158 Wisconsin Acadetny of Sciences^ Arts and Letters. 



to what constituted village life. We find, striking analogies 

 between the locations of the earlier and the later races, for 

 the same places in which history describes villages to have 

 existed contain many monuments, which were evidently 

 works which belonged to the emblematic mound buildess. 

 The centers of population were the same and the same spots 

 were chosen for the residences of the two races. The ex- 

 ploration of the mounds reveals a striking similarity be- 

 tween the modes of life and in many places should seem 

 that these modes were carried out in exactly the same 

 places; the hunting grounds being the same, the village sites 

 the same, the defenses by lookouts the same, the burial places 

 in close proximity and all of the departments of life having 

 been conducted in the same scenes and having been repeated 

 by the two races. The only difference between them being 

 in the emblematic character of the mounds which the earlier 

 race erected. The characteristics of the villages of the 

 earlier race we conclude will be learned from the description 

 of those of the later races. 



The early travelers and explorers found Indians dwelling 

 in villages, and from their descriptions we learn the charac- 

 teristics of village life. These characteristics areas follows: 

 1st. The selection of a locality favorable for hunting and 

 fishing, and at the same time accessible by rivers and trails 

 from other villages and from distant parts of the country. 

 2d. The selection of a favorable spot for residence and the 

 erection of houses or huts on some rise of ground overlook- 

 ing a stream or lake. 3d. The erection of certain defenses, 

 either stockade or a lookout station. This was a general 

 habit, although there were many villages in Wisconsin 

 which had no stockade and no visible defense. As a substi- 

 tute, however, the villages were placed on land somewhat 

 remote from the water course, and so hidden by surround- 

 ing forests or hills that they could not be approached with- 

 out due warning being given. 4th. There were generally 

 near these villages burial places, either the rude structures 

 or graves protected by logs or rude planks, and the hollow 

 logs hung in trees near the stream or lake. 5th. There were 

 generally near the villages garden beds or corn fields, and 



