MISCELLANEOUS PAPERS RELATING TO ANTHROPOLOGY. 639 



able sculptured rocks Lave been used for building purj^oses or are 

 lying below the surface of the Monougaliela lliver, even at low tide, 

 the river being higher now at all seasons by reason of the slack-water 

 improvements than it was forty years ago. The second geological re- 

 port of Pennsylvania contains nothing on the subject of antiquities; 

 Dr. Creigh, in his "History of Washington County," is entirely silent 

 as to the numerous mounds, &c., which are found in the county limits; 

 and the centennial volume of the "Resources of West Virginia," by 

 Prof. M. F. Maury, ignores the many and exceedingly interesting re- 

 mains in that State. I shall here, however, give simply an account of 

 the antiquities of Fayette County, Pennsylvania, and, in another paper, 

 of those in parts of West Virginia. This account will necessarily be 

 taken largely from an unpublished work by Hon. James Veech and 

 Freeman Lewis, the latter an old and experienced surveyor of Browns- 

 ville, Pa. Eemains of embankments or "old forts" are numerous in 

 Fayette County. The Indians known to us could give no satisfactory 

 account of them. While the trees of the surrounding forests were chiefly 

 oak, the growth upon and in the old forts was generally of large black 

 walnut, wild cherry, and locust. Some indicate an age of three hun- 

 dred to five hundred years, and some stood around the decayed remains 

 of others. Judge Veech thinks they were originally composed of wood, 

 as their d6hris is generally a vegetable mold, no stone being used in 

 their construction. Old pottery, made of clay and mussel-shells, is al- 

 ways found among these ruins. The old forts were of various forms, 

 square, oblong, triangular, circular, and semi-circular. Their sites were 

 generally well chosen in reference to defense and observation, and, what 

 is a singular fact, they were very often, generally in Fayette County, 

 located on the highest and richest hills, and at a distance fr^m any spring 

 or stream of water. 



One of these "old forts" was on the land of William Goe, near the 

 Mouougahela Kiver, and just above the mouth of Little Eedstone, 

 where afterwards was a settlers' fort, called CasselPs or Castle Fort. 



Another was situated at the mouth of Speers Run, where now stands 

 the town of Belle Vernon. Two or three are found on a high ridge 

 southwardly of Perryopolis, on the State road, and on land lately owned 

 by John F. Martin. 



Another noted one is on the west bank of the Youghiogheny River, 

 nearly opposite the Brood ford, on land lately owned by James Collins. 

 There are several on the high ridge of land leading from the Collins 

 fort southwestwardly towards Plumsock, on lands of James Paull, John 

 M. Austin, John Bute, and others, a remarkable one being on land lately 

 owned by James Gilchrist and the Byers, where some very large human 

 bones have been found. 



There is one on the north side of Mountz Creek, above Irishman's Run. 

 A very largo one, containing G or 8 acres, is on the summit of Laurel 

 Hill, where the mud pike crosses it, covered with a large growth of 

 black walnut. 



