1875.1 315 [Putnam. 



type were not only of a different race from the more northern and 

 eastern tribes, but were also probably older inhabitants of the coun- 

 try and much further advanced in the arts and civilization, though 

 having still the remnants of many barbarous customs. This southern 

 race had several characteristics which may prove it to be allied to, if 

 not descended from, the still more ancient and prehistoric race of 

 Mound Builders. The latter, in turn, show so much in common with 

 the early civilization of Mexico, as to lead to the belief that the an- 

 cient Mexican races, the Mound Builders of the Mississippi Valley 

 and the early Indians of the South may have been of the same origi- 

 nal stock, becoming greatly diversified by migrations and by mixing 

 with other races, which they absorbed in part, and with still others 

 by whom they were conquered. While by no means considering the 

 unity of the Mound Builders with the other short-headed people of 

 North America as proved, he gave many facts bearing on the migra- 

 tion of such a short-headed people over the country covered by the 

 region embracing a broad belt from the northwestern coast to the 

 Ohio Valley, and south to the Gulf of Mexico, and again extending 

 westward to the Pacific. He also alluded to the Pueblo Indians, the 

 Flatheads and the old Mandans as having many resemblances to the 

 ancient mound-building race of which they may have been, orig- 

 inally, isolated portions that rapidly formed mixed races while hold- 

 ing in different ways to some of their original customs. 



The more nomadic of the barbarous tribes of the country were 

 then spoken of, and the known feuds between them and the southern 

 race were dwelt upon, in order to show the peculiar condition of 

 archasological research along the Ohio, and as, perhaps, in part, ac- 

 counting for the singular richness of this region in the relics of sev- 

 eral distinct races, or, at least, widely separated families of the 

 historic and prehistoric peoples of North America. 



Mr. Putnam then called attention to the numerous ancient fortifi- 

 cations which exist in the Ohio Valley, and gave a description of 

 two which he had visited in Indiana in company with Professor Cox, 

 the State geologist, by whom they have been, or soon will be, de- 

 scribed in detail. These ancient fortifications are generally earth- 

 works, many of great extent, but there have been several discovered 

 where immense walls of stone have been used in place of simple 

 earth embankments. The stone walls of the Indiana forts were very 

 extensive. In the fort near Charlestown, on the Ohio River, the 

 principal wall was several hundred feet long, and was built to the 



