Page:History of Southeast Missouri 1912 Volume 1.djvu/67

 HISTORY OF SOUTHEAST MISSOURI are found within the "Big Field" and are very evidently of artificial origin. Imme- diately around them the ground is perfectly level being alluvial soil. The mounds vary in size, the largest being about thirty feet in height and probably one hundred and fifty feet by one hundred feet. There are a num- ber of other smaller mounds some of these too being of considerable size. Most of these mounds have been partly explored and have yielded some material to the work of the ex plorers. In Dunklin county, just south of the town of Cottouplant on the main county road, there is a large mound probably thirty feet in height and one hundred feet in diameter at the base. This mound has been dug into at various times and considerable quantities of Indian relics taken from it. It was evidently a burial ground for there have been found vessels containing bones in the mound. This mound is the site of the substantial dwelling of C. V. Langdon. Still another group of mounds is on the main road between Bernie and Dexter not far from the line of the Cotton Belt Railway. Just as is true of all the others we have de- scribed, this group of mounds is found on per- fectly level ground. There are four of them varying in size from a small heap of earth to the largest which is perhaps twenty-five feet in height. Diiiferent persons have dug in this group of mounds at various times and in li)Ot) some persons living in Maiden opened the largest of these mounds and took from it a quantity of Indian relics. Among these relics are some specimens of Indian pottery that are unusually good. There were found water bottles, pots and urns of a very high class of vForkmanship. Some of these pieces are in the possession of the IMalden High school. It is evident that these mounds present to the student of history and archasology a most fascinating problem. Here are thousands of mounds of earth, scattered throughout every county of this section, varying in size from the tiny one of a few feet in diameter and a few inches in height, to the giant earthwork hundreds of feet in dimensions large enough to be mistaken for natural hills, and yet bear- ing unmistakable evidence of artificial origin. These structures are grouped in some order, follow the water-courses, are inclosed some- times by walls of earth, are of such age in many cases as to bear upon their summits or sides great trees hundreds of years old. Who built these mounds? For what purpose were they built? These questions presented them- selves at once to those who first recognized their artificial character. An answer to these questions was sought in the mounds themselves. Many of them were excavated. They returned to the researches of those who dug in them very different re- wards. Some of them contained absolutely nothing at all. In many of them nothing was found except the evidences of fire. Burned pieces of wood and ashes constituted the en- tire contents of many of the mounds. But some of the mounds contained other and very interesting remains. Pottery of every char- acter and size, bones of persons and of beasts, implements and tools, and weapons of war, all these have been found in mounds. Most numerous of all are the mounds which con- tain bones and pottery. In some cases the bones are found in the earth itself, in others they are in vessels of pottery. Many people have engaged in the exploration of these mounds and many mounds have been opened. There are still others in this section which have not been touched as vet. These are for