524 MOUND EXPLORATIONS. 



sent marked distiuctious to those of other surrouudiug sections, and 

 seem to couform more nearly to the characteristics of the works of the 

 Mexican and Central American district than to those of any other section. 



5. The Mound builders' section, embracing that part of the United 

 States and the adjoining portion of the Dominion of Canada east of the 

 Rocky mountains. The northern boundary is, as yet, wholly conject- 

 ural, but it is quite probable that it extends farther toward the north- 

 west than toward the northeast. Tliis section, though moi'C homogen- 

 eous in its archeological features, which are well marked, than the 

 Mexican and Central American districf, is less so than the Pueblo 

 section. 



If we examine carefully the distinguishing characteristics of the 

 ancient works of these primary sections, we shall find that they relate 

 chiefly to tha culture status or position in the scale of civilization of 

 the peoples who occupied these difierent areas. But these characteris- 

 tics pertain chiefly to the progress made along certain lines of culture. 

 There are, however, other peculiar features which appear to be the 

 outgrowth of local or ethnic influences. 



When we come to stirdy carefully the works of any one of these pri- 

 mary or comprehensive sections it is found that there are peculiarities 

 limited to more restricted areas which justify us in making a further 

 division into districts. 



The present work relates only to the fifth or last of the above divi- 

 sions, which is designated the " Mound-builders' section." This section 

 is fairly well defined, except as to its northern extension, being limited 

 on the east by the Atlantic ocean (though, as usually given, it only 

 reaches the coast in its southern portion), on the south by the Gulf of 

 Mexico and on the west by the Rocky mountains. Tlie southwestern 

 line has not been carefully defined, as but few explorations of the 

 antiquities of Texas have as yet been made. Nevertheless enough is 

 known to show that the statement, frequently made, that there is a con- 

 tin nous series of ancient works from the Gulf states, through Texas to 

 Mexico, is erroneous and without any foundation. The westeru bound- 

 ary line, when more carefully traced, will probably be found to bend 

 rapidly eastward of the range as we proceed southward from the Platte 

 valley and westward somewhat into the range uortli of that valley. 

 The northern limit, on the west, has not been ascertained; it is known, 

 however, that the section reaches to the Saskatchewan river. 



In attempting to obtain a true conception of the distribution of the 

 types of the ancient works in this section, it was soon found that the 

 first step necessary in this branch of the subject was the preparation of 

 a catalogue of the various localities where ancient wcn-ks have been 

 discovered, noting as far as possible tlie character of these various 

 works. From this a general map was constructed showing the distri- 

 bution over the whole area, also maps of certain states in which the 

 works are most numerous. As this catalogue and the maps have been 



