THOMAS] ILLINOIS. 551 



antiquities of northeastern Missouri and some of tliose of (Jallioun 

 county, Illinois, present nuulced peculiarities not found in other ])or- 

 tions of tlie district, yet do not seem to be connected with those of the 

 regions immediately south. Tlie district has therefore been designated 

 rather because of the want of conformity in types with the works of 

 surrounding areas than on account of indications that they are to be 

 attributed to a single family or a number of cognate tribes. 



As will be seen by reference to the map showing the distribution of 

 ancient works, they are found in this district chiefly alojig the larger 

 watercourses, three-fourths of all those noted being situated along the 

 Mississippi, Illinois, and Wabash rivers. There are, however, a few 

 interior clusters in Illinois, as the one in and about Knox county, 

 another in Sangamon county, and another in the southeastern part of 

 the state. Along the Mississippi and Illinois rivers they are found 

 upon the uplands, ridges, and bluffs as well as on the bottoms which 

 border the streams. In Calhoun county, Illinois, and northeastern 

 Missouri, which are more broken than other parts of the district, the 

 groups generally consist of single lines of tumuli along the narrow 

 crests. As a general, though not ixniversal, rule the larger mounds are 

 found on the lowlands or valley levels. 



Contrasting the works of this district with the tyi>es of tlie Dakotan 

 district, it is sufficient to state that (except along the northern border 

 where there has been an overlapping and intermingling of types) we do 

 not find here the imitations of animal forms, the elongate, wall-like 

 tumuli, nor the series of connected mounds. I^or does it appear to have 

 been a custom of the mound builders of this district to arrange the small 

 tumuli in lines. It is true, however, that series and irregular lines are 

 found along the margins of the bluft's and on the crests of ridges in 

 western Illinois, especially in Calhoan county, and also in nortlieastern 

 Missouri, but the arrangement appears to have resulted from the topo- 

 graphical features rather tlian from design. Messrs. Hardy and 

 Scheetz, ' who made some important explorations in the latter section, 

 were however inclined to believe liomtheir observations that tlierewas 

 a tendency here to place the mounds in rows even on the level areas. 



The works of this district are distinguished from the archeologic re- 

 mains immediately south cliiefly by the absence of pyramidal mounds — 

 less perhaps than half a score being found within the designated bound- 

 ary; by the marked differences in the pottery and other minor vestiges 

 of art, especially the pipes, and by the differences in the burial customs. 

 The frequent occurrence here of tlie "monitor" or broad, curved base 

 pipe, wliich is found neither north nor south, is a marked feature. 



nuHIAL MOUNDS. 



As the cliief variations in types observed within the district are found 

 in the burial mounds, attention is called to them first. It is necessary 



I Smithson. Rep., 1881, pp. 533-5P.6. 



