318 



NORTH AMERICAN ARCHJIOLOGY. 



PUBLISHED BY THE SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION. 



[From the "Natural History Eeviow," London. 



By JOHN LUBBOCK, F.R.S., L. S., and G. S. 



1. Ancient Monuments of the Mississippi Valley, comprising the Eesults op 



EXTENSIVE ORKiiNAL SURVEYS AND ExPLORATJONS. By E. G. Squier, A.M., and 

 E. H. Davis, M.D. 



2. ABORKiiNAL Monuments of the State of New York, comprising the Results 



OF Original Surveys and Explorations ; with an illustrative Appendix. 

 By E. G. Squier, A.M. 



3. The Antiquities of Wisconsin, as surveyed and described by I. A. Lapham. 



4. The Archeology of the Unit ed States ; or Sketches, Historical and Biblio- 



graphical, OF THE Progress of Information and Opinion respecting Vestiges 

 of Antiquity in the United States. By Samuel F. Haven. 



. The four works wliicli we have placed at the head of this article form a 

 part of the long series of scientific researches which have been published under 

 the auspices of the Smithsonian Institution. There are several other memoirs 

 which we ought, perhaps, to have added to our list, and especially one bj Mr. 

 Caleb Atwater, who, according to Messrs. Squier and Davis, " deserves the 

 credit of being the pioneer in this department." His researches form the first 

 volume of the Archceologia Americana, which was published in 1819, and con- 

 tains plans and descriptions of many ancient works. 



The memoir by Messrs. Squier and Davis, occupying more than three hun- 

 dred pages, is chiefly descriptive of ancient fortifications, enclosures, temples, 

 and mounds, and of the different implements, ornaments, &c., which have been 

 obtained from them. It is embellished Avith forty-eight plates, and no less than 

 two hundred and seven woodcuts. 



In his second work, Mr. Squier confines himself to the antiquities of the State 

 of New York. Within these limits, however, he describes many ancient monu- 

 ments of various kinds, and he feels "warranted in estimating the number which 

 originally existed in the State at from two hundred to two hundred and fifty." 

 He comes to the conclusion, "little anticipated," he says, "when I started upon 

 my trip of exploration, that the earthworks of western New York were erected 

 by the Iroquois, or their western neighbors, and do not possess an antiquity 

 going very far back of the discovery." (sic.) 



The systematic exploration of the ancient remains in Wisconsin, of which the 

 memoir by .^Ir. Lapham is the result, was undertaken by him on behalf of the 

 American Antiquarian Society, from whose funds the necessary expenses were 

 provided. The cost of the publishing, however, which, from the great number 

 of engravings, (fifty-five plates, besides sixty-one wood engravings,) was con- 

 siderable, was defrayed by the Smithsonian Institution, and the work is included 

 in the seventh volume of " Contributions." As our account of the " Animal 

 Mounds" will be almost entirely derived from the data furnished by Mr. Lap- 

 ham, we Avill for the moment say no more on the subject. 



Mr. Haven's work is well described in the title, and forms an interesting in- 



