88 Cincinnati Society of Natural History. 



beneath the stone heaps, and the finding of hum in bones with 

 arrow-heads embedded in them, strengthen my belief in the pur- 

 pose of the structure. 



It is not possible in a short sketch to go into the details concern- 

 ing this structure, so my conclusions must be drawn briefly. Of 

 all the scientific men who have visited this work, very few have 

 assigned it any other purpose than that of defense. Military men, 

 army engineers, and in fact every one versed in the art of war, 

 have come to this conclusion. It is not constructed like any of the 

 ceremonial structures. It has nothing of the serpent effigy about 

 it. Mr. Peet, of the American Antiquarian, claims that it repre- 

 sents two missive serpents coiling about each other and engaged in 

 a most terrific conflict. If this be true, why was not the fortification 

 built on a plain where the curves could be made more symmet- 

 rical ? Why was the wall at the base pi iced upon large flat lime- 

 stones to prevent it from slipping and sliding? Why were not all 

 these skeletons buried in a regular manner? Why was it not put 

 where there were no ravines to cut it up, as were the serpent 

 mounds and the animal effigies in Wisconsin? 



Tne weak points, the gateways, are protected by platform 

 mounds thrown up. There are bastions of earthwork in many places 

 running out into the ravines, so as to afford lookout stations. Some 

 of these, of course, are natural, but many of them have been arti- 

 ficially rounded and made more symmetrical. Tnere are pits that 

 have been six feet deeper than they now are, on the interior and 

 exterior of this work in many places. There are found in the 

 bottom of these ditches pottery, bones, burned stones, etc. 



We have evidence of an immense population in the river valley, 

 both above and below Fort Ancient, which could have fled to this 

 place in case of an attack, and it is not at all unlikely that a portion 

 of the tribe that erected the fort lived within its walls constantly. 

 AVe find traces of large lodge or wigwam circles in the New Fort at 

 this day. They are forty leet in diameter, and similar to those 

 found on the last Mandan village site on the Upper Missouri River. 

 No cautious man, and no one who believes what he sees, can come 

 to Fort Ancient and work there all summer, thoroughly explore 

 and survey, and come to any other conclusion that that this great 

 fortification was a fortified village, and used by a large tribe as a 

 place of refuge in case of an attack by enemies. 



Some may say that a simple bank of earth would afford little or 



