20 BULLETIN, PUBLIC MUSEUM, MILWAUKEE. [V,ol. III. 



At a later time it was completely covered by a large panther 

 effigy, which was simply superposed upon it with only a slight ex- 

 tension of the original bear cameo into that of a panther body. 

 Thus in this instance we have an original bear intaglio and cameo 

 used as a foundation for the later panther effigy which is built al- 

 most entirely above the level of the surrounding surface. 



In addition to this vertical change due to the superposition of 

 one mound form upon another. there is another change in horizontal 

 structure in which different sections of the same mound may show 

 quite different methods of construction. Mound No. 3 is one in 

 which the stratification definitely changed toward the rear of the 

 body of the panther and continued on down the tail. In this mound 

 the original form, perhaps left unfinished for some time, was sim- 

 ply completed, probably by the same people who started it. In the 

 case of mound No. 5, on the other hand, it seems most likely that 

 the change of form from the bear to the panther was effected by a 

 later people. 



The presence of the intaglio "foundation" in these several 

 mounds, both conical and effigy, affords an explanation of the in- 

 taglio problem and one which may be of rather wide application. 

 As above mentioned, only nine panther intaglios are on record. If 

 these were intended as finished products and were an established 

 separate form we would doubtless find among the thousands of 

 earth works in Wisconsin many more such excavations. From the 

 present work it seems highly probable that these are simply un- 

 finished mounds which were destined to be reared as cameos. The 

 work of the builders may have been suddenly interrupted or it is 

 possible that the mounds took, as above suggested, two or more 

 seasons for completion. 



In either case the work may have been suspended after this 

 initial step by any one of the many vicissitudes to which such prim- 

 itive builders must have been subjected. They may have been 

 driven away by hostile tribes, pestilence may have suddenly come 

 upon them, some taboo may have been suddenly placed on the site, 

 or a worker may have violated some fixed rule in respect to the 

 construction. These and various other causes which will readily 

 suggest themselves to the student of aboriginal life would be con- 

 sidered sufficient by the primitive builders to interrupt the work. 



