Smithsonian miscellaneous collections

SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS.

316

CIRCULAR IN REFERENCE TO AMERICAN ARCHEOLOGY.

Smithsonian

Institution,

Washington,

D.

C,

Fehruanj 1, 1878.

For more

than a quarter of a century, the Smithsonian Institu- tionhas been engaged in researches concerning theantiquities of America.

As

the result of its efforts

many

important memoirs have beenprepared,

and

published in its

Annual

Reports andin the Contributions to

Knowledge;

and the National

Museum,

in chargeof theInstitution, has

become

the depository of the largest

and

mostvaluablecollection of

American

aboriginalrelics in the world.

In continuation of previous effort in the

same

direction, the Institution contemplates the publication ofan exhaustive

work

on

American

Archseology,with

numerous

illustrations Thiswillbe accompanied

by

aseries ofmaps,exhibiting

by

appropriate signs

and

colors the localities

and

distinctive characteristics of ancient

mounds and

earthworks; shell-heaps; cave

and

cliff-dwellings; ma- sonry; sculpturedslabsorcarved images;inscriptions

and

rock paint- ings; graves

and

cemeteries; aboriginal quarries

and

salt works;

caches or deposits of objects in large quantities; workshopsor places oj ancient aboriginal industry^{; ancient} roads or trails;

and

reser- voirs

and

aqueducts.

2 AMERICAN ARCHEOLOGY.

To

thisendthe Institution desires to collectfrom every availa- ble source, whatever^is

now

known,orcan beascertained

by

special investigation, of theantiquities ofNorth

America

; and it invites the cooperation of all into whose hands this circular

may

fall.

If therecipient has not the time or the disposition for such in- quiries,he ^is requestedto

hand

^itto

some

one in his neighborhood

who

is

known

to be, or

who

is likely tobecome, interested insuch matters,with the request to correspond directlywith the Smithso- nian Institution

upon

thesubject.

SPECIAL MEMOEANDA.

In giving a descriptionof

any

of theobjects

named

above, great care should be takenⁱⁿdefining tlieexact locality, thesiteorstation, the

number and manner

ofgrouping,theshape

and

^{size, the} internal structure,

and

the contents.

1. Locality.

—

In locating aboriginal remains, the State (orterri- tory,) the county, the township,

and

the distance

and

direction from the nearest postoffice or railwaystation should bedistinctly given. In addition to thisit isadvisable to

name any

well

known

stream, hill,bluff,orother remarkable natural feature in the im- mediate vicinity. Explorers usually refera ^"find" totheland of

some

individual. This

may

answer for a secondary indication but, inasmuch as lands are constantly changing owners, it should notbe too

much

relied upon.

2. Siteor Station.

—

Nearly all aboriginal constructions seem to have been erected with reference to

some

natural advantage; for example, vipou ahillforobservation or defense,

by

the water for fishing purposes,

upon

an alluvial plain or terrace forconvenience to tillableland,&c. Again, there is reason to suppose that geo- logical changes,suchastheshiftingof river beds,

may

have taken place since these erections were made.

The

site of the remains should, therefore, be described with reference to the surrounding

3

country,andto the natural advantages

and

geological history of the location.

3.

Number and

Grouping.

— However abundant earthworks and other aboriginal remainsmay bein anylocality, on careful inspec- tion, they will generally befound ingroups, having somerelation to each other,to thepoints of the compass, ortothe topographical featuresof the country. An accurate survey andplot, indicating each memberin its place, isthe most instructive method of repre- sentingthefacts. Wherethis isimpracticable the individual con- stituents should be carefully counted and their relative location sketched as definitely as possible.

4. Shape

and

Size. In different portions of

North America

the earthworks

and

otherstructuresexhibitcertainconventionalshapes, notably the animal

mounds

of Wisconsin. In order to ascertain the geographical distributionof typical forms it isvery desirable toobtainground plans

and

sectional drawings as accurate as cir-

cumstanceswill allow. In several Statessurveys of the most cele- brated works have been made,

and

others are in progress.

The

plots of Moses Strong(Smith. Rep., 1876, 424-432)

may

betaken asmodelsfor ground-plans. Cross-sections

and

elevations are im- portant in conveying an idea of complicated works. ^It is well, moreover, to observe the effect of weathering

and

of cultivation.

Notice should be taken,also, of theageof treesgrowing

upon

the

work

or

upon

lands in thevicinitysupposed to have been cleared

by

the ancient inhabitants.

5. InternalStructure.

— Thestudy of thestructureofanaboriginal work has reference to the nucleus or central portion,and to the enveloping mass. Leavingthe formerto be considered under the next heading,whateverissaid hereconcerningstructurewill relate to the latter only. The internal structure of aboriginal remains depends upon theirdesign andthe materialathand, quite asmuch

as

upon

the conceptions oftheir builders. Insomethemassishomo-

4

geneous throughout; while in others there are layers of clay, mould, sand,

and

^stone, varying in thickness

and mode

of distri- bution.

By

sinking a shaft from the centre of the apex, or

by

cuttingaditch ona level with theground,from the circumference towardthecentre, the structurewill berevealed.

6. Contents.

— The contents of earthworks and other ancient

structuresvarywith thepurposewhich theywere designed to sub- serve, with thelocality, and,in the caseof burialmounds,with the social standing of thoseinterred withinthem.

The

greatest diver- sityof contentsis foundⁱⁿthe

mounds

of the Mississippi Valley, which, indeed, have been

named

burial,sacrificial,domiciliary,

and

defensivemounds, according to the end which theyseem to have served.

The

most desirable objects

among

the contents of these

mounds

and otherearthworksare the

human

remains. Inorderto preserve the crania

and

bones, aswell asbone implementsor other friable objects, theyshould be covered with boiled oil, or with a

weak

solutionof

warm

whiteglue.

When

thishas driedsufiiciently, the process

may

be repeateduntilthe tissueiscompletelyhardened.

Small fragments

may

be immersed in the liquid at once.

Where

it is practicable tosave craniaand other fragile objects entire, the glue

may

be applied before they are

removed

from the earth. Dr.

Otis, of the

Army

Medical

Museum,

has succeededintaking out a block of earth containing theskull,

and by

repeated washings

and

application of the glue has saved

some

veryfrail specimens.

The

Societe d'Anthropologie de Paris has issued two pamphletsof in- structions,indispensable to collectors of

human

remains,viz., " In- structions Craniologiques et Craniometriques^"

and

^"Instructions Gfineralespour lesrecherchesAnthropologiques."

With

regardto the nucleusand toaboriginalrelics contained therein, the explorer shouldexamine everyobject in theposition where first discovered, with reference totheoriginal level of the ground,to the structure of the tumulus,

and

tothe objectsburied with it.

He

should dis- regard no object however insignificant it

may

seem, and record

with the most scrupulous accuracy whatever is observed.

With

reference to shell-heaps as well as to

mounds

there is evidence that the

work

of erection was

abandoned and

resumed at longer or shorter intervals, and that a long time elapsed between the com-

mencement and

completion of

some

of them. This would beindi- cated by a difference in the character of the deposits,

by

a change in the

mode

of burial,

and by

the

more

or less decayed condition of the bones foundin each layer.

Many

interestingproblems con- cerningrace, migration,commerce, cannibalism,cremation, trepan- ning, disease, &c,,aretobesolved

by

anexhaustive comparison of the contents of theseaboriginal constructions.

Inaddition to original records

and

descriptions concerning the objects enumerated above, the Smithsonian Institution desires to obtain copies of all books, memoirs, pamphlets, extracts from periodicals,

and

newspaperclippingshaving

any

^relation whatever

to

American

archseology. It also desires to beinformed of the lo- cality of all collections of

American

antiquities,however small, whetherin privatehands orin public museums. Special informa- tion concerningthese collections,the

number and

character of the most perfect

and

choice specimens, together with photographs, tracings, orotherdrawings of the same,will also be valuable,

and may

enable theInstitutionto publishadirectoryof allthearchreo- logical collections intheUnitedStates.

In conclusion,the Smithsonian Institution respectfully and ur- gently invites contributions of specimens of aboriginal art

and

antiquitiesfromall sources

and

fromevery part of the country,to be^{placed in} the National

Museum

at Washington, and preserved permanently in a fire-proof buildingunder careful supervision.

The

object inviewisnot merelyto possess every variety ofarticle,

but also to ascertain the geographical distribution of each form.

Inthismanner, important information

may

be obtained as to the migrations

and commerce

of the ancientraces.

Allspecimens contributed ^will be duly ^{accredited to the}donor

6

inthereports of theInstitution, in theproposed

work

on

American

Archaeology,

and

onthelabels of thespecimens; so that,wherever theobject

may

be,thesource Avhence derivedwill be known. In- structions willbe given

by

theInstitution, onapplication, astothe best

method and

route of transmission of such collections, the freightonwhichwill be paidon receipt inWashington.

JOSEPH henry;

SecretarySmithsonianInstitution.

INFORMATION DESIRED AS MATERIAL FOR AN ILLUS-

TRATED WORK ON THE ARQH^OLOGY OF NORTH AMERICA.

Name

of Correspondent, Occupation,

Post ^OfficeAddress,

Date

ofCommunication,

GENERAL INQUIRIES.

1.

Are

there

any

remainsof ancient aboriginal structures,such asmounds, earthworks,shell-heaps, &c., inyourvicinity?

2.

Are

there

any

other indications of a former occupation of the region bythe aborigines?

3.

Where

are they located? Give State, county, nearest post office,distanceanddirection from

some

well

known

naturalfeature,

and

the

name

of the ownerof the propertyat the date of the re- port.

MOUNDS AND EARTHWORKS.

4.

How

are they situatedwith reference to streams

and

springs of water, elevations,tillable land, or other naturalfeatures?

5.

What

changes,ifany,have taken placeinthe streams,forests,

and

other surroundingssince their erection? 6.

Are

the

mounds

isolated or ingroups?

7. If the latter,

what

^{is their}

number and

relative position?

Furnish a sketch or plan, however rude it

may

be, with the indi- vidual

mounds

of the group,numbered.

A

topographical surveyis

mostdesirable, whereit isconvenient.

8.

What

isthesizeand shapein groundplans, in section,of each

Answerstotheaccompanyingquestions

may

best be made byreference tothenumberswithout repeatingthe interrogatories.

54

8

member

of thegroup?

Of

irregular

and

animal

mounds

a sketch withmeasurementsof thedifferent prominentpartsshould be given.

9.

Of what

material are theycomposed?

10.

How

isthis material arranged,especially nearthe centre?

11.

What

isthe constructionof the centre of the

work

?

12.

Where

^{wasthematerialused in the} formationprobably ob- tained?

13.

Have any

of the

mounds

been explored? Designate which ones ona plat.

14. If explored,

what

ai'chseological objectswere foundin

them

? 15.

What

have

become

of those objects?

16. If

any

account of

them

orof the explorationhasbeen pub-

lished,where, and

by whom

?

17.

Have

the

mounds

or earthworks been injured

by

weather- ing or

by

cultivation?

18.

Are

treesgrowing

upon any

of

them

? If so, of

what

kind

and

dimensions?

SHELL-HEAPS.

19.

What

isthe

number

of shell-heaps inyourvicinity? 20.

What

^is the location of the deposits with respect to the waterand other naturalfeatures?

21.

Has

therebeen

any

change in theshore to submerge them,

tocarry a portion of

them

away, orto bring

them

abovethewater lineand

away

from thebeach?

22.

What

isthelength,breadth,

and

depth of each?

23.

Of what

are they composed? Collect specimens of each species of shells.

24.

What

isthe nature

and

depth of the superincumbentsoil? 25.

What

vegetablesubstance used asfoodor forotherpurposes occur in

them

?

26.

What

animalor

human

remainshave been found in

them

? 27.

Were

the bones whole, charred,orfractured?

AMERICAN

ARCHiEOLOGT. 9

28.

Were any

wood, bone,shell, or stone implements, or orna- ments, or pottery discovered?

29.

What

were the characteristics of these objects?

Make

drawingsorphotographs if practicable.

CAVE AND CLIFF-DWELLINGS.

30.

Have any

caves or rock-shelters in your section of the country everbeenusedby the aborigines for a dwelling?

31.

What

advantages dothese placesfurnish for defense, for ac- cessibility to water,game,andother

means

of living?

32.

Are

there any indications of an attempt to improve or strengthen theseplaces?

33.

What

relics of

man

or of his works werefound,

and

under

what

conditions?

MASONRY.

In thesouthwestern portions ofour country

and

fromthenceto the Isthmus,remainsof stone

and

adobe structuresai-e to beseen.

If any have been foundinyoursection

—

34.

What

isthe materialofwhich they werebuilt?

35.

What

unitingsubstances, ifany, have been used?

36.

What

isthe planandprobable use of thestructure? 37.

What

attemj)ts were

made

atornamentation? 38. Is therea central excavation orestufa?

39.

Was

the building

more

than onestoryhigh?

40.

How

is it situated withreference to protection

and

conve- nience?

41.

What

relicswere found in it?

SCULPTUEED SLABS AND CARVED IMAGES.

In portions of the INIississippiValleyspecimens of rudestatuary have been found,and furthersouth in Mexico andCentral

America

largeslabs occur covered withsculpture.

10

42. If sculptures occur near you, under

what

conditions were theyfound?

43.

With what

otherremainswerethey associated? 44. If slabs,have theybeen injured

by

weathering?

45.

Has

anyaccount,illustratedor otherwise,beenpublished? 46. If theyhave been removed,inwhosepossessionarethey

now

?

KOCK-PAINTINGS AND INSCRIPTIONS.

On

^cliflEs

and

bowlders carved

and

paintedinscriptionshave been found.

47. If anyoccurinyourneighborhood,

what

^istheprecise loca- tion?

48. Isthedesign executed with paint orinsculpture?

49.

What

^figures are represented? Givea sketch orphotograph

if practicable.

ABORIGINAL BURIAL.

50.

Are

thedead found in isolated graves, cemeteries, ossuaries, caves, or

mounds

?

51.

Are

thegraves which are in groups arranged according to

any plan?

52.

Are

theyona level tractoron aslope?

53. If the latter,

what

point ofcompassdoesitface?

54. Does each gravecontain the remainsof

more

than one indi- vidual?

55.

Were

the bodies buried in a sitting posture, stretched out, lying ontheside

and

doubled up,orwerethe bonesmingled indis- criminately in thegravd?

56.

Was

theheadorface of thedeaddirected to

any

particular point of thecompass?

57.

Are

theremainssimplyburiedin the earth, or are theyen-

11

closed in stone circles,in cysts,in earthen jars, or in

some

other receptacle?

58. In

what

stateof preservationwerethebonesfound? 59.

Are

the gravesdeeporshallow ?

60.

Have

theybeeninjured

by

weathering?

61. Is there anyevidence of dessication,mummification, crema-

tion, or other special treatment of the remains of the dead pre- viously tointerment?

ABORIGINAL QUARRIES.

62. If

any

ancient quarries have been discovered, what is the material which was sought

by

the aborigines?

68.

What

isthelocality, depth,

and

form of the excavation? 64.

What

evidenceexistsof the

manner

of detaching

and

work- ing the material?

65.

What and what

kindof miningtoolshave been discovered?

CACHES.

Various kinds of aboriginal implements have been found de- positedin large quantities as if designedly.

66. If cacheshave been found,

what

wasthe number,

and

char- acterof the contents?

67.

Where and

under

what

circumstances weretheyfound? 68.

Were

the objects kept together

by

the discoverer, or scat- tered? If the former,inwhosepossession are they

now

?

WORKSHOPS.

At

certain seasonsof the year

some

of our westerntribes

encamp

in the neighborhood of deposits ofjasper, chalcedony, and other minerals valuable for arrow-making, and manufacture asufficient

12 AMERICAN

quantity of points, knives, &c., to last

them

a long time.

The

ground aroundsuch places, for several acres, iscovered \Yithsplin- ters, cores,spoiled points,

and

flaking tools.

69.

Are

there anytracesof themanufacture ofstoneimplements or potteryin large quantities in your\Mcinity?

70. Ifso,

what

isthe character of the refuse?

71.

Has

^this refusebeensubjectedtotheactionofrunningwater,

and what

isthe

method

of itsaggregation under suchinfluence?

EOUTES AND TRAILS.

72.

What

vestiges,if any, existin yoursectionof ancient trails, carryingplaces, fords, bridges, stone-heaps,land-marks, andwhat- everelsewould throwlight

upon

ancient migration

and commerce

?

PvESERVOIES AND WATER COURSES.

73.

Have

^{any attempts}been

made

by the aborigines of your re- gion toconstructaqueductsorreservoirs for water?

74.

Do

the aqueducts

show any

especial skill in following the natural level?

75.

What

is thelength

and

other dimensions of the channel? 76.

Were any

attempts

made

at irrigation?

77.

What

isthesizeof thereservoirs,if

any

exist?

78.

How

aretheylined?

79.

How

werethey supplied with water?

BIBLIOGRAPHY.

80.

Do

you

know

of

any

original memoirs or surveysofthese remainsthathavenotbeen published? Pleasesend the

name and

address of the individual

who

has

them

in possession.

81.

Have

any accounts of theantiquities in your neighborhood been published by yourlocal press?

Can

copiesbeprocured?

82.

Have

^theybeen described in

any

otherpublication, suchas magazines, proceedings of learned societies,&c.?

83.

Are

there

any

public orprivate collections of antiquities in your locality?

84. If so,dothey contain rareandvaluable specimens?

85.

Have

thesespecimens everbeenfigured? Drawings orother representationsof those that are rarewillbe gratefullyreceived

by

theInstitution.

86.

What

specimens can you furnish as a contribution to the National

Museum?

14

AMERICAN

ARCHiEOLOGY.

The

following symbols, mostof wliicli aretaken from the inter- national code of

Mm.

Mortillet

and

Chantre, published in the Smithsonian Reportfor1875, are designed to secure uniformityof illustration

and

facilityof reference

o

o°o°o Stone heap,cairn, landmark.

/"^g^ Shellheap,kjokkenmodding.

^-^

_{Mound,ortumulus}

; dotted,ifastonemound.

^

—

_^ Mardelle,pit,excavation, dug-hole.

^^^ Mound

enclosingacistorchambei*.

I i Circumvallation, earthwork.

P^

^{Earthworkenclosingtumuli. Seesymbolsfornumber.}

I I Tumulussurmountingaworkandditch.

I

I Longitudinal earthwork,the linebeneathindicates extension.

II ^{Cavedwellingorcliffstructure.}

yV Communal

dwelling, pueblo.

1'I I Masonry, wallof stone oradobe.

/\ Sculpturedslabsorcarved images.

k Eock-paintingsandinscriptions.

A Hollowedstone,cupcuttings.

A

A

rowofstanding^stones,carved slabs,&c.

k

A

^{circle or enclosure of the same, the dots}

may

^{applyto other}

ny

^symbols.

\ / ^Burialplace,method ^notknown.

\

—

/ Inhumation, at length.

\ z: / Inhumation, inadoubledupposition.

1

_b! f Inhumation, in a sitting position.

_5 f Cremation.

>^i; */ Cemetery,thestars

may

applytoanyburialsymbol.

\_±__, Ossuary,

many

bodiesinone tomb.

V-

—

^{x^ Sepulchral}mound, themodeof burial tobe added.

\-~-^ Cemeterymound,

many

separate graves.

V —

^{N,^ Ossuary}mound.

C\

Cavetomb.

I

Quarry.

^

^Cache,intentional deposit of

many

objects

^

^{Workshops, placesofancientindustry.}

^^\

^{Eoad, trail,ancienthighway.}

—^

^Eeservoir.

^j^^::. Aqueduct.

^:^^ Explored, thecircle

may

applytoany symbol.

^ . f+ Several, the plus

may

applytoany symbol.

. ,^

^

^{Many, thetwo marksindicatinga largenumber.}

_»_/2.1 Definite number, the figures to the right indicate the exact number.