30 TRANSACTIONS OP THE 



works of art in the mounds are in no whit superior to the arts of 

 the Indians discovered in this country. On the other hand, the 

 Cherokees, Choctaws, Chickasaws, Muskokis, Shawnees, Mandans, 

 Wintuns, and Siouans, and probably many other tribes, are known 

 to have built mounds for domiciliary and burial purposes. The 

 earlier explorers found tribes of Indians occupying and using 

 mounds — the Natchez, Cherokees, and others; and the result 

 of the last few years of investigation is this : That there is no 

 sufficient reason, and in fact no whit of evidence, to show 

 that this continent was occupied by a people anterior to its occupa- 

 tion by the Indian tribes, a people of a higher grade of cul- 

 ture. On the other hand, some tribes of Indians are known to liave 

 been mound-buiiders. We have not yet discovered what particular 

 tribes built many of the mounds ; nor is it possible to discover 

 when they were built — that is, to fix with acccuracy the date 

 of their erection. Some of them have been built within the historic 

 period — doubtless but very few compared with the whole number — • 

 and some of them are doubtless of great antiquity. And during 

 all the centuries of history when these mounds were erected some 

 tribes may have been destroyed, and there may be mounds built 

 by tribes whose history is lost. Some of the Indian tribes occupy- 

 ing the continent at the advent of the white man were mound- 

 builders and a few mounds have been built since that time. The 

 great number were erected prior to that time by these tribes, and 

 perhaps by others still existing, but of whose mound-building we 

 have yet no knowledge, and still others may have been built by 

 tribes that are lost. 



This seems to be the inevitable conclusion from the researches of 

 the past few years, and the theory that a more highly cultured peo- 

 ple inhabited this continent anterior to its occupation by the red 

 Indian falls to the ground. 



Seventy-Eighth Regular Meeting, February 19th, 1884. 



Major J, W. Powell, President, in the Chair. 



Mr. Dorsey, in behalf of the committee appointed to audit the 

 Treasurer's accounts, then reported that the accounts had been 

 examined and found to be correct. The report was accepted by 

 the Society 



