Antiquities and Plaiycnemism. 



199 



tinue the examination of them, and hope to find on them more 

 evidences of the Prehistoric race, known as the Mound-builder. 



Fig. 11. 



The question has, no doubt, occurred to many archaeologists and 

 antiquarians, who have examined these ancient land- marks, as to 

 who were the people, or what race, built them; but, so far, no 

 possible knowledge has been obtained as to their origin. The 

 Indian tribes, who have lived in the vicinity of them for the past 

 few centuries, know nothing of them. 



Fig. 13. The Winnebagos, who were the 



last Indian occupants of the Ancient 

 Works at Aztalan, in Jefferson county, 

 would always answer in the negative* 

 by a significant shake of the head, 

 when asked if they could tell who 

 erected them. 



While Nott and Glidden, in their 

 work, the " Indigenous ♦ Eaces of the 

 Earth," refer to the Mound-builders, 

 as belonging to a race far higher in 

 civilization than the hunting tribes of America." They call them 

 Mound-builders, from the regular fortifications, which they have 

 erected, in several of the Western and Southern States. The 

 Natchez, destroyed by the French of Louisiana, in the last cen- 

 tury, seem, in fact, to have belonged to them. 



