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Pre-historic Relics

Pre-historic Relics image
Parent Issue
Day
9
Month
February
Year
1877
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

Oook's point, on the rivcr bank just weí?t of the city, bids fair to become renowned as thè depwiitory of the most reniarkable archöioldgica? tfeasures ever discovered in the Mississippi Valley ; and the Davenport Academy of Soietices will soon have extensive faine ia conneotion therewith. Ifc is only some two years ago that that earnest academician, Kev. J. E. Gass, pastor of the First Gertüan liütheran Chnrch, made the grand discovery of döjfpcr ases and hatchets - some of them cloth-btfrind - with pottery and human remains, in one of the mounds on the Cook property ; and now the same gentleman has another streak of pre historie luck, na" find" that will créate a sensation among scientists who.are delving after knowledge of the pre-histörlc man - that is if the articles prove to be of nö latsr rigin than the ones lately found of thaf mysterious yet numerous individual. As Mr. Gass and Mr. L. H. Würodt were exploring a mound, they oame upon some small slabs of dark shale, the stirf aoés of which were eovered with yello-w clay. Thess were found near j some human bones. Ön reirsoving the clay, what was their astonishmeÜt io find that they had secured pictured rocks of great value. The largest was 12x9 inchep, and 1.J inohes thiok. In rubbing the clay, this slab split in two - and one face of each of the plates of shale were eovered with etehings - or rather deep scratches with stíníe metal instrument. One picture represents ü j scène of sacrifice, evidently. A fire blazing, in the center is a ring ; on one side of the blaz'e is a póstrate human figure, and on the other side are two more beings, all bound, and around ihe fire and bodies fourteen persons are dancing. In an upper corner is the sun, with long and short rays, opposite is the moon. We are sorry to state that, since this slab has been exposed to the public gaze, persons have tested the shale by scratching it, and thus what was a well-formed face in te moon has been most wholly obScured bj serstehes. The other represents animáis o'f vSficra kinds- some creeping, some walking, afid all mueh as a little child might draw on a slate. One of the animáis is a three-legged monstrosity with a body shaped like a mushroom - it couldn't have been intended for a turtle, as lts legs are too loüg f oí thftt. Then there are various circles, wiíh peculiaí mrks inside. There is a picture of a htínteí TitJb bow jn hand, he having jüst shot a deer which lies near him. So it seeme the prehistorie man killed deer with bow and ' arrow, as do the Indians of our era. ] Another slab, six inches square, shows a series of circles, with twelve figures ] between each circle - while outside of ) the outer circle are twelve peculiar fig ures that are neither human nor '. a .Jt!íj bjLV'i !■■■■■- - ' o - ' that between the rings. In the center } is a small ring from which are marks pointing tó' tHe outer signs. This is i supposed to be a sort of zodiacal record. ' Members of the academy whe hare ( amined these treasures have no doubt as to their antiquity - in fact the best posted feel convineed that they are of the sanie age as the copper implements found in mounds wMch surrounded this one, from which these stone tableta were taken. And we ought to have I said bef ore that söme of the bones found in the mound are copper-Btained, and near them small pieces of copper -were found. It is believel that these tablets will be deposited in their proper receptacle, the cabinet of pre-historic relies in the Academy of Science. Another thing, they ought to be immediately placed where they may be viewed and not han dled, for the shale "chips off" easily. May hap some skilled person in deciphering hieroglyphics will come along and translate these strange pictures. But they ought not to be taken away from here for that service.

Article

Subjects
Old News
Michigan Argus