PLATE XXXIV. No. 2.
The work indicated by the letter A is situated upon the opposite side of the Little Miami, from that last described. The plan, which is also from a survey by Gen. LYTLE, sufficiently explains its character. Several mounds occur in the vicinity of this work, and a few miles below, at Newtown, there is a considerable group of large mounds.
About twenty miles above these remains, upon the East fork of the Little Miami, is a singular work, a plan of which, B, is here given. It was also surveyed by Gen. LYTLE, and a plan of it appears both in Du Paix’s work, and in the appendix to Hugh Williamson’s work on the climate of America. Whether both plans are from the same survey is unknown; they however coincide in all important particulars. Without vouching for the entire accuracy of the plan, we may be permitted to say that there can be no doubt of the existence of a work of this general and extraordinary outline, at the point indicated. Its thorough investigation is an object greatly to be desired.
- PLATE XXXIV. Nos. 3 and 4.
ANCIENT WORKS, GREENE COUNTY, OHIO.
- NUMBER 3.—This group is situated on Massie’s creek, about half a mile below the fortified promontory already described, Plate [XII], No. 3. It has no features worthy of special notice. The walls of the semi-circles are about five feet in height.
- NUMBER 4.—The polygon here presented is situated on the right bank of the Little Miami river, seven miles above Xenia, Greene county, Ohio. It lies chiefly in S. 24, T. 4, and R. 8, and closely resembles several of the Kentucky works, plans of which are given on Plate [XIV]. It was probably designed for defence. A p096 number of other works occur in this vicinity. One of considerable size is found at Oldtown, near the former site of the “Old Miami towns,” so famous in the history of our Indian wars.
- Among the earthworks of the Ohio valley, there is a small but very interesting class, which has hitherto most unaccountably escaped observation. They are not enclosures, nor can we with propriety designate them as mounds, according to the technical application of the term in this work. They bear some resemblance to the “animal-shaped mounds” of Wisconsin, to which public attention has recently been several times directed; but from their position, dependencies, and other circumstances, they seem clearly of a different origin and dedicated to a different purpose. For reasons which cannot fail to be obvious to every mind, after an examination of the illustrations which follow, they have been classed as works of sacred origin. Their character, so far as known, will appear from the examples here presented. What may have been their mythological signification, it is perhaps hopeless for us to inquire. They possess some truly remarkable analogies to remains of other portions of the globe, which will furnish the studious inquirer with matter for deeply interesting speculation.