CLASSIFICATION OF ANTIQUITIKS. 2f>5 



with a superstitious trait of the Indian nature, leading to the 

 abandonment of places where any great calamity has been 

 suffered ; but they appear rather to indicate a country thickly 

 inhabited for a period long enough to admit of the progressive 

 enlargement and extension of its movements." 



O 



Although Mr. Schoolcraft's book is more especially devoted 

 to the present, or recent, condition and habits of the Indian 

 tribes, still he gives us much archaeological information, and 

 I shall have occasion frequently to quote from his elaborate 

 work. 



The antiquities themselves fall into two great divisions : 

 Implements (including ornaments) and Earthworks. The 

 earthworks have been again divided by the American archae- 

 ologists into seven classes: 1, Defensive enclosures; 2, 

 Sacred and miscellaneous enclosures ; 3, Sepulchral mounds ; 

 4, Sacrificial mounds; 5, Temple mounds; 6, "Animal" 

 mounds; and 7, Miscellaneous mounds. These classes I 

 shall treat separately, and we can then better consider the 

 "mound-builders" themselves. 



The simple weapons of bone and stone, found in America, 

 closely resemble those which occur in other countries. The 

 flakes, hatchets, axes, arrow-heads, and bone implements are, 

 for instance, very similar to those which occur in the Swiss 

 Lakes, if only we make allowance for the differences of mate- 

 rial. In addition to the simple forms, which may almost be 

 said to be ubiquitous, there are some, however, which are 

 more complicated. In many cases they are perforated, as for 

 instance those figured by Messrs. Squier and Davis.* The 

 perforated axes found in Europe are generally considered to 

 belong to the Metallic Age ; but as far as America is concerned, 

 we have not yet any evidence as to the relative antiquity of 

 the perforated and imperforated types. 



* Ancient Monuments of the Mississippi Valley. By E. S. Squier and 

 E. H. Davis. 



