38 MOUND EXPLORATIONS. 



SIOUX RIVER MOUNDS. 



Along the Big Sioux river, within 10 miles soutli of Sioux Falls, and 

 principally where the river forms the boundary line between Minne- 

 haha county, South Dakota, and Lyon county, Iowa, there are said to 

 be about 275 mounds. Many of tiiese our assistant visited. They 

 were found situated on both sides of the river in clusters or groups 

 upon the highest points of the river hills, or upon the broad terraces 

 of the valleys. One of the groui)s visited dein:inds special attention. 

 It is situated in the extreme northwest corner of Lyon county, Iowa, 

 and comprises about 50 mounds of tlie simple conical type, averaging 

 about 4 feet in height. In the midst of the mounds, at times touching 

 the skirt of them, are seen stone rings, cii'cular and oblong, made with 

 the granite bowlders of the prairie. It is evident that these mark the 

 site of an old village, the circles and oblong outlines indicating the 

 positions of the lodges, the skin coverings of which were held down 

 by stones. With i)robably one or two exceptions every circle or oblong 

 form presents a break, namely, a place about 3 or 4 feet wide where the 

 continuity of the tigure is broken by the absence of stones. This 

 appears to have been the entrance, and in most instances it is at the 

 southeast, or the ijoint most protected ft-om the cold northwest winds. 

 They average about 30 feet in diameter. The number of lodges consti- 

 tuting the original viUage could not be counted, since about half of the 

 group lies in a field, the original prairie sod of which has been disturbed 

 by the plow of the settler and the stones utilized by him upon his farm. 

 In the undistiu-bed portion they outnumber the mounds about three to 

 one. The mounds are so intermingled with the stone figures as to show 

 that the two were constructed by the same i)eople. In some instances, 

 where the stone circles nearly touch the skirt of a mound, the wash 

 from the latter has covered the stones upon that side while those on 

 theother side are fully exposed. This seems to indicate that the mounds 

 had been constructed alter the circles or lodges had been placed. These 

 boulders are, as a rule, half imbedded in the prairie sod, but this fact 

 does not necessarily imply great anti(iuity. Investigations had been 

 made among these mounds by Mr. F. W. Pettigrew, of Sioux Falls, but 

 the result did not iinlicate that they were used for burial. 



About half a mile up the valley, on the same river tei-race, there is 

 another large village site consisting of mounds and circles similar in all 

 respects to those just described. Eachof these groups is upon a most 

 beautiful and expansive terrace peculiarly adapted for a permanent vil- 

 lage. Groups of mounds, fewer in number and smaller in size, are to 

 be seen in the vicinity upon the most commanding poiiits of the river 

 heights, and in these human interments have been discovered. These 

 may therefore be considered as the burial places of this people. 



About 100 rods to the south of the village remains above described 

 there is an irregular earthen inclosure somewhat octagonal in outline, 



