Northern Indiana's Largest Burial Mound Photographed in Miami County, Indiana

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“. . . In the southwest quarter of the northeast quarter of section 2 are two old mounds about eight feet high and thirty feet in diameter. . .” West of their place, in the north center party Section 5, are two similar mounds. . . South of there, in the west side of the center of Section 15, is a larger mound, probably fifteen feet high and fifty feet in diameter. All these mounds are near the creek; headwaters to Lake Manitou over in Fulton County. For all 85 burial mounds and earthworks in Indiana www.nephilimgiants.net : 121 Photos of Burial Mounds in Ohio Including the :Address Restricted" Sites

Northern Indiana's largest burial mound has remained hidden from university archaeologist and thus preserved, for now...

American Antiquarian, September 1885    

    I herewith send you a description of some of the relics which I have in my collection. (1) An unusually large amulet of the type often called “saddle stone” or brooding ornaments, or “bird,” “duck,” amulet. This was found on the bottom land, about fifty rods from the Wabash River, seven miles south of Peru, IN. I have found on the same farm numerous arrows, axes, fleshers, and three perforated tablets. The amulet to which I refer is unlike any other that I have owned. The body and especially the head are much larger. The head resembles a mammal. The stone has no perforations. Last week I procured an amulet of this same type, but of a more common form. It is highly finished but has no perforations. During the last seven years I have located some twenty of these amulets though the most of them I have disposed of. I have at present five of the above type. (2.) A Tablet which is of considerable importance as it has cup-shaped impressions upon it. This I came across last week. The impressions are similar to those described by Dr. Charles Rau, in his monograph Contributions to Am. Eth. Vol. V, Type I, Fig. I. (the common form). The Tablet is in the collection of Dr. John W. Hall, Sweetzer, Grant Co., Indiana. The Tablet was found on the surface and in the same field, on the same day, one broken ceremonial axe, perforated, double bladed and one crescent perforated mace. These were in good condition. They may possibly have been the relics of Mound Builders or they may have belonged to Indians. (3.) I have a relic which differs from anything I have yet seen. It resembles a spade or digging implement; as it slopes to the edge, yet does not show any more polish at the edge than any other part of the stone. It is made out of slate. If it had been used for digging it would surely give more evidence of use than it does. What is most interesting in the implement is, that it has a deep groove running the whole length but gradually running out. The groove shows traces of polish as if it had been placed in a handle and used as a spade. There is a notch at the upper part where the groove is deepest as if the handle had been fitted to the stone. (4.) A specimen made out of cannel coal was found 56 miles east of a gravel bank east of Portland, Jay Co., IN. It was found with five human skeletons. I have in my collection over 100 implements made from slate or greenstone, give quartz implements, one of them a discoidal stone found in Miami Co., Ohio, one “boat shaped” implement, Grant Co., Ohio, one “ceremonial axe,” Miami Co., Ohio, others found in Morrow Co., Ohio. These are finely polished and are interesting relics.

J.R. Nissley, Bunker Hill, Miami Co., IN.

Historic Indiana Map showing the general locations of early Native American burial mounds in the county.  The map had to be changed because of fears of landowners that University Archaeologists would destroy the burial mounds in the county.

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