THOMAS.] INSCRIBED TABLETS. 633 



advanced in the arts of civilized life than most of the known aborigines 

 of the continent. 



As the decision ou this point appears to hinge almost entirely on the 

 conclusion reached in regard to the inscribed plates known as " the 

 Davenport tablets," our report would be incomplete and unsatisfactory 

 to archeologists without some expression of oiiinion in regard to the 

 claims of these relics to genuineness and antiquity. These tablets, 

 which are deposited in the Museum of the Davenport Academy of 

 Natural Sciences, Davenjiort, Iowa, have become so well known to the 

 world through the publications of that society that it is unnecessary 

 to give here the history of their discovery, as it is given in full in these 

 publications. 



There are three of them, two of shale found in one mound, known as 

 Xo. 3 of the Cook farm group, and one of limestone from mound No. 11 

 of the same group. 



In order that some references made herein may be understood, we 

 must refer the reader to I'ls. i, ii, iii, and vii of the second volume of 

 the Proceeding's of the Davenport Academy of Sciences. In si>eaking 

 of these, the inscription on the shale tablet showing the ares and per- 

 sons dancing around the fire (PI. i) is designated, as the finders term 

 it, "the cremation scene;" that on the reverse (PI. n), "the hunting- 

 scene;" the smaller tablet (PI. iii), " the calendar; " the other (PI. vii), 

 " the limestone tablet." 



The two shale tablets, being found in the same grave of mound No. 3, 

 and side by side, must of necessity stand in the same category. What- 

 ever conclusion is reached in regard to the antiquity, authenticity, and 

 origin of one must apply to the other. Is the limestone tablet so inti- 

 mately related to these that it must also be placed in the some cate- 

 gory? It was found in a mound of the same group, which presented 

 no characteristics different from the rest; in fact, it was an almost 

 exact copy in ev'ery detail of mound No. 10, which is described and 

 figured by Mr. Gass.' 



Examining the excellent albertypes (Pis. i and vii. Proceedings, 

 Vol. 2 — "the cremation scene"), the reader will observe that there are 

 three Arabic S's on the former, one of which is so much like that on the 

 latter as almost to lead to the belief that the two were made by one 

 hand. Moreover, there are, as stated by the finder of the latter, four 

 other characters on it identical with characters in the "cremation 

 scene." It is also stated in the proceedings that the bird figures on 

 the limestone tablet " have each a bit of quartz crystal set in for an eye 

 like the eyes of the animal figure from mound No. 3, * * * and, 

 like those, they are held in place by white cement of some kind." 



While this fact is calculated to excite surprise, it renders it almost 

 impossible to avoid the conclusion that all these tablets belong to the 

 same category and to the same age and that what is true in regard to 



' Proci-etliiiL's. vol. n. ji. 141. 



