62 



resistant Nia.nara and Clinton limestones, underlaid by the soft Hudson 

 shales. Hence bluffs and precipitous slopes are not at all infrequent. The 

 fortification, mentioned, is situated about a half mile back from the bluffs 

 and steep slopes faciny- the Ohio, and between the two principal tribu- 

 taries of the stream which occupies Broadway Hollow. These streams 

 have eroded deep but narroAv valleys which in the upper portions are en- 

 closed in part by perpendicular cliffs. 



The fortification, as may be seen from the map, is roughly triangular 

 in shape and is bounded by cliff's some 75 feet high near the apex at the 

 north end. These cliff's become lower gradually as the south side of the 

 fortitication is approached. At the southwest angle the height is still 

 some thirty feet, while at the southeast angle the height of the cliff is 

 at present not more than eight or ten feet. 



The neck of land beeween the two streams at the south was fortified 

 by means of a stone and earth wall, with a ditch or moat on the outside. 

 The remains of the wall, except on the steeper slopes near the ends, 

 form a mass of earth and stones some ten feet Avide at base and three or 

 four feet high. The ditch outside is still six or eight feet wide and has a 

 maximum depth of two or three feet below the original surface. The 

 wall was about one hundred and twenty yards long and strongly curved 

 outwards. The area of the fortification proper is about one and one-third 

 acres, and as the site of the fort has never been cleared of its forest 

 growth, it is still covered with thick underbrush and small trees. 



The fortification is admiral)ly located for the purpose of defense. On 

 two sides of the triangle it would ))e almost impossible for an enemy to 

 enter the fort even if undefended, except, perhaps, at the southeast angle, 

 where in all probal)ility a supplementary wall was built. The stone and 

 earth wall across the neck may have been, and probably was, surmounted 

 by a stockade, as was done in case of many of the prehistoric fortifica- 

 tions in Ohio. There are, at present, however, no evidences of a stockade 

 visible. 



Of the different kinds of prehistoric fortifications now known and 

 recognized, viz., signal and observatory stations, stockade forts, hill forts 

 and stone forts, this one should probably be classified as a hill fort, and 

 was intended as a place of retreat on the approach of an enemy. The tribe 

 or clan using the fort probably cultivated the fertile bottom lands near, 

 and fled to the fort as occasion demanded. This fortification may have 



