SACREDEN CLOSURES. 77 



Mexico and Central America. Do not these enclosed structures give us the clue 

 to the purposes of the works with which they are connected ? As heretofore 

 remarked, the sacred grounds of almost every people are set apart or designated 

 by enclosures of some kind. 



The absolute identity in size between the smaller enclosure, (which varies a little 

 from a true square,) and several of those which occur in the- Scioto valley, should 

 not be overlooked, in any attempt to educe the character and design of the group. 

 That there is some significance in the fact is obvious. (See Plates XVI and 

 XVII.) There are no other works in the immediate vicinity of Ma- 

 rietta. At Parkersburgh, Virginia, on the Ohio, twelve miles below, 

 there is an enclosure of irregular form and considerable extent, a mini- 

 ature plan of which, from the MSS. of Prof Rafinesque, is herewith 

 • Fig. 18. prescuted, Fig. 18. There are also some works at Belpre, opposite 

 Parkersburgh. 



The valley of the Muskingum is for the most part narrow, affording few of those 

 broad, level, and fertile terraces, which appear to have been the especial favorites 

 of the race of mound-builders, and upon which most of their monuments are found. 

 As a consequence, we find few remains of magnitude in that valley, until it 

 assumes a different aspect, in the vicinity of Zanesville, ninety miles from its mouth, 

 where the interesting remains figured in the preceding Plate are situated. 



PLATE XXVII. 



THE PORT.SMOUTH WORKS, SCIOTO COUNTY, OHIO. 



The beautiful plain at the confluence of the Scioto and Ohio rivers, where now 

 the flourishing town of Portsmouth is located, forms the site of a singular and 

 interesting series of works. It has been preferred to present them together, as 

 they seem to be intimately connected, leaving the reader to form his own conclu- 

 sions respecting them. 



The works consist of three divisions or groups, extending for eight miles along 

 the Ohio river, and are connected by parallel lines of embankments. Two of 

 these groups are on the Kentucky side of the river ; the remaining one, together 

 with the larger portion of the connecting embankment, on the Ohio shore. A 

 reference to the accompanying map, exhibiting a section of eight miles of the 

 Ohio valley, will show the relative positions and general plan, though not the exact 

 proportions of the series. The avenues or " covered ways," extending from 

 one work to the other, have induced many persons to assign them a military 

 origin, and a design to protect communication between the groups. But unless 

 the work at A be regarded as a work of defence, it is very certain that we must 

 seek for some other explanation of their purposes. These avenues constitute a 



