718 MOUND EXPLORATIONS. 



clay, tliiis foniiiuy a rude kind of saicophaguis. On breaking open those 

 clay cases we t'onnd human liunes partly decayed, and three copper 

 kettles, one of which had some nuts in it. perhaps pecans; another had 

 what are supposed to lie bones of a rabbit; also there were many silver 

 earrings, breast pins, and one beautiful, double-armed, ringed, sil\cr 

 cross, with 11. 0. in Roman capitals engraved in the center of the ujjper 

 arm of the cross, also a large ipiantity of blue glass beads." In the 

 other was found one copper kettle_ of rather large size " and a small 

 fur-covered, brass-nailed truuk, 10 by 12 inches and S inches in height. 

 In this trunk were discovered a lot of cheap silver trinkets." 



THE MUSKOKI TRIBES. 



As I have in two small works, one entitled " The Cherokees in pre- 

 Columbian Times," '■ the other ''The story of a mound, or the Shawnees- 

 iu pre-Columbian Times,"- discussed the probability that the tribes 

 named were mound-builders, there is no necessity for rei>eatiug the 

 discussion here. 



By reference to these works it will be seen that I arrived at the con- 

 clusion that both the Clierokees and Shawnees were mound-builders, 

 the evidence leading to this conviction, some of which has been given 

 in preceding chapters, being apparently so strong as to dispel all doubt 

 on the subject. 



I would, however, call attention to the very strong evidence that the 

 Cherokees Mere mound-builders, i)resented in the preceding report of 

 field work. By referring to the plat of the Little Tennessee valley, 

 PI. XXV, and Timberlake's ]\Iap, PI. xxvi, showing the localitj' of tlie 

 Cherokee " Overhill towns " and locations of the mound groups, it will 

 be seen that each of the former is marked by one of the latter. 



^Ir. CTallatin, Dr. Brinton, and ~SIt. Oat.schet (especially the lattei- in 

 his I xcellent work on the "^Migration legend of the Creeks") have 

 demonstrated ft-om the aboriginal names of persons, places, and things 

 mentioned by the narrators of De Soto's expedition, that the tribes 

 then iiiiiabiting the southern states through which the wanderers 

 passed, were the same as those subsequently found occupying this 

 region. It follows, therefore, that the theory advanced by some 

 writers,' that the Creeks or Muskoki (JNIuscogee or Muscogulgee) ti'ibes 

 migrated to this region from some point west of the Mississippi, subse- 

 quent to the date of De Soto's expedition, is erroneims, and may be 

 dismissed from further consideration. 



From tlie narratives of the Adelantado's march and a few faint 

 glimpses we catch from other sources, we are justified in concluding 



' First imlilishi'fl ill tlir Aiiieric.iii Aiitliicipi)ln^ist. then in book form hy Judd & Detwi'iler, W.isli- 

 n-ton. T). C, IK91. 

 ' First pnblishfd in Sciunci-. tlnn in book loini by X. 1>. Hodges. New Tork. 189". 

 ^ililfort "Mumoire," etc-. I'iikiif ■■ History ol' Alabuniu," Vol. i ji. 7J. it seq. 



