284 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



entirely distinct from the Indian, possessing a certain degree of 

 civilization, once inhabited the central portion of the United States." 



In his preface he sums up the popular idea in the following: " The 

 mystery surrounding these lost people creates a fascination which 

 is greatly increased in the mind of the student of nature as he lingers 

 among the ruins which invite his attention and rivet his eye. 

 Standing upon one of the monuments the lover of the mysterious 

 will lose, himself in meditation. . . . " 



Besides the many local antiquarians and historians in New York 

 such men as Henry Schoolcraft, E. C. Squier, Dr E. H. Davis, 

 Franklin B. Hough, T. Apoleon Cheney and Dr Frederick Larkin 

 described, surveyed and speculated upon the earth works of New 

 York. 



Wonderful things are ascribed to this ancient race, which is 

 described by the early writers as highly civilized, as making imple- 

 ments better than the Indians possibly could and as erecting earth 

 works that proved them quite familiar with geometry. One writer 

 even pretends to have discovered how the mounds, were erected. 

 He claimed to have found a copper tablet having engraved upon it 

 a mastodon in harness.' This is said to have been sent to the 

 Smithsonian Institution but it seems never to have reached that 

 place. 



Archeologists who have spent many years in excavating mounds 

 and who have studied the problem of the mounds and the builders 

 of the mounds have discovered many facts that prove the fallacy 

 of the old fancies concerning them. Among those who have explored, 

 observed and written in the modern methodological way are Cyrus 

 Thomas of the Smithsonian Institution, William H. Holmes, Lucien 

 Carr, F. W. Putnam of Harvard, WiUiam O. Mills of Ohio State 

 University, Warren K. Moorehead of Andover and Clarence B. 

 Moore. Many other investigators have studied the question in the 

 field and after extended scientific observations and by careful com- 

 parison have drawn their conclusions. From a lengthy consideration 

 of a wide range of facts we now are warranted in believing the fol- 

 lowing facts fully established : 



1 The builders of the mounds were Indians of certain tribes whose 

 descendants still live. 



2 The aboriginal artifacts found in the mounds were made by 

 Indians and no native object found in the mounds differs from 



^Larkin, Frederick, in "Ancient Man in America." Randolph, N. Y..ii 



