8 GEOLOGY OF OHIO 



show that ready entrance and exit was to be liberally provided for, and 

 almost invariably so wide that speedy closure would be impossible even 

 with much greater facilities for such work than we have any reason for 

 supposing" to have been at the command of the owners. Further, a wall 

 higher than a man's head, — as many of these now are, after the denuda- 

 tion of centuries, — especially one with an interior ditch, would give the 

 defender no advantage over his opponent; for unless a platform were 

 constructed entirely around the inner side, he could not see over the top 

 except by climbing up a slope on which it would be difficult to secure a 

 foothold. With a lower wall and an exterior ditch, the conditions would 

 be different; and if some adequate method of defending the gateways 

 were devised, a successful defense could be made against superior num- 

 bers — provided the work was at a sufficient distance from a hill or body 

 of timber overlooking the interior. As an example of this feature, the 

 circle in the works at Hopetown (Ross County) extends for a part of its 

 course along the side of a hill, at some distance above its foot. Also, in 

 the works at Anderson Station in the same county, the larger embank- 

 ment which encloses considerably more than a hundred acres, is built 

 on the side facing the high land from which an enemy would naturally 

 approach, just on the bank of a terrace in such a way that the inmate 

 would have barely room to stand, while the besieger has an ample space 

 of level ground in h s favor. Again, the usual indications of permanent 

 occupation are lacking; village sites are recognized by the great accumu- 

 lation of refuse due to the life habits of the people, broken bones, ashes, 

 burned stones, and the like occurring in profusion. These have not been 

 found in sufficient quantities to lend color to the theory. 



Still others have assigned to enclosures an office similar to the 

 Roman circus, considering them places where persons inclined or com- 

 pelled to entertain the populace with games or feats of strength and valor, 

 would have abundant space for the display of their skill and prowess ; the 

 spectators meanwhile viewing the performance from seats provided for 

 them along the top of the wall. This is giving prehistoric man credit for 

 more enterprise and public spirit than seems warranted by known facts. 

 If boundaries were needed, they could be marked by lines; and the hills 

 or terrace-banks in the immediate vicinity of any of these works overlook 

 level tracts as well adapted for such purposes as those within the walls. 



A few illustrations are here presented that will give a fair idea of the 

 arrangement and appearance of some of the more notable enclosures. 

 Except when otherwise stated, all figures are copied from the work of 

 Squier and Davis. 



Plate I is a map of "twelve miles of the Scioto Valley," in the vicinity 

 of Chillicothe. 



Plate II, a map of "six miles of Paint Creek Valley," about Bourne- 

 ville. 



