The Prehistoric World; Or, Vanished RacesAllen, Emory Adams
History
The Prehistoric World; Or, Vanished Races
Allen, Emory Adams
Archaeology; Indians; Prehistoric peoples
We will call attention to but one more of these fortified hills,
but this is on a magnificent scale. It is known as Fort Ancient,
and is situated on the Little Miami River, about forty miles east
of Cincinnati. It was not only a fort, but was also a fortified
village site, and has some features about it which are regarded
as of a religious nature. The hill on which it stands is in most
places very steep towards the river. A ravine starts from near
the upper end on the eastern side, gradually deepening towards
the south, and finally turns abruptly towards the west to the
river. By this means nearly the whole work occupies the summit of
a detached hill, having in most places very steep sides. To this
naturally strong position fortifications were added, consisting
of an embankment of earth of unusual height, which follows close
around the very brow of the hill. This embankment is still in a
fine state of preservation, but is now annually exposed to
cultivation and the inroads of cattle, so that it will not be
long before it will be greatly changed if no effort be made to
preserve it.
Fort Ancient.
This wall is, of course, the highest in just those places where
the sides of the hill are less steep than usual. In some places
it still has a height of twenty feet. We notice the wall has
numerous breaks in it. Some of these are where it crosses the
ravines, leading down the sides of the hill. In a few cases the
embankment may still be traced to within a few feet of a rivulet.
Considerable discussion has ensued as to the origin and use of
these numerous gateways. Mr. Squier thinks that these openings
were occupied by timber work in the nature of blockhouses which
have long since decayed. Others, however, think that the wall was
originally entire except in a few instances, and that the breaks
now apparent were formed by natural causes, such as water
gathering in pools, and musk-rats burrowing through the walls,
and we are told that such an opening was seen forming in the year
1847.72 No regular ditch exists inside the wall, the material
apparently being obtained from numerous dug holes.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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