680 MOUNU EXPLORATIONS. 



GENERAL RESEMBLANCES IN HABITS, CUSTOMS, ART, ETC. 



In addition to the si)ecial i)oints oi resemblance between the l)Uiial 

 customs of tbe Indian.s and monud builders alluded to, the facts wai- 

 raut the assertiou that in all respects, so far as they can be traced 

 correctly, there are to be found strong' resemblances between the hab- 

 its, customs, and art of the mound builders and those of the Indians 

 previous to change under the influeiu;e of contact with the Eui'opeaus. 

 Both made use of stone implements, and ,so precisely similar are the 

 articles of this class, that it is impossible to distinguish those made by 

 the one people from those made by the other. In fact, they are brought 

 together in most collections and attributed to the one people or to the 

 other according to the fancy or opinion of the collector or curator. 



We find even Dr. itau, whose loug and careful study of articles of 

 this class, both of Europe and America, would certainly enable him, if 

 anyone, to decide in this case, thus frankly stating his opinion: 



In North America chipped as well as groiiml stone incitements are abnndant, yet 

 they "conr proniiscuonsly, and tlins far can not be respectively referred to certain 

 epochs in the development of the aborigines of the country. ' 



Instead of burdening these pages with proofs of these statements by 

 specific references to finds and authorities, an allusion to the work of 

 Dr. 0. C. Abbott on the liandiwork in stone, bone, and clay of the 

 native races of the ISTorthern Atlantic seaboard of America, entitled 

 "Primitive Industry," will suttice. As the area embraced in this work, 

 as remarked by the author, does not "include any territory known to 

 have been permanently occupied by the so-called mound-builders," the 

 articles found here must be ascribed to the Indians, unless, as sug- 

 gested by the author, some of a more primitive type found in the Tren- 

 ton gravel are to be attributed to a prei'cding and ruder people. 

 Examining those of the fir.st class, which are ascribed to the Indians, 

 and to which much the larger portion of the work is devoted, we find 

 almost every type of stone article found in the mound area, not only 

 tlie rudely chipped si'rapers, hoes, celts, knives, spear and arrow heads, 

 but also polished or ground celts, axes, hammers, chisels, and gouges. 

 Here are also found drills, awls, and perforators, slickstones and dress- 

 ers, mortars, pestles and pitted stones, pipes of various forms and 

 finish, discoidal stones, and net-sinkers, butterfly stones and other sup- 

 l»osed ceremonial objects, masks or face figures and bird-shaped stones, 

 gorgets, totems, pendants, trinkets, etc. Nor does the resemblance 

 stop with types, but is carried down to specific forms and finish, leav- 

 ing absolutely no possible line of demarcation between them and the 

 similar articles attributed to tlie mound-builders. So persistently true 

 is this, that had we these stone articles alone to refer to, it is probable 



' Siuithsoniau Arch. Coll., p. 7. 



