xxxiv 1' H E K ACE. 



origin, migrations and early state of the American race, that then they should be 

 more carefully and minutely, and above all, more systematically investigated. 



The locality chosen for the commencement of operations, is a section of the 

 Scioto river and Paint creek valleys, of which the city of Chillicothe is the centre, 

 and which possesses a deserved celebrity for its beauty, unexampled fertility, and 

 the great number, size, and variety of its ancient remains. Situated in the middle 

 of southern Ohio, and possessing a mild and salubrious climate, this seems to have 

 been one of the centres of ancient population ; and, probably, no other equal 

 portion of the Mississippi basin furnishes so rich and interesting a field for the 

 antiquarian. A glance at the " Map of a Section of Twelve Miles of the Scioto 

 Valley, with its Ancient Momiments,'''' Plate II, will fully illustrate this remark. 



The plan of operations was agreed upon, and the field-work commenced, early 

 in the spring of 1845. Subsequently, the plan was greatly extended, and the 

 investigations were carried on, over Ohio and the adjacent States, with slight 

 interruption, up to the summer of 1847. 



The body of this memoir will indicate with suflicient clearness, the mode in 

 which these investigations were conducted, and the extent to which they were 

 prosecuted. It is perhaps enough here to say, that the surveys of ancient works 

 were, for the most part, made by the authors in person, and that the excava- 

 tions of mounds, etc., were all of them conducted under their personal direction 

 and supervision. Care was exercised to note down, on the spot, every fact 

 which it was thought might be of value, in the solution of the problems of the 

 origin and purposes of the remains under notice ; and particular attention was 

 bestowed in observing the dependencies of the position, structure, and contents of 

 the various works in respect to each other and the general features of the country. 

 Indeed, no exertion was spared to ensure entire accuracy, and the compass, line, 

 and rule were alone relied upon, in all matters where an approximate estimate 

 might lead to erroneous conclusions. 



The ancient enclosures and groups of works personally examined or surveyed, 

 are upwards of one hundred in number. Some of these had before been noticed, 

 but most are now for the first time presented to the world. About two hundred 

 mounds, of all forms and sizes, and occupying every variety of position, have 

 also been excavated. Several thousand remains of ancient art were collected 

 in the course of these investigations, chiefly from the mounds themselves. These 

 constitute a cabinet, as valuable in its extent, as it is interesting in the great variety 

 and singular character of the illustrations which it furnishes of the condition of the 

 minor arts, and the connections and communications of the people by whom these 

 monuments were erected. 



The prosecution of these researches naturally led to an acquaintance and corre- 



