NORTH AMERICAN ARCHEOLOGY. 
3 
1. Defensive enclosures; 2. Sacred and Miscellaneous enclosures; 
3. Sepulchral mounds; 4. Sacrificial mounds; 5. Temple mounds; 
6. “ Animal ” mounds; and 7. Miscellaneous mounds. These classes 
we shall treat separately, and we can then better consider the “ mound- 
builders ” themselves. 
Implements. 
The simple weapons of bone and stone which are found in Ame¬ 
rica closely resemble those which occur in other countries. The 
flakes, hatchets, axes, arrow-heads, and bone implements are, for 
instance, very similar to those which occur in the Swiss lakes, if only 
we make allowance for the differences of material. In addition to 
the simple forms, which may almost be said to be ubiquitous, there 
are some, however, which are more complicated. In many cases 
they are perforated, as for instance those figured by Messrs. Squier 
and Davis (1. c. p. 218). These perforated axes are generally con¬ 
sidered in Europe to belong to the metallic age, as also was probably 
the case in the New World. 
At the time of the discovery of America, iron was absolutely 
unknown to the natives, with the exception perhaps of a tribe near 
the mouth of the La Plata, who had arrows tipped with this metal, 
which they are supposed to have obtained from masses of native iron. 
The powerful nations of Central America were, however, in the age 
of Bronze, while the North Americans were in a condition of which 
we find in Europe but scanty traces—namely, in the age of Copper. 
Silver is the only other metal which has been found in the ancient 
tumuli, and that but in very small quantities. It occurs sparingly 
in a native form with the copper of Lake Superior, whence, in all 
probability, it was derived. It does not appear to have been ever 
smelted. From the large quantity of galena which is found in the 
mounds, Messrs. Squier and Davis are disposed to think that lead 
must have been used to a certain extent by the North American 
tribes: the metal itself, however, has not, I believe, yet been found. 
Copper, on the other hand, occurs frequently in the tumuli, both 
wrought and unwrought. The axes have a striking resemblance to 
the simple axes of Europe, which contain the minimum quantity of 
tin; and some of the Mexican paintings give us interesting evidence 
as to the manner in which they were handled and used. These, 
however, were of bronze, and had therefore been fused; but the 
Indian axes, which are of pure copper, appear in all cases to have 
been worked in a cold state, which is the more remarkable, because, 
as Messrs. Squier and Davis have well observed, “ the fires upon the 
“ altar were sufficiently intense to melt down the copper implements 
“ and ornaments deposited upon them. The hint thus afforded does 
“ not seem to have been seized upon.” # 
* One “cast” copper axe is however recorded as having been found in the State 
of New York, but there is no evidence to show by whom it was made. 
