewell Group 169 97. This type is made from plano-convex bars of cop- per, bent to the usual circular form with the convex face interior, and unlike the former the ends overlap instead of meeting in the same plane. |
|
95. Unusual Type of Copper Ear Ornament; Mound 25, former Survey. (1/1) With Burial 7 of Mound 25 there were found four bracelets -- two on each forearm of the skeleton -- of a third type. These were in the form of hollow cylin- |
|
ders, each being made from a flat strip of copper, rolled into a tube and then brought to the circular shape. The seam, in this type, is placed interiorly and is not closed, |
170 Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications a cross-section of the specimen being shaped like the letter C. The last-named type of bracelet is the only one found by this Survey with uncremated skeletons, and no evidence of the utilization of the form as anklets was forthcoming. In his report (p. 122) Moorehead de- scribes numerous bracelets and anklets of the several types, found with burials and in the basins of Mound 25. In the Turner group (p. 46) there are several cop- |
|
FIG. 97. Copper Bracelets or Anklets, Plano-convex Section; Mound 17. (2/3) per bracelets of the solid cylindrical form, one of which has a covering of thin silver. Copper-covered Buttons -- Numerous button- shaped objects made variously from stone, clay and wood with coverings of copper, silver and meteoric iron, were found with burials throughout the group. In numerous instances the wood interior is strikingly pre- served by the copper covering. The range of materials and sizes is shown in Figure 98. Copper Hair Ornaments -- Burials 6 and 7 (a double burial) of Mound 25 were each supplied with artificial copper noses (Fig. 24) and, in addition, with rod-like objects of copper on which, apparently, the hair |
Explorations of the Hopewell Group 171 braids had been secured. These objects, shown in Figure 99, had been wrapped with cord, portions of which they still retain. Up to this time the finding of artificial copper noses and rod-like copper hair orna- ments is unique in the Ohio mounds, and their signifi- cance, while presumably ceremonial, is puzzling. |
|
FIG. 98. Buttons of Wood, Clay and Stone, covered with Copper and Silver; from various burials of Mound 25. (1/2) Stone Rings -- The objects illustrated in Figure 100, from Deposit Number 1, of Mound 17, represent a rare but persistent type of Hopewell culture relics, the purpose of which is problematic. The specimen shown in Figure 101, from Burial 41, Mound 25, from its po- sition at the side of the head suggests use as an ear ornament. An exceptionally handsome specimen from one of the basins of Mound 25, presented to the Survey by Mrs. Hopewell, is shown in Figure 102. It and the |
174 Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications specimen from Burial 41 are made from chlorite, while those from the deposit of Mound 17 are made from brown micaceous schist. A number of these interesting objects were found by the Moorehead survey (p. 139) in Altar 1, Mound 25. |
|
Perhaps no other type of Hopewell artifact exhibits so well the skill of the pre- historic workman as the stone rings. A number of them are practically true circles and suggest the em- ployment of mechanical means of describing and ex- ecuting circles. Their finish is strikingly good, and some of them have small perfora- tions drilled through the cir- |
FIG. 101, Small, Finely Made Ring, of Chlorite; Burial 41, Mound 25. (1/1) cumference of the ring, as shown in Figure 101. |
|
Explorations of the Hopewell Group 175 Copper Head-plates -- Helmet-like head-coverings of copper were found with a number of burials of the group. The simplest form of this ornament is shown in Figure 103, a specimen found with Burial 13, Mound 25. In Figure 104 is shown a more elaborate head-plate, found in Mound Number 7 and described in connection therewith. A copper head-plate bearing an interesting scroll de- sign is shown in Figure 105. This specimen had been deposited with Burial 4, of Mound 25. The design in this plate, resembling somewhat the imprint of a bear's foot, occurs rather frequently in the Hopewell art. The most elaborate head-dress found by the present Survey is that illustrated in Figure 106, found with |
|
|
FIG. 105. Copper Head-dress with Conventional Scroll Design; Burial 4, Mound 25. (1.2) (176) |
178
Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications
Burial 11 of Mound 25. The head-dress
consists pri-
marily of a copper plate, curved to fit
the crown of the
head. Supplementing this are two wings
made from
pointed oval sheets of copper and
decorated with rows
of large pearls. The central plate of
the head-dress is
embellished by small designs cut from
mica. The cop-
per body and wings of the head-dress
had been secured
and supported by an underlying saucer-shaped
form of
wood, portions of which were preserved.
In addition,
there was a bonnet-like appurtenance of
woven fabric
which had formed the body of the
head-dress and to
which the copper portions had been
attached. The
pearls had been secured to the wings by
means of cords,
while the mica designs apparently were
held in place
between the copper crown and its
supporting base of
wood. In addition to the fragmentary
remains of the
cloth there were vestiges of the
feathers and beaks of
two birds, apparently small hawks.
Moorehead found
a number of copper head-dresses in the
group, the most
interesting of which was that with his
burial 248,
(p. 107) in Mound 25. While they have
been present
in most groups examined by the Museum,
they appear
to have been absent in the Turner
group.
Copper Breast-plates -- The term breast-plate may
not be altogether justified as regards
these objects, for
while they are most frequently found on
the chests of
burials, they are often located
elsewhere. They are one
of the three or four most
characteristic relics of the
culture and are of very frequent
occurrence. Of the
several dozens taken by the Survey from
various
mounds of the group, the smallest is
that shown in Fig-
|
(180) |
|
(181) |
Explorations of the Hopewell
Group 183
ure 107 from Burial 43, Mound 25; and
the largest,
shown in the same cut, from Burial 35
of Mound 25.
An interesting series of four typical
plates is shown in
Figures 108, 109, 110, and 111, from
burials in Mound
25. In the order named, they show
imprints of burial
robes and garments of bark, feathers,
fur and woven
fabric.
A large plate decorated with
comma-shaped scroll
designs and with pearl beads marking
the location of
its perforations, is shown in Figure
112. This specimen
is from the ceremonial deposit or
offering in Mound 26.
Fine examples of copper plates in
scroll designs were
found in the Seip Mound (p. 19).
Pendant of Fossil Resin -- A pendant of fossil gum
closely resembling amber is shown in
Figure 113. This
specimen was found by the present
Survey at the site
of Moorehead's burials 289-290, in
connection with
which he records (p. 114) the finding
of a similar sub-
stance. The pendant apparently had been
thrown out
unnoticed from the grave, since it was
found in dis-
turbed earth immediately adjacent
thereto.
So closely does the specimen, with its
weathered ex-
terior, resemble a small stone that but
for the fact that
the mattock of a workman struck and
split it cleanly in
two parts, it would not have been
recognized. The il-
lustration shows the pendant thus
broken, the one por-
tion depicting the weathered outer
surface and the
other the handsome interior. The object
is pierced by
double countersunk holes at the smaller
end for sus-
pension.
In color this specimen is a clear
translucent orange-
lemon, in every respect similar to
amber. The appended
184 Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications analysis, however, by Dr. H. W. Nichols, of the Field Museum of Natural History, shows it to be a distinct resin: The resin from the Hopewell mound is not amber. It is an amber-like resin formed by the oxidation of balsam from some undetermined species of abies. The Hopewell resin and true amber have the same softening points, 150 c.; the same fusing points, about 300c.; each carries a small proportion of succinic acid. Amber, on heating to de- composition, emits a powerful acreous odor, while the Hopewell resin gives off a strong balsam odor. |
|
Tortoise-shell Ornaments -- The two specimens made of tortoise-shell, shown in Figure 114, are the best preserved of several found with Burials of Mound Number 25. The larger of the two (below) is from Burial Number 43, and is in an excellent state of pres- ervation. Viewed by transmitted light, its rich colors appear undimmed. The specimen at the top was found with Burial Number 45. An interesting ornament of tortoise-shell from Mound 25 is illustrated by Moore- head (p. 112). |
186 Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications Copper Gorget -- The circular bossed ornament of copper, shown as Figure 115, is from the ceremonial deposit or offering in Mound 17. It has 13 bosses, nine of them arranged in the form of a cross with the re- maining four filling in the angles. |
|
Copper Ornaments -- The four objects illustrated in Figure 116 are from Burial 5, of Mound 25. From the manner of their perforation they appear to have been attached to fabric or clothing. Similar forms of this comma-shaped design were found in the Turner Group (P1. 11). |
Explorations of the Hopewell Group 187 Problematical Copper Object -- The specimen il- lustrated in Figure 117, from Burial Number 1, Mound 20, is one of a series of similar objects, the purpose of which is obscure. For the most part they take the form of three conjoined cylinders, although made from a single sheet of copper. Of these specimens, Moorehead (p. 128) says: "There were (found) several copper |
|
cylinders, one of which is shown in (his) Fig. 22. These originally covered bone tubes. * * * Usually they appear to be a union of three cylinders." A specimen of this type, made from meteoric iron, was found by Putnam in the Turner Group (p. 51), while a specimen made of silver, taken from a mound at Marietta is de- scribed and figured by Atwater (p. 173). This speci- men, described as having "three longitudinal ridges" appears in the cut to consist of five tubular sections. |
Explorations of the Hopewell
Group 189
The present Survey found, with Burial
12, of Mound
25, a copper specimen of this type
consisting of a single
tube. In the Hopewell material at the
Field Museum
there are fragmentary specimens having
from two to
four tubes. From the evidence it would
appear that
specimens of this type were not
confined to the triple
tube form but ranged from one to five
or more tubes.
Specimens examined all appear to have
contained
tubes either of bone or reed, the
interstices being filled
with clay. The reverse sides are flat,
over-lapped, and
usually bear one or more holes for
attachment or sus-
pension. Their form suggests a
flute-like musical in-
strument and the presence in some
specimens of fibers,
cane or reeds, is taken by some to
indicate their use as
torches; neither suggestion, however,
appears to ac-
count satisfactorily for the purpose of
the objects.
CEREMONIAL (PROBLEMATICAL) OBJECTS
While certain specimens considered
under this
heading have some of the
characteristics of the preced-
ing groups they are, for the most part,
distinctive, in
that there is no obvious explanation of
their purpose
aside from that of the ceremonial -- a
term which, per-
haps pardonably, often serves in lieu
of definite knowl-
edge. The objects under consideration
identify them-
salves mainly with a few well known
types, such as the
cones or hemispheres, bar amulets,
gorgets, pendants,
discoidals, plummets and boat-stones of
the average col-
lection of archaeological material
found on the surface.
With the exceptions noted, the
following objects all are
from the ceremonial deposits or
offerings of Mound
Number 17.
190 Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications Cones or Hemispheres -- In Figure 118 there are shown examples of the more than 50 cones made from iron pyrite or marcasite, from Deposit Number 2, Mound 17. These specimens offer an interesting study and are remarkable for the amount of labor expended in their manufacture. The objects for the most part |
|
are greatly deteriorated, but in a striking manner. A glance at the cut shows the peculiar manner in which the interiors are decomposed, leaving only the charac- teristic spicules of the mineral, while the outer shells remain solid. In the lower right of the picture is shown a fresh nodule of pyrite, variety marcasite, from what is known as Copperas mountain, a few miles distant |
Explorations of the Hopewell Group 191 from the Hopewell group, on Paint creek. It is sug- gested that this location was the source of the material for the pyrite specimens from Mound 17. While the natural nodules of pyrite from the Copperas mountain source often are more or less spherical, all the specimens of cones under consideration have been carefully ground into shape and polished. Other specimens of cones and hemispheres from the same deposit, made of chlorite, presumably from the lower Alleghany region, are shown in Figure 119. |
|
Bar-shaped Objects -- Specimens shown in Figures 120 and 121 are made of varieties of chlorite and are from the offerings in Mound 17. The bar-shaped speci- mens illustrated in Figure 122 are made of pink fire- clay, or Ohio pipestone, and the two long specimens in Figure 123 are of a hard variety of clay slate, or argil- lite. |
|
(192) |
|
Vol. XXXV -- 13. (193) |
194 Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications Tabular Objects -- Four tabular specimens of chlorite are shown in Figure 124, while the two large specimens illustrated as Figure 125 are of greenish- black chlorite with large patches of brilliant mica. Fig- ure 126 shows the large sandstone tablet which marked the center of the altar or basin containing the cere- monial deposit (Number 2) of Mound 17. |
|
Disk-shaped Specimens -- Two discoidal-shaped ob- jects of sandstone are shown in Figure 127, while in Figure 128 is a finely made plummet-like object of si- liceous slate. Boat-shaped Objects of Crystal -- Figure 129 illus- trates a remarkable specimen found, with the two fol- lowing ones, in Offering Number 2, Mound 17. It is made from yellowish crystal quartz and in form is some- what funnel-shaped, unperforated. The specimen in Figure 130 is made from a large clear quartz crystal and represents, in its execution, an unusual amount of labor since, presumably, it is as hard as any abrasive material used in fashioning it. In the |
Explorations of the Hopewell Group 195 specimen shown as Figure 131, which is in most ways similar to the above, the artisan has permitted portions of the crystal face to remain, the characteristic strike of which may be noted. |
|
The objects of quartz crystal from these Offerings are most striking, particularly the hollow boat-shaped specimens. Two large discoidal-shaped specimens, in- cluded in the find in Offering Number 1 were, unfor- |
|
(196) |
|
(197) |
|
FIG. 131. Hollow Boat-shaped Specimen of Quartz Crystal; Mound 17.(1/1) (198) |
Explorations of the Hopewell
Group 199
tunately, badly shattered, and it was
impossible to re-
store them. Sufficient portions were
found, however,
very nearly to complete one specimen,
which measures
3 1/2 inches in diameter and 1 3/8
inches in thickness.
Boat-shaped Objects in Effigy -- Figure 132 illus-
trates a boat-shaped object of Ohio
pipestone represent-
ing the hawk or eagle, with the eyes
set with pearls.
The head of the crow, made from black shale,
is shown
in Figure 133, found with the above in
Offering Num-
ber 1, Mound 17.
Two remarkable boat-shaped effigies,
found in
Mound 25 by the Moorehead survey, are
shown in Fig-
ures 134 and 135. The former,
representing a raptorial
bird, is made of handsome greenish
chlorite. The ob-
ject is extremely well made, the walls
of the effigy being
exceedingly thin. The remaining
specimen, represent-
ing the otter with a captured shoveller
duck is carved
from bone. Two fine hollow effigies were
secured by
Putnam in the Turner Group (p. 70) and
a number
were found in the Tremper mound and at
Mound City.
OBJECTS OF ARTISTIC CONCEPTION
There is hardly room for doubt that the
Hopewell
peoples had arrived at a stage of human
culture where
they conceived of "art for art's
sake". Striking ex-
amples of aesthetic conception are the
representations
of the human form, sometimes
representing the entire
figure but more often only the head.
The most preten-
tious effort in this direction so far
disclosed are the
terra-cotta full-length human figures
found by Putnam
in the Turner Group (p. 71).
|
FIG. 132. Hollow Effigy of an Eagle of an Eagle; Ohio Pipestone; Mound 17. (1/2) FIG 133. Hollow Effigy of a Crow's Head; black shale; Mound 17. (1/1 FIG.134. Hollow Effigy of a Bird; green chlorite; Mound 25; former Survey. (2/3 (200) |
|
FIG. 135 Hollow Effigy of Otter with Duck; Mound 25; former Survey. (2/3) FIG. 136, Human Head Carved from Antler; Mound 25; former Survey (1/1) |
202 Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications Human Effigies -- Two interesting human effigies found by the Moorehead survey in Mound 25 are shown in Figures 136 and 137. The former, carved in antler, depicts a human head wearing a head-dress; the latter represents a human figure in a squatting position. A description of this effigy in the Moorehead report (p. 163) reads: |
|
"The most noteworthy carving of the human figure recovered during the exploration is wrought from ivory, and like all of the ivory (fossil mammoth ivory) carvings from the altars, is very badly injured by the heat. * * * A convolute tattoo mark appears upon the cheek. An incised line across the upper part of the forehead marks the hair line, or indicates the front edge of a head-dress. Back of this line are two ear-like ornaments, one of which has been broken. An appendage * * * pro- jects from the back of the head * * *The hair is gathered into a large chignon, and is apparently confined in a net. The meshes of the net seem to be represented by incised lines. From the bottom of the chignon, and extending downward along the |
Explorations of the Hopewell Group 203 back, is a nearly flat projection which widens as it descends, and upon this falls a cue-like object with its lower end missing. The lower lobe of the ear is much distended by the insertion of a long curved ornament, evidently of the same form and material as the ear pendants obtained from each side of the neck of a skele- ton in (Burial 278, Mound 25). A scarf-like object hangs from the neck with its lower end broken. Upon the uninjured portion is delineated a zig-zag line (Z-shaped.)" A representation of a human head is shown in Figure 138. This specimen is made from thin copper |
|
and was found in Cere- monial Offering Number 1, of Mound 17. Designs cut from Mica -- The mica figures found in the Hopewell group evidently partake of the ceremonial as well as of personal adornment. In several instances, how- ever, they evince so much of artistic conception and execution that as a whole they seem to justify the present classification. In Figure 139 are shown examples of a number of imitation bear |
canines, from Burial 42, of Mound 25; Figure 140 illustrates two designs from Burial 4, of the same mound. Several small designs and two shield-shape patterns from Burial 47, Mound 25, are shown in Figures 141 and 142. The image of an eagle's foot, from the same burial, is shown in Figure 143. This |
|
FIG. 139. Imitation Bear Canines in Mica; Burial 42, Mound 25. (1/1) (204) FIG 140. Designs Cut from Mica; Burial 4, Mound 25 (1/1) (204) (204) |
|
FIG. 141. Designs in Mica; from Burial 47, Mound 25. (1/1) (205) FIG. 142. Shield-shaped Designs in Mica; Burial 47, Mouond 25. (2/3) (205) |
|
FIG 143. Effigy of an Eagle's Foot in Mica; Burial 47, Mound 25 (1/2) (206) |
|
FIG. 144. Image of the Human Hand in Mica; Burial 47, Mound 25. (1/2) (207) |
|
FIG. 145. Ceremonial Spear-points of Mica; Burial 34, Mound 25. (2/3) (208) |
|
FIG. 146. Effigies of the Human Figure in Mica; Burial 34, Mound 25. (1/2) Vol. XXXV - 14. (209) |
210 Ohio
Arch. and Hist. Society Publications
remarkable specimen, together with the
human hand,
(Fig. 144) also from Burial 47, are
exceptional exam-
ples of the artistry of the Hopewell
peoples. The base
of the eagle foot appears to have
served as a hand-hold,
and the juncture of the talons with the
toes is marked
by incised curved lines. The heel is
greatly exagger-
ated. In the image of the human hand,
while the thumb
is realistic, the fingers are greatly
elongated and con-
ventionalized.
Two ceremonial spear-points of mica are
shown in
Figure 145. They, with the large human
figure in Fig.
146 were found with Burial 34, of Mound
25. The
smaller of the two human effigies was
found in a log-
mold of Mound 25.
The human effigies in mica, like one of
copper found
in Mound 13 of the Mound City group (p.
374) are
headless. The smaller mica specimen,
like that of cop-
per from Mound City has perforations at
the neck, sug-
gesting either its attachment to
clothing or fabric, or
the attachment of a separate head,
perhaps of different
material.
The Turner Group yielded some striking
figures in
mica, some of which were painted in
colors. These in-
cluded (pl. 15) images of the bear and
a grotesque hu-
man mask; and (p. 68) a plumed serpent.
Engraved Bones -- With the exception of frag-
mentary specimens, shown in Figure 147,
the, present
Survey found but little in the way of
engravings on
bone. Two of several fine examples
found by the
Moorehead survey are shown in Figures
148 and 149.
The latter, from burial 281, Mound 25,
is carved on a
|
FIG. 147. Designs Carved on Bone; Mound 17. (2/3) FIG. 148. Likeness of a Bird's Head Incised on Bone; Mound 25 former survey. (1/1) (211) |
Explorations of the Hopewell
Group 213
section of human femur. The Harness
Mound (p. 63)
yielded exceptional examples of
engraved bones.
Designs in Copper -- An unusual effigy object in
copper, from Burial 35, Mound 25, is
shown in Figure
150. The specimen is fragmentary and
cannot be re-
stored. In addition to what resembles
the body and
wings of an insect, there is the head
and face of a hu-
man being which bears indications of
having been sup-
plied with horns or a head-dress. The
curved body or
tail of the insect, suggesting a dragon
fly, is made from
a separate piece, carefully secured in
place by rivets.
No discovery of copper designs in the
mounds is
more striking than that of the
Moorehead survey, taken
from Mound 25 of the Hopewell Group.
While lack of
space precludes adequate illustrations
of these unusual
objects, outline drawings made from the
more interest-
ing specimens are presented, on a
greatly reduced scale,
in Figures 151 and 152. Particularly striking
among
these objects is the large
conventionalized serpent-head
(number 1) and its accompanying forked
tongue; the
fine large artistic figures suggesting
the trefoil and
quatrefoil (numbers 3, 4, 5), the fish
(6), the comma-
shaped design (8), and the swastikas
(15). In addition
to descriptions and cuts of these
specimens in Moore-
head's report, an exhaustive study of
them by Wil-
loughby will be found in the Holmes
Anniversary Vol-
ume16 and, in collaboration with the
late Professor Put-
nam,17 in Symbolism in Ancient American
Art.
16 Willoughby, Charles C., The Art of the Great
Earthwork Build-
ers of Ohio, Holmes Anniversary Volume, Washington, 1916.
17 Putnam,
Frederick W., and Willoughby, C. C., Symbolism in An-
cient American Art, American Association for the Advancement of
Science, Vol. XLIV, 1896.
214 Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications Fine examples of copper designs in scroll and repousse were found in the Mound City group (p. 353) and interesting specimens were taken from the Turner group (pl. 2). |
|
RAW MATERIALS AND THEIR SOURCES Even a tentative list of materials utilized by the Hopewell peoples (many perishable items long since must have disappeared) and the probable sources from which they were obtained, affords a striking index to the extent of their commerce and travel. Whether the many materials from distant sources of supply were secured through barter with other peoples, or whether they personally made long journeys to obtain them is a question fraught with interest. Since practically none of the types of artifacts used by the Hopewell people are found elsewhere than on sites of their occupancy and |
Explorations of the Hopewell
Group 217
since, for the most part, they appear
to have been manu-
factured where used, the evidence is in
favor of the lat-
ter surmise. However, a certain amount
of trade and
barter doubtless obtained. The list
follows:
Mineral Products -- From
the glacial drift, locally: granite,
diorite, syenite, quartzite, argillite,
and so forth.
From local deposits: sandstone,
limestone, slate, shale, clay,
and (probably) iron pyrite.
From nearby sources: flint and
cannel-coal from Flint
Ridge, Ohio; fireclay (Ohio pipestone)
from Scioto county, Ohio.
From distant sources: quartz crystal,
mica, chlorite,
chloritic schists, mica schists, from
the lower Alleghany region;
copper, micaceous hematite and
(probably) silver from the Lake
Superior copper district; obsidian, from
the upper Rocky Moun-
tain district; concretionary and other
flints from Indiana, Ten-
nessee and (probably) Missouri; galena
(probably) Illinois;
graphite and meteoric iron, sources
unknown.
Marine and Fresh Water Products -- Shells, large and small;
jaws and teeth (barracuda, alligator,
shark); tortoise-shell;
from the gulf region. Pearls, shells
(mainly unio and leptoxis)
from local and southern streams.
Animal Products: Bones, teeth, antlers, skins, fur, feathers
and so forth, from local animals and
birds; canine teeth of the
grizzly bear, from the Rocky Mountain
region.
Vegetable Products -- Wood, bark, fiber and so forth from
local trees and plants.
An unusual number of artifacts made
from the
Lower Alleghany series of chlorites and
allied minerals,
together with many worked and unworked
pieces of the
material, including the so-called
gold-stone, were found
in Mound Number 17. Large chunks of
graphite, of
exceptional quality, and many pounds of
micaceous
hematite of the foliated highly
lustrous variety, exactly
similar to that now being mined at
Marquette, Michi-
gan, were in the same deposit. Neither of these two
minerals, however, had been worked into
artifacts.
218
Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications
Several pieces of galena and a single
large bead thereof,
were found.
Considerable speculation exists as to
the source of
the meteoric iron found in mounds of
the Hopewell cul-
ture. The fact that several important
materials used
by the Hopewell peoples were secured in
the far west
suggests the possibility of the same
general source for
the meteoric iron. The noted deposit at
Canon Diablo,
Arizona, may well have been known to
and utilized by
native tribes.
THE SKELETAL REMAINS
Anticipated professional study of the
skeletal ma-
terial from the Hopewell group was not
forthcoming
in time to be included in the present
report. It is hoped
that this later may be presented in a
separate paper.
Sex identification, measurements, and
so forth, where
attempted are therefore tentative.
An exhaustive study by Earnest A.
Hooton18 of the
skeletal remains from the Turner group
is appended to
the report thereon.
18 Hooton, Earnest A., The Turner Group of Earthworks, Notes on
the Skeletal Remains, Peabody Museum of
American Archaeology and
Ethnology, Vol. VIII, No. 3, 1922.
IV
OBSERVATIONS AND COMPARISONS
With the completion of the Hopewell
explorations a
considerable amount of data pertaining
to the culture
in Ohio becomes available. A total of
six major groups
now have been examined and reported --
the Harness
Mound (Liberty group); the Seip Mound
(Seip group);
the Turner Group; the Tremper Mound;
the Mound
City Group; and the Hopewell Group.
A digest of the literature covering
examinations of
these several groups discloses some
interesting features
and comparisons. Certain
characteristics are entirely
constant while others, always present,
have undergone
modifications. A surprising number of
local traits are
found with one or more groups which are
entirely lack-
ing in others.
All six of the groups occupy commanding
positions
adjacent to their respective rivers and
streams. While
there are no resemblances between any
two of the
groups sufficiently striking to afford
conclusive evidence
of the proposition, there is an
apparent tendency for the
six groups to arrange themselves into
three pairs: the
Hopewell and the Turner groups; the
Mound City
group and the Tremper mound; and the
Harness and
the Seip mounds. This seems to be
indicated not alone
by external physical characteristics,
but by internal and
minor features as well. Members of the
first-named
pair -- Hopewell and Turner -- each
comprises two con-
joined enclosures, near-geometric in
form, within which
(219)
220 Ohio Arch and Hist.
Society Publications
their respective groups of mounds are
situated. In the
second pair -- Harness and Seip -- the
resemblance is
most striking. Each consists of a large
circular seg-
mented enclosure, containing a central
mound and one
or more smaller mounds, and adjoining
this main en-
closure a smaller circular and a square
figure, neither of
which contains mounds.
In the instance of the Mound City group
and the
Tremper mound, while there is the
distinctive difference
that the one is a group of mounds and
the other a single
tumulus, their accompanying earthworks
appear to have
served the single purpose of
enclosures. In neither in-
stance was the enclosure striking in
dimensions or form,
as in other groups noted. Further
similarities may be
noted in the appended tables.
As to physical features of the
individual mounds,
there are striking similarities and
differences. The
floors of all are quite similar in
being leveled, smoothed
and covered with coarse sand or gravel.
The Mound City group alone of those
examined by
this institution presented definite and
intentional strati-
fication, presumably ceremonial, and
varying from one
to four strata in a mound. In addition,
the interior
primary mounds bore similar coverings
consisting of a
single stratum of sand or fine
gravel. The interior
mounds at Hopewell were similarly
marked.
The Turner Group also exhibited
ceremonial strata,
apparently extending through the extent
of the mounds.
This group presents the novelty of
entirely level hori-
zontal strata in a number of its
mounds.
Low walls or circumvallations of stone
and coarse
gravel were found to circumscribe the
margins of
Explorations of the Hopewell
Group 221
mounds in the Hopewell and Turner
groups and in the
Harness and Seip mounds. External or
sub-surface
coverings of stones or coarse gravel
obtained in these
four instances and at Mound City.
Delineation of the outer margins of
mounds and
floor-space within them by upright
posts or timbers was
found in Mound City, Tremper, Harness
and Seip.
These were absent at Hopewells, but
were accompani-
ments of the characteristic interior or
primary mounds
of its larger tumuli. In the Turner
group, posts are in-
dicated promiscuously throughout the
floor spaces, but
none are shown as marginal
delineations.
Crematory basins of large size
characterized
Mound City, Tremper, Harness and Seip,
while in
Hopewell and Turner they were uniformly
small.
Pretentious log structures were the
rule in connec-
tion with graves at Hopewell, while in
Harness and Seip
they were unimportant and sometimes
altogether lack-
ing. No timbers were found with burials
at Tremper's
and none are indicated in the report on
the Turner
group.
Cremation of the dead preponderated
over non-cre-
mation at Mound City, Tremper, Harness
and Seip,
while the reverse is true of Hopewell
and Turner.
The accompanying tables of comparisons
are not
intended as exhaustive studies of the
phases with which
they are concerned. They are offered
merely as tenta-
tive bases for future comparisons and
deductions.
222 Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications |
|
Explorations of the Hopewell
Group 223
In addition to these tabulated
characteristics, individ-
ual mounds of the several groups
presented traits and
phenomena entirely local in their
significance. In the
Hopewell group the most striking of
these was the sup-
posed large mosaic of stone located
near the top of the
great central mound. The Turner Group
is distinguished
in having displayed abundant evidences
of occupation
and residence; in possessing a distinct
cemetery in which
the majority of burials there were
found; for the exist-
ence of highly specialized stone graves
and of sub-floor
burials in the mounds; for a carefully
constructed stone
wall in one of its mound and for the
presence in several
others of level horizontal ceremonial
strata. The re-
markable series of what are termed
tunnels, pits and
flues found in mounds of this group
have not been noted
elsewhere.
The Mound City group presented, among
other in-
novations, a large excavated basement
beneath its cen-
tral mound. The Tremper mound is unique
in that it
is the only known tumulus of first
importance of the
culture to stand alone and isolated
from other mounds.
The Harness Mound proper and minor
mounds of
the Harness (Liberty) Group displayed
little or no de-
viation from what is typical of the
culture as a whole.
This is true also of the Seip Group, in
so far as the data
accruing from the examination of the
lesser of the two
large mounds is concerned. However, the
great central
mound, exploration of which is now
under way, prom-
ises to reverse much of the evidence
for the Group as a
whole.
A comparative study of artifacts and
materials from
the several Groups is presented in the
following table:
224 Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications |
|
Explorations of the Hopewell Group 225 |
|
The above table does not include many minor ob- jects in common use nor local materials such as vegeta- Vol. XXXV -- 15. |
226
Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications
ble, animal and mineral substances.
Neither does it in-
clude artifacts or materials peculiar
to a single group.
In the Hopewell Group there were found
the follow-
ing objects not noted in other groups:
a series of abrad-
ing or grinding stones; dishes of
stone; large flint disks;
very large obsidian blades; artificial
copper noses and
copper hair-rods; pendants of fossil
amber-like gum;
many problematical forms in stone;
hollow objects fash-
ioned from quartz crystals; and a
remarkable series of
artistic conventional designs in
copper. Among the raw
materials found are iron pyrites,
micaceous hematite
and graphite.
The striking features of the finds of
artifacts at the
Turner group are human figures in
terra-cotta and thin
sheets of gold, pounded from small
nuggets. Painted
effigies of mica and engraved hollow
stone effigies are
other features.
Outstanding features of the Mound City
group were
a large number of effigy platform pipes
and many con-
ventional designs in copper. A similar
deposit of effigy
pipes was the feature of the Tremper
mound.
The following comparative table of
burials in the six
groups is based on the published
reports of their ex-
aminations. In some instances the data
appears not to
be sufficiently definite, in which case
it is not made use
of. In the Hopewell group the former
survey disclosed
more than 150 burials, but since
cremated burials are
not taken account of, or at least are
not differentiated
from uncremated ones, these are made
unavailable as
a basis for comparisons.
In the case of the Turner Group it
should be noted
that the greater number of the total of
65 burials were
Explorations of the Hopewell Group 227 taken from the cemetery of the group, the existence of which would seem to account for the comparatively few burials in the mounds proper. COMPARATIVE TABLE OF BURIALS Total Cremated Uncrem. Per Cent. Per cent. burials burials burials cremated uncrem. Hopewell Group .... 85 32 53 37 62 Turner Group........ 65 10 55 15 85 Mound City Group... 97 97 .. 100 Tremper Group...... 3 3 .. 100 Harness Mound...... 172 163 9 95 5 Seip Mound* ........ 48 43 5 90 10 Totals ....... 470 348 122 74+ 26- * Since this table was prepared the examination of the great cen- tral mound of the Seip Group has been begun. Although the work has progressed only a short ways, it appears that uncremated burial obtains to a great extent, a factor which in the end may decidedly change the burial data for the group. Furthermore, the phenomenon of skulls sup- plied with artificial copper noses and copper hair rods, up to this time unique outside of the Hopewell Group, has been disclosed in the Seip Group. |
|
EXPLORATION OF THE HOPEWELL GROUP OF
PREHISTORIC EARTHWORKS
PREFATORY
The Ohio State Archaeological and
Historical So-
ciety's examination of the Hopewell
Group of Prehis-
toric Earthworks, if set down in
detail, would more than
fill the allotted space; and yet, such
a report, without
some mention of two former partial
explorations would
lack much of being a complete story.
Moreover, should
anything like a full review of previous
explorations be
included, the resultant report would
extend entirely out
of bounds.
The solution, then, appears to lie in
the direction of
a somewhat curtailed account of the
recent Survey, sup-
plemented by sufficient reference to
former ones to pro-
duce a report suited to the
requirements of the average
reader. Adapting this plan to the
following pages, such
recent data as seem not to be of
immediate importance
are omitted; and minute details of
exploration and ma-
terial not recorded herein, but to be
found in the So-
ciety's field notes and study collections
will be available
at the Museum to those interested.
As regards former explorations, only
outstanding
phenomena and features not duplicated
in the recent ex-
amination are cited. Unfortunately, the
material from
the first examination of the group --
that of Squier and
Davis -- is not easily accessible for
study, it having been
taken from this country to England at
an early date.
Their official report, however, will be
found in Volume I
Vol. XXXV-1. (1)