Antiquities and Platycnemeism. 195 



gan, furnishes six comparative tables, which give the dimensions 

 of some forty specimens of Platycnemism, and in these tables the 

 tibias found in the mound near Eogue river, Michigan, present 

 the greatest amount of flatness. In comparing the specimens 

 found in this mound near Lake Mendota, with those reported by 

 Mr. Oilman, I find that while his measure forty-eighth one hun- 

 dredths of an inch in comparing their antero-posterior diameter 

 with the transverse diameter, my specimens measure fifty-two one- 

 hundredths and fifty-four one-hundredths of an inch respectively, 

 in comparing the same diameters. This flatness of the tibia has 

 been recognized in the skeletons found in many ancient mounds, 

 not only in this country but also in England and Wales, and 

 might, therefore, be justlj^ regarded as another characteristic feature 

 of the osteology of the Mound-builder. 



Prof. Buck regards Platycnemism as being characteristic of re- 

 mote antiquity. 



Prof. Gilman says further, that it is impossible to give the cor- 

 rect age of the mounds in Michigan, but from an examination of 

 the trees growing on them, it was evident that they were either 

 planted, or had taken root there, from 750 to 1,000 years ago. It 

 was, therefore, bej^ond his observation to give anything like an 

 aproximate age of the mounds, because they existed before the 

 trees grew. 



Beneath the skeleton of this Mound-builder, there was a few 

 inches of earth, and then a course of stones similar to those pre- 

 viously described, resting upon a bed of yellow clay. As there 

 were no evidences that this had ever been disturbed, and it being 

 one and a half feet below the level of the surface, it was not thought 

 best to sink the shaft any deeper. 



As shown in fig. 6, a drift was then made into the side of this 

 mound, three feet above the level of the surface, and about eight 

 feet wide. After the removal of several feet of earth, a similar 

 course of stones, was found, which could be traced to the group 

 of stones on the west side of the shaft. These were removed, and 

 large quantities of ashes, charcoal, and pieces of flint were found 

 near them. On contmuing the drift towards the center of the 

 tumulus, and near the shaft, the skeleton of a young Mound- 



