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OBSERVATIONS CONCERNING FORT ANCIENT. 

 By Sklden S. Scovillk, M. I)., Lkbanon, Ohio. 



(Paper read by Abstract, at the Rochester Meeting of The American 

 Association for the Advancement of Science, 1892.) 



There have been so many articles and maps published 

 descriptive of Fort Ancient, that we shall take it for granted 

 that all are familiar with its situation and general features. 



Our remarks will include a description of the ground and 

 water courses at the eastern part of the works, and the char- 

 acter of the high embankments that cross the neck of the 

 peninsula, with observations regarding the purposes of the 

 gate-wa^-s, and also a few thoughts bearing upon the question 

 as to whether all the earth-works seen at Fort Ancient were 

 constructed at the same period of time. 



It is to be regretted that no map has ever been published 

 which fully illustrates the topography of the ground at the 

 eastern part of the fort, and that extending to the northeast, 

 on which the two large mounds and long parallel walls are 

 situated. In our description of the ground and water courses, 

 we shall not claim to be strictly accurate, as we have made no 

 regular .survey, but we hope to be approximately correct. 



The two streams — twin streams we may call them — which 

 pass down, one on either side of the peninsula, on which the 

 fort stands, rise about three-fourths of a mile northeast of the 

 fort. In their upper parts they have excavated quite wide, 

 though not deep beds, in the glacial clays ; but before reach- 

 ing the fort they begin to cut down vigoroush- into the lower 

 Silurian shales and limestone, and soon form large hollows or 

 ravines. A short distance from their sources they diverge 

 and are more widely separated for some distance, but upon 

 approaching the fort come much nearer together, forming 

 what has been known as the neck of the peninsula or plateau, 

 on which the fort proper is situated. They again diverge at 



