280 The Earthworks at Fort Ancient. 



The embankment maybe characterized as broken up in short pieces, 

 for every cue or two hundred feet there is an opening through it, and 

 situated upon the extreme margin of the steep hill-sides, winding and 

 twisting about the heads of gullies, and projecting peaks of the hill, as 

 formed by the erosive powers of the atmosphere, the storms, and other 

 natural causes, except where it crosses the plain at the northeastern 

 part of the fortification. Here there are openings about every two 

 hundred feet, and the embankment is very high, even now near twenty 

 feet, though the ground was cleared before Prof. Locke made his survey 

 in 1843. 



The mounds that were once so conspicuous within the eastern fortifi- 

 cation have been plowed down, until they rise but very little above the 

 level of the surrounding plain, and will not be noticed by the casual 

 observer unless directly pointed out. 



Two mounds are situated a short distance south of the eastern part 

 of the fortification, between which the old Lebanon and Chillicothe 

 pike is located. These mounds show the effects of the powerful 

 denuding agencies in the atmosphere. They have been cleared for 

 many years, and are now very much flattened, appearing to be less 

 than ten feet higher than the pike, though it is likely they were once 

 as high, or even higher, than the embankment of the fortification. It 

 is said that a pavement of thin limestones has been discovered a foot or 

 more below the surface of the ground, and extending several hundred 

 yards in a southeast direction from these mounds, and I saw in the 

 field near by many of these flat stones that had been plowed up, and 

 upon digging a footer more in depth at this place found the pavement, 

 and lifted up some of the thin, badly weather-worn stone, which had 

 evidently been placed where found, because the diluvial soil and drift 

 was several feet thick below them. The excavation and work at this 

 place was under the direction of Mr. Hosea and J. Kelly O'Neil, who 

 were fully satisfied that they were liftiiig up the pavement laid by the 

 subjects of the king of the "Mound Builders," anywhere from ten to 

 five hundred thousand years ago, as it best suits the imagination, always 

 being willing to rise or fall a peg or two to suit the taste of the inquis- 

 itor. 



A ditch runs east and west, in a line with these mounds, west of the 

 pike, and a few hundred feet south of the fortification, the purpose 

 of which belongs to that department of archjeological hermeneutics yet 

 unexplored. A few acres of ground surrounding these mounds is said 

 to be remarkably rich and productive, and from the dark and alluvial 

 appearance, one naturally comes to the conclusion "that here the stock 

 was kept, or the ofial deposited in such quantities that time has failed 



