160 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters. 



The identification of certain village sites will next engage 

 our attention. The method which we have pursued in iden- 

 tifying these sites is the one which we have already pre- 

 scribed. We have fixed in our mind what was the probable 

 characteristics of village life and then have studied the 

 mounds to see if these characteristics could be found in 

 them. We have, in fact, taken the picture of native society 

 as we have ourselves painted it and then have sought a 

 frame for the picture in the emblematic works . This is, in 

 our opinion, the only way in which a village site could be 

 identified. It was because we had framed some conception 

 of the people who erected the mounds and from the study of 

 their works had come to understand something of their 

 mode of life that we have made the discoveries which we 

 have. 



The first place where a village site has been identified by 

 the writer is at Great Bend, on the Fox river, thirty miles 

 west of Milwaukee. Here is a series of works which Dr. 

 Lapham has described, and which have proved to be interest- 

 ing on many accounts. (1) A few words in reference to the 

 locality will be in place. Great Bend is situated at the edge 

 of the extensive forests which formerly stretched along the 

 lake shore, throughout the whole length of the state. At a 

 point where the extensive system of prairies which charac- 

 terizes the scenery of the interior of the state intrudes upon 

 the forests near this place is an extensive marsh, wherein 

 are immense tracts of land filled with wild oats. There are 

 upon one side of the stream forests which abound with 

 game, especially with the beasts of prey and with the larger 

 class of birds, such as the wild turkey, wild goose, hawks 

 and eagles. On the other side are the prairies, where form- 

 erly abounded the grazing animals, such as the buffalo, elk, 

 wild deer, and the great variety of prairie birds, the marsh 

 and the ri ver forming a favorite resort for ducks and wild 

 geese, and water fowls of various kinds. There are in the 

 vicinity many small streams and ponds where beaver and 

 muskrat would be numerous. The locality is, then, a favor- 

 able one for the permanent residence of a people. 



The character of the region can be learned from the map 

 which we here present. 



