94 Bioiix City Academy of Science and Letters. 



building this mound before the white man settled or 

 even traded in this community. And when we remember 

 that the French and English traders and trappers were 

 all oyer this section of the country in the middle of the 

 sixteenth century, it gives us an idea of the time when 

 these articles were used. 



One of the most interesting and suggestive finds in 

 the mound is a salt water shell. As we are almost in the 

 center of the continent, it would be interesting to know 

 Avhere the shell was obtained, whether by a long journey 

 of some of the tribes or, the more probable way, by trad- 

 ing with some wandering tribes that hunted and fished 

 over the entire continent. 



These people made the most of nature; that is, they 

 took advantage, as far as their intellect would allow, of 

 the natural formation of rock and flint. The water 

 worn pebble, somewhat of the shape desired, was the 

 one used for tools and weapons. 



For battering and pounding they used the harder 

 rock on the softer; for grinding, the softer lime and 

 sandstones; and for bone needles and arrow shaft polish- 

 ing, the very softest stone that could be obtained. We 

 are at a loss to know the use of many of these instru- 

 ments, but when it is remembered that there were num- 

 erous games, rites, ceremonials, etc., now extinct, which 

 may have claimed the articles as part of them, we un- 

 hesitatingly place them in this classification. 



Four prime colors have been discovered — red, yel- 

 low, white and black. The white, red and yellow were 

 made by burning different kinds of colored rocks in the 

 fire until they disintegarted. They were then placed in 

 a stone mortar and ground until they were pulverized 

 into a very fine powder. This powder was mixed with 

 animal grease and this mixture was used to paint their 

 faces, feathers, skins, etc. This would soon wear off, 

 leaving the article painted the original color, but the 

 Indian soon learned to boil his paints, and the color 

 Avould remain permanent. 



Black was made from charcoal and lampblack gath- 

 ered from the pots and kettles. A little experimenting 

 along this line will demonstrate the correctness of these 



