10 ANTIQUITIES IN TENNESSEE. 



small graves before the attempt was made to remove them. As soon as the effort 

 was made to remove them, the component bones separated at the sutures, and 

 crumbled during the effort of lifting them out of the grave. 



4th. The conclusive demonstration of the cliaracter of these remains lay in the 

 existence of both sets of teeth iit the upiier and lower jaw-bones, thus proving that they 

 belonged to children or infants who had probably died durin-g the period of dentition. 



Haywood, in his "Natural and Aboriginal History of Tennessee," devotes an 

 entire section to the consideration of '■'■ the aitcient pigmies." The following is a 

 synopsis of the facts stated by him in reference to this matter: — 



A number of small skeletons were discovered a few miles from Sparta, Tennessee, in White County, 

 an account of which was given by a Mr. Lane. The graves were about two feet in length, fourteen 

 inches broad, and sixteen inches deep. These extend promiscuously throughout the farm of Mr. Lane, 

 and in a large and closely connected burying-ground in the vicinity ; there were others of the same 

 description four miles south of Sparta, and it is said that hundreds of them might be found through- 

 out the locality. There is no discernible rising on the surface of the earth on account of these 

 graves, and they were found by sinking an iron rod into the ground until it struck the covering 

 stone of the coffins. These graves generally contained small skeletons of human beings so much 

 decayed that they could not be removed without being broken to pieces, or crumbling to dust. There 

 were also found in them remnants of pottery and shells, as well as bones of animals. In one the 

 skeleton lay on its back, with its feet drawn up, so as to raise the knees about four inches above the 

 bottom of the grave ; the head was also so raised as to cause the chin to lie upon the breast. This 

 skeleton, carefully measured as it lay, was found to be, from a little below the ankle-joints to the top 

 of the skull, two feet ten inches, making a proper allowance for the bending of the legs and the 

 inclination of the head. 



But one grave of the whole series was of a larger size and of a diiTerent form, being constructed 

 after the manner of a cofBn, fourteen inches broad at the head, twenty-two at the elbow, and ten at 

 the foot ; the sides and ends were of fiag-stones, the same as those of the small graves. In this grave 

 lay a skeleton five feet five inches long, the head to the west and the feet to the east. This skeleton 

 was carefully uncovered without displacing any of the bones until the whole was exposed to view. 

 Its mouth was wide open and contained a full set of teeth, the arms lay along the side, the 

 ribs were broad and flat and more than double the size of those of the Pigmies. The head was also 

 larger, the eyes wider apart, and the forehead higher than those in the smaller graves. The skull 

 was perfect, with the exception of a fracture on the right cheek-bone ; and a quantity of fine, straight 

 hair adhered to it, which was of a bright gray color. No vessels or trinkets wore found with this 

 skeleton, and, from the great dissimilarity in the shape of its head and the size and form of the bones, 

 it seemed to belong to a different tribe from the skeletons of the smaller graves. 



From the great number of small graves found here, says Mr. Lane, all of the same description, 

 and, among them all, but one being of a large size, it seems to indicate that there wa.s, in ancient 

 times, a race of people whose height was from two feet ten to three feet. 



As old as the hair of the large skeleton seemed to be, there was not a tooth lost or unsound in 

 either jaw, but one of the Pigmy heads had in the upper jaw a decayed tooth, whence it was con- 

 jectured that the person to whom this skeleton belonged was older than the former. 



Specimens of the contents of these graves were submitted to medical gentlemen of Nashville, and 

 various opinions were entertained as to the maturity or infancy of the smaller skeletons. The jire- 

 vailing one seemed to be that these skeletons belonged to adult persons of small size, and also that 

 some of the bones found were those of animah.— Natural and Aboriginal History of Tennessee, pp. 

 200-209. 



In a note added to this descrijjtion, Haywood records the fact that, in the neigh- 

 borliood of St. Louis, Mo., small stone graves exist, as in Tennessee; and tliat, in 

 certain ancient mounds near Lake Erie, skeletons of people of small stature are 

 found, pp. 360, 36 L 



