Friday, August 2, 2024

Randolph County's Largest Ancient Adena Mound

 Randolph County's Largest Ancient Adena Mounds

This Adena burial mound is one of three of these large mounds that once were within a mile of one another. To the north of this mound is the small town of Snow Hill whose namesake is from a now destroyed mound. 


Concerning a Burial Mound Recently Opened in Randolph County” by Joseph Moore

From Proceeding of the Indiana Academy of Science, 1894:

    Besides a number of well-defined made mounds in the neighborhood of Lynn Station on the G.R. & I. R.R. there are frequent examples of natural mounds. These are usually much larger than the artificial mounds. They may be compared to drift islands surrounded by flat areas of dark colored soil. Ancient peoples as burial grounds have utilized some of these mounds of modified drift. The one of which I speak is a fraction over a mile west of Lynn Station. It is about 150 years in circumference and eighteen to twenty feet high and is so symmetrical as to have the appearance of a made mound; but in a wide cutting made through it by the gravel haulers the structure clearly shows an aqueous deposit from top to bottom. In this mound the workmen say they have opened “more than a hundred graves.” They “counted till they reached seventy.” Quite a number of the skulls were sufficiently preserved to bear handling, even after being for a short time exposed to the air. Some of them on being treated with a solution of glue have rather a fresh, recent look. Very many of the bones were broken to crumbs by visitors in sport. Some of the skeletons were in a sitting posture with the chin crowded upon the knees.

The depth of the graves was from a yard or less to twelve feet and more. The skeletons were of both sexes and various ages, some quite young. It was alleged that a horse’s bones were found, but I was unable to find the least scrap. They also tell of a dog’s skull with the teeth all perfect. This is possibly so, but it would seem more likely that it was the head of a wolf, which is quite similar. Quite a number of implements were found some of which are here on the table. One skeleton was found with a large dart in each hand.

They assert that a scapula was found pierced by a flint dart and that the dart was lodged in said bone, but that the bone immediately crumbled from about it. There were beads of bone, shell and copper (but few of the latter) copper rings, tube pipes and various other things, the uses of which are not very well known.

You will see in the skulls presented for your examination that there is quite diversity. Two of them are of the brachycephalic or short-head type, one barely so, the other extremely so. The one has the lateral diameter in the proportion to the fore and aft, as 86 to 100, the other 92 to 100. The others are all orthocephalic, though one of them approaches to the longhead type.

You will note not only the extent to which the teeth are worn, but also the peculiar manner of the wearing. It will also be seen that decayed teeth, caries of the bone and also signs of gumboils and abscesses are not confined entirely to civilized races.

The upper wisdom teeth in one of the skulls show, each, examples of enamel tubercles on the fangs, a rather rate phenomenon, as I understand.

You will note also in one of them an extraordinary double suture at upper border of occiput. A question of interest: Did such diverse skulls belong to the same tribe, or did different tribes at different times bury in the same grounds?