114 



SCIENCE. 



[Vol. XXII. No. 552 



near the rim for a bail, indicating that they carried their 

 vessels in their hands and not on their heads. They vary 

 in color, o'\\'ing to the nature of the clay. Some have 

 peculiarly rnfHed surfaces, due to the kinds of moulds in 

 which they were formed. Ihe majority vpere moulded in 

 baskets of grass. 



Some are ornamented with straight lines and dots, 

 others with curved lines, and dots in curves. The sim- 

 plest decoration is where the edge is dented, as does a 

 baker his piies. Lines often cross each other to form 

 square and diamond figures. The top is often fringed 

 with highly decorative bands. Many of the markings 

 similate the tracks of animals, and on a potsherd found 

 by me at Goose Point there is a picture of a human hand 

 beside another hand, as though in the act of gesturing. 

 Some of these are covered with what a potter would no 

 doubt call a "slip;" that is, a very iine clay mixed to the 

 consistency of cream and smeared over the surface of the 



The pots varied much in size but little in shape. They 

 were mostly almost round, although the writer has found 

 a few angular sherds. Clay pipes are often picked up in 

 their kitchen-middens. These are rude and unorna- 

 mented. This is worthy of special mention since this 

 joeaceful, dip)lomatic and friendly emblem was usually 

 much ornamented. 



Almost as common as sherds are the little slivers and 

 pieces of flint. The jasper which they used was supposed 

 to have been quarried by the Indians in Pennsylvania and 

 was broken by pouring water on the heated stone, as ob- 

 sidian is quarried to-day. It is interesting to note that 

 the Indian of South Jersey found his jasper elsewhere in 

 another form. This is indicated by the fact that the writer 

 has found many pebbles of this stone partly chipped. On 

 one of these there was the imprint of a fossil shell, which 

 may be a clue to its origin. Arrow-heads, spear-points 

 and awls of jasper have been also found. The slivers of 

 this stone which are so common in spots were probably 

 not chipped but pressed off by some sort of a revolving- 

 apparatus. This is indicated by the little round pits 

 which may often be seen in unfinished flints. 



Indian axes are very scarce. They were made of a 

 stone which is not found in South Jersey, and owing to 

 their weight sink quickly and are lost in the sand. Pot- 

 sherds, fortunately, come to the surface. 



Such are the faint vestiges of a jpeople who by disease, 

 gunpowder and deceit have been practically extermin- 

 ated. Some day arehEeologists will study the pieces of 

 crockery, glass and brickbats, Avonder over the old tin 

 cans and brass heads of gun-shells which we leave behind 

 us, and perhaps pronounce our cultus high in the arts 

 and sciences; but in selfishness, the commonest human 

 quality, we are, perhajss, but little, if at all, the Indian's 

 superior. 



NOTES ON SOME MINNESOTA MOUNDS. 



BY ALBEET SCH^EIDEE, UNIVEESITY OF ILLINOIS, CHAMPAIGN, ILL. 



In the summer of 1892, while engaged on the zoolog- 

 ical survey field work of Minnesota, I hapipened across a 

 considerable number of "Indian Mounds." They were 

 especially common in the Mille Lacs Lake region. All 

 those observed were situated withia a few rods of the 

 old shores of Mille Lacs Lake, or of some of the numerous 

 smaller lakes near it. They were all of about the same 

 size and appearance, 40 to 50 feet in diameter at the base 

 and 4^ or 5 feet high. As to the age of these mounds 

 nothing definite can be stated; they are evidently of 

 comj)aratively recent origin. Some had trees growing on 

 them 2^ feet in diameter. It is reasonable to supipose 

 that they are from 250 to 500 years old. 



At Lake Warren, a small lake near the outlet of Mille 

 Lacs, I dug into one of these mounds. Acting under the 



impression that they were burial mounds, I located a cen" 

 tral point and dug perpendicularly downward. At a 

 depth of about 5 feet I reached the level of the surround- 

 ing soil. Nothing was noticed but some ashes and frag- 

 ments of charcoal, indicating that a fire had been kindled 

 on the grave before the mound was built. Continuing 

 the excavations I found the opening of the grave, which 

 was about 4^2 feet long by 3 feet wide, and gradually 

 tapering downward to a rounded bottom at a dejath of 4 

 feet. The hole was evidently dug with some crude in- 

 strument, as the roughness of the sides would indicate. 

 In this one grave were found the bones of four human 

 bodies and the scales of some fish. The bodies were ar- 

 ranged side by side in a sitting posture, with the legs 

 and arms strongly flexed upon the body and the back 

 toward the side of the grave. From the examination of 

 the bones I made out the following points: One was a 

 child of about six years, another that of a young person 

 of sixteen or seventeen years, the third that of a middle- 

 aged, medium-sized woman, the fourth that of a short, 

 heavy-set, muscular man about fifty years of age. This 

 man's teeth were very much worn, though none were 

 decayed. In fact, all the teeth found were in good con- 

 dition. Some of the vertebras, the leg, arm and hij) bones 

 were well preserved. Only a few bones of the child were 

 found and it was diflicult to determine its position in the 

 grave. It was apparently jDlaced in a sitting position in 

 the woman's lap. No utensils or imp)lements of any kind 

 were found. The sandy soil which made up the mound 

 and filling of the grave was taken from a sjDot some ten 

 rods distant, leaving a shallow depression. 



Numerous pieces of jjottery have been found in this 

 region, mostly plain, some with crude ornamental mark- 

 ings near the rim. All ]3ots or vases were rounded. 

 Stone implements were also found. Copper implements 

 were reported to have been found, though I was unable 

 to see them. 



The most interesting feature of the grave described is 

 that it contained four bodies, apparently an entire family. 

 How came they to be in one grave and evidently placed 

 there at the same time ? The probable supposition is 

 that some epidemic carried away large numbers. In that 

 case would it be likely that the survivors would build 

 mounds over all graves ? Or were only those of distinc- 

 tion honored with burial mounds ? It is necessary that 

 more mounds be studied before these questions can be 

 answered. No scientific examinations have as yet been 

 made of the Minnesota mounds. 



It is probable that there is a close connection as to the 

 time of formation of the "Indian Mounds" of Illinois and 

 Minnesota and the noted "Animal Mounds" of Wisconsin 

 and other states. 



In closing, I wish to call attention to the necessity of 

 thoroughly and systematically studj-ing these mounds 

 within the next few years, else the farmer and amateur 

 archseologist will make useless and destroy all. 



A uNn'EESiTy course of thirty lectures on "Celestial 

 Mechanics" by G. W. Hill, member of the National Acad- 

 emy of Sciences, Honorary Doctor of Sciences of the LTni- 

 versity of Cambridge, England, will be given in the astro- 

 nomical lecture room, Hamilton Hall, Room No. 28, Col- 

 umbia College, on Saturdays at 10.30 a. m. The course 

 will begin on Oct. 14, and continue every Saturday until 

 finished, omitting Saturdays, Dec. 23 and 30. The lec- 

 tures are open to the public without fee. The course will 

 be confined to the motions of the heavenly bodies consid- 

 ered as material jjoints. Dr. Hill will give a somewhat 

 full presentation of the subject rather than a rapid resume. 

 Short numerical illustrations will enable the hearer to 

 comprehend the bearing of the principles enunciated on 

 practical work. 



