EARTHWORKS—TEMPLE MOUNDS.
[Illustration: Fig. 59.—TERRACED MOUND.]
These mounds are distinguished by their great regularity of form
and general large dimensions. They occur most usually within, but
sometimes without, the walls of enclosures. They consist chiefly
of pyramidal structures, truncated, and generally having graded
avenues to their tops. In some instances they are terraced, or have
successive stages. But whatever their form, whether round, oval,
octangular, square, or oblong, they have invariably flat or level
tops, of greater or less area. Examples are known in which, although
but a few feet in elevation, they cover several acres of ground; in
which cases they are commonly called “platforms.”
Mounds of this class are not numerous in Ohio, and it is believed are
only found at Marietta, Newark, Portsmouth, and in the vicinity of
Chillicothe. These are all described, and their predominant features
illustrated, in the accounts of the works at the several points where
they occur, to which attention is directed. (See Plates XVIII, XXV,
XXVI.) Those at Marietta are situated within an enclosure; those at
Newark and near Chillicothe, in close connection with small circles
upon which they seem to have some degree of dependence. So far as
ascertained, they cover no remains, and seem obviously designed as
the sites of temples or of other structures which have passed away,
or as “high places” for the performance of certain ceremonies. The
likeness which they bear to the «Teocallis» of Mexico is striking,
and suggestive of their probable purposes.
In addition to the pyramidal structures here noticed, there are
others somewhat [p174] different in their forms, but which were
undoubtedly appropriated to the same purpose. The mound embraced
in the circular work connected with the Portsmouth group, is an
example. (See Plate XXVIII.) Though much defaced, its original
plan can easily be made out. It is circular, placed on a terrace,
is truncated, and has a spiral pathway leading to its summit. The
purpose already assigned to it, viz. that of a site for a temple, or
a “high place” for the performance of ceremonies probably connected
with the superstitions of the ancient people, is indicated not less
by the peculiarities of its construction, than by the character of
the enclosure in which it is situated.
The feature of truncation is not, however, peculiar to this class of
mounds. It is frequently observed in those which, upon investigation,
are found to be sepulchral in their character; in which cases it is
to be attributed to the falling in of the sepulchral chambers. This
circumstance gave the summit of the Grave creek Mound a hollow or
dish-shaped form, which was a source of much conjecture, until the
excavation of the mound explained the cause.
[Illustration: Fig. 60.]
[Illustration: Fig. 61.]
Along the Mississippi river, and especially as we approach the Gulf,
these regular structures increase both in number and magnitude. In
Kentucky they are more frequent than in the States north of the Ohio
river; and in Tennessee and Mississippi they are still more abundant.
Some of the largest, however, occur in pretty high latitudes. The
great mound at Cahokia, Illinois, is one of the most remarkable.
It has often been described, and all accounts concur in respect
to its great size. The following approximate plan will serve to
give an idea of its general outline. It is of course much rounded,
and its regularity to a great degree destroyed, by the storms and
changes of centuries; its original plan is, however, represented to
be still sufficiently obvious. The form of the mound is that of a
parallelogram, seven hundred feet long by five hundred wide at the
base. It is ninety feet in height. Upon one side is a broad apron
or terrace, which is reached by a graded ascent. At the time this
mound was occupied by the monks of La Trappe, the terrace was used
as a garden. It is one hundred and sixty feet wide and three hundred
and fifty long; the summit or highest part of the mound (A) measures
two hundred feet in width by four hundred and fifty in length.
Here formerly stood a broad, low mound, which was disturbed in
preparing the foundations of a dwelling house. Within it were found
human bones, and various implements of stone and pottery, probably
belonging to a recent deposit. This mound covers not far from eight
acres of ground, and the area of its level summit is about five
acres. Its solid contents may be roughly estimated at twenty millions
of cubic feet.[114] A number of similar mounds, though of less size,
occur in this [p175] vicinity, and others still exist near the city
of St. Louis.[115] Mounds of this class are sometimes surrounded by
low embankments of earth. A fine example is furnished by the large
conical mound at Marietta, of which a view is elsewhere given.
Another occurs on the Virginia shore of the Ohio, nearly opposite the
head of Blennerhassett’s Island (Fig. 61). It is lozenge-shaped, and
is surrounded by a wall and ditch.[116]
Some very remarkable mounds of this class occur in Kentucky, on the
“Long Bottom” of Cumberland river, in Adair county; also near Cadiz,
Trigg county; near Mount Sterling, and in Hickman and McCracken
counties. In Whiteby county is one three hundred and sixty feet long,
one hundred and fifty wide, and twelve high, with graded ascents; and
at Hopkinsville, Christian county, is one of great size, upon which
the court-house is built.
In Bradford county, Tennessee, several extensive terraces or
platforms of earth are said to exist, one of which is represented to
cover three acres. Six miles south-west of Paris, Henry county, is a
terrace four or five feet high and two hundred feet square. It serves
as the site of a dwelling. Similar ones are numerous on Old Town
creek, nine or ten miles westward of Paris. There are others on the
banks of the Cumberland river between Palmyra and Clarkesville, and
a number occur in the vicinity of Knoxville. Some of large size are
found in Missouri, at New Madrid, St. Genevieve and other places.
[Illustration: Fig. 62.]
Fig. 62. A section from east to west of a large mound in Clarke
county, Tennessee, not far from Claiborne. It is situated on a hill,
and is fifty feet in height by four hundred and fifty in diameter at
the base. It is truncated, and has a level area at its summit about
one hundred feet in circumference. It is also terraced and has ten
stages, each of which is not far from five feet above the other. The
terraces are covered with turf; but the slopes exhibit the naked
white clay of which the mound is composed. The stages are interrupted
on the eastern side, where there is a graded ascent.[117] [p176]
[Illustration: Fig. 63.]
Fig. 63. This remarkable mound or terrace occurs near Lovedale,
Woodford county, Kentucky. It is octagonal in form, measuring one
hundred and fifty feet on each side. It has three graded ascents, one
at each of the northern angles and one at the middle of the western
side. It is but little more than five feet in height. Upon it are two
conical mounds, as shown in the plan, and also the dwelling house
of the proprietor. Some distance to the northward of this terrace
are a number of large and deep pits, from which the material for its
construction was probably taken.[118]
[Illustration: Fig. 64.]
Fig. 64. The plan of this mound or terrace sufficiently explains its
character. It is situated three miles from Washington, Mason county,
Kentucky. Its height is ten feet.[119]
No sooner do we arrive in the Southern States, than we find these
Teocalli-shaped structures constituting the most numerous and
important portion of the ancient remains. They preserve very nearly
the same form with those already described, but are generally of
greater size, and enter into many new combinations. Examples of a
considerable number have already been given in the chapter on the
“Monuments of the Southern States.” Here they often occur entirely
separate from enclosures of any sort, and are frequently placed with
a great deal of regularity in respect to each other. It sometimes
happens that a large truncated mound is surrounded by a series
of smaller ones, so as to form an ellipse, circle, square, or
parallelogram.[120] In some instances the various mounds of a group
are connected with each other by raised ways or terraces.
[Illustration: Fig. 65.]
Many of the temple mounds of the South are circular; most have graded
ascents, and a few have a low wall enclosing the level area at their
tops. In Macon and Cherokee counties, North Carolina, quite a number,
answering to this description, are said to exist. A very remarkable
one occurs near the town of Franklin, on the Tennessee river, and
another not far from the town of Murphy, on Valley [p177] river.
They are from twelve to fifteen feet high and of proportionate base.
Their form is best illustrated by the accompanying engraving, Fig.
65. There are no enclosures in the vicinity of these works. It is
said the Indians formerly built their council houses upon them.
Some of these circular mounds, as we have seen in a previous
chapter, were ascended by spiral pathways, winding round them, as
round a shaft, from base to summit. Indeed, it would be impossible
to describe all the various forms which these structures assume;
their general character is however sufficiently illustrated by the
preceding examples.
It often happens that the temple mounds of the South have other
mounds upon their summits. This is especially the case with the
large pyramidal structures. An example is furnished in the great
Seltzertown mound, which is covered with a number of smaller ones.
[Illustration: Fig. 66.—GROUP OF SEPULCHRAL MOUNDS]
FOOTNOTES:
[114] Notes on the Antiquities of the Mississippi Valley, by H. H.
Breckenridge, Trans. Am. Phil. Soc. 1813; Views of Louisiana, p.
172, Latrobe, vol. ii, p. 250; Featherstonhaugh’s Travels in North
America, p. 66.
[115] There is an elevation of earth not far from Chicago, in the
northern part of Illinois, which was supposed, for many years, to be
of artificial origin. It is well known as Mount Joliet. It appears,
however, from all direct information that can be gathered concerning
it, that it is simply a natural eminence of regular outline. So far
as we are informed, there are no traces of a great ancient population
in that vicinity, such as we almost invariably find accompanying the
more imposing aboriginal monuments.
[116] On the authority of Charles Sullivan, Esq., Marietta, Ohio.
[117] The description of this mound is from the RAFINESQUE MSS. The
section purports to have been made by a Mr. Ewing.
[118] RAFINESQUE MSS. The survey of this singular monument purports
to have been made in 1820. The then proprietor was a Mr. Ship, the
position of whose residence is shown in the plan.
[119] RAFINESQUE MSS., 1818.
[120] Mounds placed in this manner are of occasional occurrence in
the more northern States. Examples have been remarked in Illinois
and Missouri. Twelve miles south-west of the town of Glasgow, Barren
county, Kentucky, a group is found. The mounds are small, oval,
and placed at intervals of about fifty yards, so as to constitute
a circle of perhaps fifteen hundred feet in circumference. In
the centre of the circular area is a large mound between twenty
and thirty feet in height. These mounds appear to have sustained
structures of some kind.—«Collins’s Kentucky», p. 176.
[p178]