had been preceded by pines, and that the country was inhabited even then.

Again, the immense number of objects belonging to the Bronze age which have been found in Denmark from time to time, and the great number of burial places, appear to justify the Danish Archæologists in assigning to this period a very great lapse of time. The same arguments apply with even more strength to the remains of the Stone period, as a country, the inhabitants of which live by hunting and fishing, can never be thickly populated; and, on the whole, the conclusion is forced upon us, that the country must have been inhabited for a very long period, although none of the Danish remains belong to a time as ancient as some of those which have been found in other parts of Europe, and which will be described in subsequent chapters.

CHAPTER VII.

NORTH AMERICAN ARCHEOLOGY.

UR knowledge of North American Archæology is derived

OUR

mainly from four excellent memoirs published under the auspices of the Smithsonian Institution:-1. Ancient Monuments of the Mississippi Valley, comprising the Results of extensive Original Surveys and Explorations; by E. G. Squier, A.M., and E. H. Davis, M.D. 2. Aboriginal Monuments of the State of New York, comprising the Results of Original Surveys and Explorations, with an illustrative Appendix; by E. G. Squier, A.M. 3. The Antiquities of Wisconsin, as surveyed and described by J. A. Lapham. 4. The Archæology of the United States, or Sketches, Historical and Biographical, of the Progress of Information and Opinion respecting Vestiges of Antiquity in the United States; by Samuel F. Haven. There are, indeed, several other memoirs which we ought perhaps to have added to our list, especially one by Mr. Caleb Atwater, who, according to Messrs. Squier and Davis, "deserves the credit of being the pioneer in this department." His researches form the first volume of the Archæologia Americana, which was published in 1819, and contains plans and descriptions of many ancient works. Nor must we omit to mention Schoolcraft's "History, Condition and Prospects of the Indian Tribes of the United States."

The memoir by Messrs. Squier and Davis, occupying more than three hundred pages, is chiefly descriptive of ancient

fortifications, enclosures, temples and mounds, and of the different implements, ornaments, etc., which have been obtained from them. It is embellished with forty-eight plates, and no less than two hundred and seven woodcuts.

In his second work, Mr. Squier confines himself to the antiquities of the State of New York. Within these limits, however, he describes many ancient monuments of various kinds, and he feels "warranted in estimating the number which originally existed in the State at from two hundred to two hundred and fifty." He comes to the conclusion, "little anticipated," he says, "when I started on my trip of exploration, that the earthworks of Western New York were erected by the Iroquois, or their western neighbours, and do not possess an antiquity going very far back of the discovery." (sic.)

The systematic exploration of the ancient remains in Wisconsin, of which the memoir by Mr. Lapham is the result, was undertaken by him on behalf of the American Antiquarian Society, by which the necessary funds were provided. The cost of the publishing, however, which from the great number of engravings (fifty-five plates, besides sixty-one wood engravings) was considerable, was defrayed by the Smithsonian Institution, and the work is included in the seventh volume of "Contributions."

Mr. Haven's work is well described in the title, and forms an interesting introduction to the study of North American Archæology. He gives us comparatively few observations or opinions of his own; but after a careful examination of what others have written, he comes to the conclusion that the ancient earthworks of the United States "differ less in kind than in degree from other remains concerning which history has not been entirely silent. They are more numerous, more concentrated, and in some particulars on a larger scale of labour, than the works which approach them on their several

borders, and with whose various characters they are blended. Their numbers may be the result of frequent changes of residence by a comparatively limited population, in accordance with a superstitious trait of the Indian nature, leading to the abandonment of places where any great calamity has been suffered; but they appear rather to indicate a country thickly inhabited for a period long enough to admit of the progressive enlargement and extension of its movements."

Although more especially devoted to the present condition and habits of the Indian tribes, still, as constituting their history, Schoolcraft gives us much archæological information, and we shall have occasion frequently to quote from his work. The antiquities themselves fall into two great divisions: Implements (including ornaments) and Earthworks. The earthworks have been again divided by the American Archæologists into seven classes:-1. Defensive enclosures; 2. Sacred and miscellaneous enclosures; 3. Sepulchral mounds; 4. Sacrificial mounds; 5. Temple mounds; 6. “Animal” mounds; and 7. Miscellaneous mounds. These classes we shall treat separately, and we can then better consider the "mound-builders" themselves.

IMPLEMENTS.

The simple weapons of bone and stone which are found in America closely resemble those which occur in other countries. The flakes, hatchets, axes, arrow-heads, and bone implements are, for instance, very similar to those which occur in the Swiss Lakes, if only we make allowance for the differences of material. In addition to the simple forms, which may almost be said to be ubiquitous, there are some, however, which are more complicated. In many cases they are perforated, as for instance those figured by Messrs. Squier and Davis (l.c. p. 218). The perforated axes found in Europe

are generally considered to belong to the metallic age; but as far as America is concerned, we have not yet any evidence as to the relative antiquity of the perforated and imperforate types.

At the time of the discovery of America, iron was absolutely unknown to the natives, with the exception, perhaps, of a tribe near the mouth of the La Plata, who had arrows tipped with this metal, which they are supposed to have obtained from masses of native iron. The powerful nations of Central America were, however, in the age of Bronze, while the North Americans were in a condition of which we find in Europe but scanty traces-namely, in an age of Copper. Silver is the only other metal which has been found in the ancient tumuli, and that but in very small quantities. It occurs sparingly in a native form with the copper of Lake Superior, whence, in all probability, it was derived. It does not appear to have been ever smelted. From the large quantity of galena which is found in the mounds, Messrs. Squier and Davis are disposed to think that lead must have been used to a certain extent by the North American tribes: the metal itself, however, has not, I believe, yet been found.

Copper, on the other hand, occurs frequently in the tumuli, both wrought and unwrought. The axes have a striking resemblance to those simple axes of Europe, which contain the minimum quantity of tin; and some of the Mexican paintings give us interesting evidence as to the manner in which they were handled and used. These, however, were of bronze, and had, therefore, been fused; but the Indian axes, which are of pure copper, appear in all cases to have been worked in a cold state, which is the more remarkable, because, as Messrs. Squier and Davis have well observed, "the fires upon the altar were sufficiently intense to melt down the copper implements and ornaments deposited The hint thus afforded does not seem to have upon them.