Iowa State Reporter,
September 10, 1891
SKELETONS OF GIANTS
Hundreds of Skulls
Found-Interesting Discoveries in the Burial Mounds at Carthage, Ill.
CARTHGAGE,
ILL., Sept. 4-Assisted by students, Profs. Dysanger, Hail, Segler and
O'Hara, of Carthage college, on Wednesday opened the Sweeney burial
mound on the farm of Cyrus Felt, northeast of this city. At first a
covering of stone was encountered, all of the red limestone variety .
Most of these stones on being removed crumbled away into sand.
Under them were found immense quantities of bones, many skulls and
several pieces of flint. Some pieces of pottery so badly decayed and
broken as to be unrecognizable were found also. Measurements were
taken of several skulls. One measured 7 ¾ inches across the
parietal bone, another 6 inches. Three femur bones were found
measuring 9 inches in length, some that measured 17 ½ inches in
length and others measuring from 12 to 14 inches. One measured 3
inches across the lower end of the femur bone. Dr. Veatch says the
bones indicate that the men must have been from 8 to 7 feet tall at
least. One jawbone was secured that contained a perfect row of teeth
which evidently belonged to a middle-aged person.
Upon
digging a few feet farther down another layer of rocks was
discovered, and upon removing these several skeletons, perfect in
form, lay all huddled together as if they had fallen in battle. Some
of the skeletons were preserved almost entire, although most of the
bones would crumble away upon being exposed to the air. It is
believed that fully 500 corpses were buried here, as basketful after
basketful of bones were taken out, while the mound is literally full
of them. The skulls were all filled with a peculiarly soft and very
black loam, different from the surrounding earth.
