n8 



Hopewell Mound Group 



curious that the skeleton with which these were found is that of a child. 

 The larger copper tool shown in Plate LI 1 1 is one of the most inter- 

 esting of the Hopewell finds. The circumstances attending its dis- 

 covery have been mentioned above. On it lay portions of textiles and 

 traces of wood or bark. It seems impossible that such an object could 

 have been put to any use. There seems to be no special differences 

 between the copper tools found with skeletons and those from the copper 



Fig. 13b. 

 Three Copper Hatchets from Skeleton 176. 



deposits. As a general rule, the former show more signs of use. Some 

 of the copper is very much oxidized or disintegrated. This is illustrated 

 in Plate LIV, No. i, which shows one of the copper hatchets nearly 

 full size. The copper accompanying skeletons Nos. 260 and 261 was 

 more disintegrated than that from other burials, although it is difficult 

 to determine the cause thereof. A few small, pointed copper tools 

 were found, but scarcely enough to constitute credit by themselves 

 Fig. 14 shows an awl or pointed tool of copper 17.5 cm long, found 



Fig. 14. 

 Copper Awl or Pointed Tool from Mound 



in Mound 25. There was also a somewhat heavier pointed tool, which 

 was almost pick-shaped. Someone has cleaned and polished half of it, 

 removing the oxidization. Students of prehistoric copper artifacts have 

 been unable to understand why the Hopewell people did not make use 



