ANTHROPOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 55 



ABSTRACT OF PAPERS 



READ BEFORE TIIE 



ANTHROPOLOGICAL SOCIETY 



WASHINGTON, D. C, 



FOR THK 



YEAR ENDING JANUARY 18,1881. 



SEVENTEENTH REGULAR MEETING. 



February 3, 1880. 



The Mound-Builders : An Inquiry Into Their Assumed 

 Southern Origin. 



By WILLS DE HASS. 



Claims in behalf of the southern origin of the Mound- 

 Builders have been froqucutly advanced. Among the recent 

 advocates of the theory Mr. Morgan and Professor W. Den- 

 ton were especially mentioned. The latter gentleman was 

 represented to have maintained that the Mound-Builders 

 were Mexicans who came north to work the Lake Superior 

 copper mines, on the following grounds : 1, Lake Superior 

 copper has been found both in the mounds and in the 

 teqcallis. 2, The mounds and teocallis are frequently similar 

 in shape, and obsidian knives occur in both. 3, After Cortez 

 conquered Mexico the Mound-Builders began to disappear. 



