of the more massive works, they have become obliterated,
but here and there are left traces of the former presence of these
now vanished people. The antiquary muses over the remains of their
inclosures, their fortified places, their effigies and mounds. By the
combined efforts of scholars in many departments, we may yet hope that
the darkness now enshrouding this race may be dissipated, but at present
our positive knowledge is very limited indeed. It is as if we were asked
to reconstruct a picture which had faded in the lapse of time so that
only traces here and there are visible. Here, perhaps, a hand is seen;
there a piece of foliage; in one place something we think representing
water, in another a patch of sky, or a mountain peak. Until a key is
found which shall show us how to connect these scattered parts, our
efforts are useless, since many pictures could be formed, but we have
no surety we are right. So we may form mental conceptions of the Mound
Builders, but they are almost as varied as the individual explorers.
Science may yet discover the key which will enable us to form a clear
mental conception of the race which flourished here many years ago,
and left their crumbling memorials to excite the curiosity of a later
people.

We must now turn our attention to another branch of inquiry and
learn what we can of the culture of the Mound Builders. This is to
be determined by an investigation of the remains of their implements,
weapons, and ornaments. When we know the skill with which they
manufactured these articles, and gain an insight into some of their
probable customs, we shall know where to place them in the scale of
civilization. What we have learned of their works has already convinced
us that we are dealing with a people considerably above the scale of
Savagery. The nice proportion between the parts, the exact circles and
coincident angles show considerable advance in mechanical skill. The
character of the works indicates that the people had permanent places of
abode, and were not subject to the vicissitudes of a hunter's state of
life for subsistence. This implies that we are dealing with a people
living in village communities, practising agriculture and many other
arts, and therefore entitled to rank in the middle status of Barbarism
corresponding to the Neolithic inhabitants of Europe.<86> We will
now see how far this conclusion is sustained by an examination of the
remains of the handiwork of the people.