Miscellaneous Papers Relating to Anthropology/Mounds and Earthworks in Vandenburg County, Indiana
MOUNDS AND EARTHWORKS IN VANDENBURG COUNTY, INDIANA.
By Floyd Stinson, M. D., of Evansille, Ind.
On the 3d day of June, 1876, I visited Mathias Angel's farm, situated 6 miles southeast of Evansville, where I found six mounds, four distinct cemeteries, three lines of earthworks, one large stone cist, and one altar.
The first and most western mound is 15 feet high, 585 feet in circumference, truncated, and 100 feet across the top. The second mound, east-northeast of this, is 8 feet high and 150 feet in circumference. This had been dug into by Charles Artes, who found in it some human bones, burnt earth, charcoal, and ashes. Near this mound I found a stone cist, which was 8 feet long, 4 feet wide, 4 feet deep, walled with slate. In this were found several skeletons. Nearly north of this is a third mound, which is 20 feet high, 402 feet in circumference, truncated, and 60 feet across the top. On the top of this mound, just below the surface, was burnt earth. Forty yards from this I found a remarkable altar. The roof, which was sand rock, was plowed off; the sides and ends were slate, 4 inches thick; the floor the same as the roof rock. Inside it was 3 feet long, 2 feet wide, and 14 inches deep. The contents of this altar were first earth, then one-half peck of burnt and charred bones, charcoal, and ashes. Part of the bones were human, (the patella and head of the femur). Beneath this was burnt earth, and below that, earth. I have in my cabinet part of the contents of this altar.
East-southeast from the second mound is a fourth mound, which is 150 feet in circumference and 4 feet high. To the east of this is one of the most remarkable mounds I ever beheld. It is 100 yards long, 100 yards wide, and square; consequently it is 400 yards around. It is 45 feet high to a plateau, the width of which is 185 feet. Then at the southeast corner, on the top, there is an additional mound, 15 feet high, which would make a mound 60 feet high. Then at the west end there was an elevated platform 4 feet high, 150 yards long, 55 feet wide. I will designate this as the fifth mound. East and west of this great mound are burying-grounds. All of the graves in this section are walled with slate. East of this again is a sixth mound, which is 10 feet high, 30 yards in circumference. Around these six mounds is a line of earthwork, resting at either end on the river bank, and inside of this are two other short ones. The outer line is about 1 mile in length. The middle and inner lines are about 2½ feet high, and about every 40 yards there are mound-like widenings on the outer edges. One-half mile northeast of these mounds is a mound 50 feet high and 164 yards in circumference.