The Problem of the Ohio Mounds

The text argues that the prehistoric earthworks and burial mounds of Ohio were constructed by Native American tribes rather than a vanished, advanced race, presenting comparative evidence from artifacts, burial forms, pottery, and architectural features. It surveys historical records, tribal traditions, and regional distributions of stone cist graves, linking certain grave types and art styles to specific tribes and tracing relationships that suggest ancestors of the modern Cherokee (identified with the Tallegwi in tradition) participated in mound-building. Case studies include stone-box graves, pottery associated with salt production, and patterns of tribal movement and customary burial practices to support continuity between ancient and historic peoples.