The Problem Of Ohio Mounds

by Cyrus Thomas

It has been more than hinted at by at least one person whose statement is entitled to every belief, that among the Cherokees dwelling in the mountains there existed certain artists whose professed occupation was the manufacture of stone pipes, which were by them transported to the coast and there bartered away for articles of use and ornament foreign to and highly esteemed among the members of their own tribe.

52 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1889

About the author

Cyrus Thomas was a U.S. ethnologist and entomologist prominent in the late 19th century and noted for his studies of the natural history of the American West.

Reviews

[John Geddes]

"The statement so often made that the mound pottery, especially that of Ohio, far excels that of the Indians is not justified by the facts. Much more evidence of like tenor might be presented here, as, for example, the numerous instances in which articles of European manufacture have been found in mounds where their presence could not be attributed to intrusive burials, but the limits of the paper will not admit of this. I turn, therefore, to the problem before us, viz, “Who were the authors of the typical works of Ohio!”
- p.24, as cited by https://archive.ph/LD4Jq

[Michael Wood]

A Senior Overview of the Mounds

Cyrus Thomas, in this book, reviews some of the discoveries in early archeological excavations of the famous Ohio Mounds. He then analyzes the discoveries, correlated with Native American legends and looks at a theory describing population movements prior to European involvement. Although this book was written over a hundred years ago, the writing style is very easy to read. Unfortunately, when converted to digital form, all the drawings and diagrams were omitted. (Although I hate the loss of so many illustrations, this is standard practice for many of the group's converting older books to digital text.) Particularly for archeological or artistic books, this is a REAL problem. This book has extensive internal notes, but any list of references or banknotes are also missing, if they existed. The study of the mounds has expanded widely since the publication of this book, and there have been new discoveries, but the mainstream theories still follow the dictates if John Wesley Powell, as does this book. If you are studying Native American culture or artifacts, this book deserves a place in your virtual book shelf. Recommended