The Prehistoric World; Or, Vanished RacesAllen, Emory Adams
History
The Prehistoric World; Or, Vanished Races
Allen, Emory Adams
Archaeology; Indians; Prehistoric peoples
To illustrate this system, we would state that the city of
Newark, Ohio, was the site of a very extensive settlement of the
Mound Builders. This settlement was in a valley, but on all the
surrounding hills were located signal mounds. And it is further
stated that lines of signal mounds can be traced from here as a
center to other and more distant points. The large mound at Mt.
Vernon, twenty miles to the north, was part of this system. As
the settlements of the Mound Builders were mostly in river
valleys, we would expect to find all along on the bluffs fronting
these valleys traces of signal mounds. In the Scioto Valley, from
Columbus to Chillicothe, a distance of about forty miles, twenty
mounds “may be selected, so placed in respect to each other that
it is believed, if the country was cleared of forests, signals of
fire might be transmitted in a few minutes along the whole line.”
Some think the chain is much more extensive than this, and that
the whole Scioto Valley, from Delaware County to Portsmouth, was
so provided with mounds that signals could be sent in a very few
minutes the whole distance.42
Miamisburg Mound.
The valley of the Miami River was equally well provided with
signal mounds. This great mound, at Miamisburg, Ohio, rising to
the height of sixty-eight feet, was one of the chain by which
signals were transmitted along the valley. Not only was each
river valley thus provided, but there is evidence that
communication was established between different river systems, so
we can easily see how quickly the invasion of their country by an
enemy from any quarter would become known in widely scattered
sections. Immediately across the river from Chillicothe, Ohio, on
a hill nearly six hundred feet high, was located a signal mound.
A fire built upon it would be visible twenty miles up the valley,
and an equal distance down. It would be also visible far down the
valley of Paint Creek. Some think that such a system of lofty
observatories extended across the whole State of Ohio, of
Indiana, and Illinois, the Grave Creek mound, on the east, the
great mound at Cahokia, on the west, and the works in Ohio
filling up the line. We do not believe, however, it is safe to
draw such conclusions. It is doubtful whether there was any very
close connection between the tribes in these several sections.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account