Nexus - 1004 - New Times Magazine-pages

Page Content (OCR)

Powell, who was much in sympathy with the plight of Native up with anomalous evidence dir Americans, having lived among them for a length of time, sweeping suppositions. believed that there was no lost or mysterious race of mound "Cave burials occur in this distric builders. He desired to credit the downtrodden native people with In Grayson, Hart, Edmonson, Ba the worthy and gentle arts associated with the ancient mound counties; Kentucky; Smith, Whit building societies. Subsequently, and in light of other political and Fentress counties, Tennes considerations marking the era, Powell sought to enact these per- Georgia. These localities lie mos sonal convictions through the instrumentality of Thomas. north and south direction through In spite of his personal beliefs, Thomas was not outspokenly "In most of these caves, both ii resistant to accepting the position. Besides, Congress was allocat- the bodies appear to have been la ing solid funding for this proposed ramble through the ancient sometimes in beds of ashes, some landscape. stones. There are, however, sor There was apparently an important decision made at this time bodies have been found incased in concerning the facilitation of an enveloping theory—so necessary imbedded in clay or ashes. In Si to create order where chaos 7 loomed. Before discharging a ais book, one logically creates an outline to guide one's thoughts. This was to become a hierar- chical arrangement that would decide the angle of vision for the categorising of the finds that would be made. On one hand, the belief that others had discovered North America before Columbus (such as Phoenician, Egyptian, Hebraic, Greek, Roman, Celt, Scandinavian or even Asian mariners) was explored. On the other hand, the idea of the continent having been isolated from outside influences was put on the table. It was per- haps because of Powell's def- erence to the native kinship that the latter idea—i.e., screening out any extra-conti- nental visitors—was adopted. Needless to say, this was an extraordinary assumption, and one that has affected decision- making right until the present day. On the positive side, it viably linked the living fac- tions of the Native American people with the more ancient mound-building folk, and shortly thereafter it was responsible for the faintly suc- cessful preservation of what remained of the Mound Mound Group, Dunleith, Illinois. "Near the original surface, 10 or 12 Builders’ legacy. From this it feet from the center, on the lower side, lying at full length on its back, was one of the largest skeletons discovered by the Bureau agents, the length as proved by actual measurement being between 7 and 8 feet." may be understood how aspects of Powell's work, such as analysis of the social order of the Mound Builders, was not a sible catacombs, Powell and his un priority. lowed nearly succeeded in the oblit Powell's decision regarding isolation was in reality a two-edged the legendary, mysterious and anti sword. While it was a meaningful step that fostered a meagre people and, for that matter, any p: though important harmonic between the federal government and mould of his theory. Did Powell ir the native people, it was regrettably based upon a false notion. the archaeology so as to focus on his An example of its contradiction is found right in the 12th Annual Powell and his associates at the E Report itself. Again and again, Thomas and his operatives came people had arrived in the Americas up with anomalous evidence directly questioning Powell's sweeping suppositions. "Cave burials occur in this district in the following counties: In Grayson, Hart, Edmonson, Barren, Warren, and Fayette counties; Kentucky; Smith, White, Warren, Giles, Marion, and Fentress counties, Tennessee; and Bartow county, Georgia. These localities lie mostly in a belt extending in a north and south direction through the center of the district. "In most of these caves, both in Kentucky and Tennessee, the bodies appear to have been laid on the floor of the cave, sometimes in beds of ashes, sometimes on a pavement of flat stones. There are, however, some instances in which the bodies have been found incased in stone slabs, and afterwards imbedded in clay or ashes. In Smith and Warren counties, Tennessee, and in Warren and Fayette counties, Kentucky, the flesh of the bodies was preserved and the hair was yellow and of fine texture. In some cases the bodies were enveloped in several thicknesses of coarse cloth with an outer wrap- ping of deer skin. Some of the bodies were wrapped in a kind of cloth made of bark fiber, into which feathers were woven in such a manner as to form a smooth sur- face. In two cases the bodies, placed in a sit- ting or squatting posture, were incased in baskets. In one of the caves in Smith county the body of a female is said to have been found, having about the waist a silver girdle, with marks resembling letters." 12th Annual Report of the Bureau of Ethnology to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, 1890-189] (1894) (Explorations in the Tennessee district) + nn mee ee Armed with a self-created "Near the original surface, 10 0r12 — doctrine powered by ample side, lying at full length on its back, funding, and with a little help scovered by the Bureau agents, the J at6r from the one-way door ement being between 7 and 8 feet." 1 tn. Smithsonian's inacces- sible catacombs, Powell and his underling in the years that fol- lowed nearly succeeded in the obliteration of the last notions of the legendary, mysterious and antique class of mound-building people and, for that matter, any people that didn't fit into the mould of his theory. Did Powell intentionally overlook some of the archaeology so as to focus on his own special agenda? Powell and his associates at the Bureau were quite certain that people had arrived in the Americas only sometime after the first Mound Group, Dunleith, Illinois. "Near the original surface, 10 or 12 feet from the center, on the lower side, lying at full length on its back, was one of the largest skeletons discovered by the Bureau agents, the length as proved by actual measurement being between 7 and 8 feet." JUNE — JULY 2003 NEXUS = 53 www.nexusmagazine.com