Antiquities of the Southern Indians, Particularly of the Georgia Tribes

CHAPTER X

CHAPTER X. Stone Graves in Nacoochee Valley and elsewhere.-Copper Implements and the Use of that Metal among the Southern Indians.-Cane-Matting.-Shell Drinking-Cups.-Shell Pins.-Age of Stone Graves.-Evidence of Commerce among the .Aborigines. IN the upper part of Nacoochee Valley, and near its western extremity, is a prominent earth-mound. Located not far from the Chattahoochee River, and rising some twenty feet or more above the surface of the surrounding valley, it has long COIlstituted a marked feature in this beautiful region. For many years its slopes and sUlnmit have been cultivated, and, within the recollection of the older inhabitallts, this tumulus has lost much of its original dimensions . Elliptical in shape, it has a flat top, declining somewhat toward the southwest. Measured in a northeasterly and southwesterly direction, at right angles, its base-diameters are, respectively, one hundred and ninety, and one hundred and fifty feet; while its apex-diameters, ascertained in the same direc- 'tions, do not fall short of ninety and sixty feet. It is entirely artificial, and appears to be wholly'Composed of the earth gathered from the neighborhood of its base. There' are no terraces, the sides sloping gradually , from the summit. Tradition has preserved no ~14 ANTIQUITIES OF THE SOUTHEI~N INDIANS. memories of the people by whom it was erected, and its treasures, if any, are still concealed within its own bosom. In June, 1870, Capt. J. H. Nichols, while ploughing in the vicinity of this tunlulus, discovered, several inches below the surface of the field, a number of large stone slabs. They were lying at a remove of about thirty feet from the western slope of the mound. At a loss to account satisfactorily for their presence ill this locality, and his curiosity'being excited , he set about removing them. During the progress of the investigation, he unearthed three stone graves, quite near each other, but not disposed in a uniform direction. These graves were parallelogrammic in shape, being seven feet long, three feet wide, and a little more than two -feet and a half deep. They were all filled with earth, and the surface of tne field above them was somewhat elevated beyond the level of the surrounding valley. The sides consisted of rough slabs of slate, bet,veen two and three feet long, and about two feet wide, set up on end. The bottom of the central grave was paved with oval bowlders "\vhich had evidently been obtained from the bed of the Chattahoochee. But one of the three-and that the central grave-was covered. For the covering, or lid, flat slabs of stone rather more than three feet in length had been employed; so that when they rested upon the upright sides and ends of the grave, the enclosure of this vault or rude sarcophagus was conlplete . In this central grave a male skeleton, measuring more than six feet, lay extended at full length. Each of the other two graves contained the bones of more than one skeleton lying in disorder, and carelessly STONE GRAVES IN NACOOCHEE VALLEY. 215 piled in without any regard to regularity. It was obvious that these bones were in a detached condition when they were l)]aced in these enclosures. It seemed impossible from them to construct distinct and COlllI >lete skeletons. When removed from the graves and exposed to the air, most of them crumbled. Further investigation will probably develop the existence of other stone gra'ves of similar construction in this vicinity . So far as ,ve are informed, these are the first ancient stone graves which have been observed within the geographical limits of Georgia. We have already seen that shell and earth mounds. abound along the coast. The valleys of the Savannah, the Chattahoochee , the Etowah, the Oostenaula., the Alatamaha, and of other rivers, are rendered remarkable by the presence of tUilluli august in their proportions. Even the lonely pine~barren region is not wholly wanting in these proofs of the fornler occupancy of the red race. In Cherokee Georg:'], heaps of stones designate the last resting-places of tbe Indians, while a cleft in the rock, a hollow tree, or a sinall mOlInd often formed a hiding-place for the dead. In other portions of the State regular inhumations occurred with but slight external marks to commemorate the places of sepulture. Although it was confidently believed that the stone-grave makers of...