EARTHWORKS AND MOUNDS IN MIAMI COUNTY, OHIO. 873 



on strange ground, much of which is covered with heavy timber and 

 dense undergrowth, may be pardoned a few errors. 



The roads and farms are taken from a county map ; the pits, work- 

 shops, &c., are put as near as possible in their true positions, but are 

 somewhat exaggerated in area, that they may be more easily located ; 

 and any one with this map will experience but little diflSculty in finding 

 anything of archseological interest on the Ridge. 



Any one wishing to make a personal investigation will do well to 

 begin his work by calling on Capt. John Loughman, living near the 

 cross-roads. He has hunted over these hills for more than fifty years, 

 and every field is familiar to him. He takes pleasure in giving informa- 

 tion to the seeker of knowledge. 



EARTHWORKS AND MOUNDS IN MIAMI COUNTY, OHIO. 



By E. T. WiLTHEiss, of Piqua, Ohio. 



The accompanying map represents Washington and part of Spring 

 Creek Township, Miami County, Ohio, in which are located all the 

 ancient works that were in existence when the Europeans made their 

 first appearance in that locality. The works are marked with figures 

 to identifv them in order. 



No. 1 is a large ellipse whose axes are respectively 1,500 and 900 feet, 

 and incloses, according to Col. John Johnston, who was the former 

 owner of the place, 17 acres. The wall is made of bowlders, all water 

 washed, and, no doubt, they were gathered from the bed of the East 

 Miami River. The work is located 3 miles north of Piqua, Ohio, 

 and is 30 feet above the level of the valley of the river. The founda- 

 tion of the wall is 10 feet wide at the base. The wall which was, at 

 the appearance of the settlers in 1797, about 4 feet high, has fallen 

 down, and tbe bowlders lie scattered all over the field. The present 

 owner is destroying it as fast as possible, as he has the field under cul- 

 tivation. 



The figure of the ellipse deviates in some cases from a strict regularity 

 to accommodate itself to the surface of the country as it then was. 

 There was a large spring on the northeast in the fort which was walled 

 with bowlders. About 30 feet southwest from the spring stands a bowl- 

 der on end 3 feet in height. On the south end of the fort is a mound 240 

 feet in circumference and 5 feet high. This mound was surrounded by a 

 small ditch, which was paved with small bowlders. It took one man a 

 week to remove this pavement. In May, 1880, the writer made an ex- 

 ploration of the center of tbe mound and found it to contain a sacrificial 

 altar. After digging through a foot of soil, a stratum of yellow sand 

 was encountered, 10 inches thick; then 6 inches of ashes mixed with 

 burnt bones. This stratum of ashes was pressed in such a solid mass 



