Primitive man in Ohio / by Warren K. Moorehead.

  • Moorehead, Warren K. (Warren King), 1866-1939.
Date:
1892
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Primitive man in Ohio / by Warren K. Moorehead. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    126/290 (page 98)
    It would be impossible for any one to say bow great a period of time bad elapsed since tbe inter- ments bad occurred. It may be readily granted from tbe following reasons tbat tbe graves were construc- ted iu pre-Columbian times. First, two previous periods of occupation have been sbown to have ex- isted upon tbe site since tbe burials. Second, in tbe debris of both villages no glass beads, or implements of iron were ever discovered. It is a well known fact tbat tbe Sbawnees, wbo inhabited tbe Miami valley at tbe time of its settlement by tbe whites, adopted their superior weapons more rapidly than any other tribe known to history. Had they occu- pied tbe village site, which we have just described, they would have left evidences of their association with tbe whites. Tbe two villages then were in ex- istence before tbe advent of tbe French or English traders among tbe savages. How long prior we can- not say. Tbe burials were made sufficiently early for a deposit of six or eight inches of river sand to have accumulated above them. In 1812, when Mr. John Hughes, at tbe age of fourteen, came to Ohio, tbe village site was covered with tbe heaviest of sycamore, elm, and walnut timber. Mr. Hughes is still living in tbe valley. He assured us of tbe great size and age of tbe timber growing above tbe graves in tbe early part of this century. We give tbe testimony for what, it is worth, and, while acknowledging the rapid growth of tbe average forest tree when located near a stream, we do not believe tbat such a heavy growth of forest as be describes could have sprung