3 GO ANCIENT ABORIGINAL TEADE IN NORTH AMERICA. 



situ or iu cousequeuce of liuman agency (as, perhaps, on the Gila), is in 

 itself of importance, for it furnishes an additional illustration of the far- 

 reacliing communications among the aborigines of North America. 



MICA. 



Like the shining galena, mica (commonly called isinglass), was a 

 substance held in high estimation by the former inhabitants ; but, while 

 the first-named mineral apparently fulfilled no definite jiurpose, being 

 deemed valuable merely for its brilliancy, the latter was often made into 

 articles of ornament, a purpose for which it certainly was well fitted on 

 account of its metallic lustre. It is also said to have been used for 

 mirrors. Mica is found in the tumuli iu considerable quantities, some- 

 times in bushels, and is often ploughed up in the neighborhood of old 

 earthworks. It occurs in sepulchral mounds as well as, though more 

 rarely, in those of supposed sacrificial character. In the former the 

 plates of mica are placed on the chest or above the head of the skeleton, 

 and sometimes they cover it almost entirely. If I speak here of "plates 

 of mica," the expression is to be taken literally, it beiug known 

 that this mineral occurs in some of the eastern parts of North America 

 in masses of considerable size, as, for instance, iu New Hampshire, 

 where pieces of from two to three feet in diameter have been observed. 



Tbe most important archteological finds of mica, as far as I know, 

 occurred in Ohio. Of some of them I will give here a brief account. 



Mr. Atwater has left a very accurate description of the earthwork at 

 Circleville, Ohio, now mostly obliterated, which consisted of a large cir- 

 cular and adjoining quadratic embankment. In the centre of the circle 

 there arose a sepulchral mound which contained two vskeletons and 

 various objects of art, among which was a " mirror" of mica, about three 

 feet long, one foot and a half wide, and one inch and a half in thickness. 

 Atwater found these so-called mirrors at least iu fifty different places in 

 Ohio, mostly in mounds. " They were common among that people," he 

 says, " and answered very well the purpose for which they were in- 

 tended. These mirrors were very thick, otherwise they would not have 

 reflected the light."* It has been doubted, however, whether the objects 

 served as mirrors. It is true, every one who has come in contact with 

 the modern Indians knows how eager they are, prompted by vanity, to 

 obtain from the traders small looking-glasses, which they often carry 

 about their persons iu order to contemplate their features, or to have 

 them on hand when they are about to paint their faces, or to eradicate 

 their scanty growth of beard. Yet, after all, I am inclinded to believe 

 that Atwater's so-called mirrors were nothing else but those large plates 

 of mica, probably of symbolic character (as will be seen), which have 

 frequently been met since the publication of his account. 



Iu the year 1828, during the digging of a canal near Newark, Ohio, 

 one of the low mounds frequent in that neighborhood was removed. It 



* ALwiiter, iu : ArcliBeologLca Ameiicaua, Worcester, 1820, Vol. I, pp. 176, 225. 



