Ancient Canal Discovered in Illinois. Evidence of Amorite Copper Trade.

 The Babylonian Amorites were a culture of peace and progress. The building of temples, the adorning of cities, the digging of canals, the making of roads, have also been noted in areas of the Midwest where giant human skeletons have been found.  More on Missouri canals photographed  Mysteries of Ancient America Books: Ancient Canal Discovered in Illinois. Evidence of Amorite CopperTrade.

History of Mifflin County Illinois 1885

    On the banks of Green River, in Henry County in Illinois, are traces of an ancient city, which was once the abode of a commercial people, and points to a time when the Rock River was a navigable stream of some commercial importance. A canal connected these two rivers some three miles above the junction. This canal is about a mile and a half long and is perfectly straight for about one-fourth of a mile from the Green River end; it is then relieved by a perfectly easy curve, reaching the Rock River at a bend, and showing that the engineering was done in a masterly manner. The soil is of a very fine texture, mixed with a ferruginous mineral deposit; hence its firmness, and the reason of it withstanding the washings of rains, for this great lapse of time. About twelve miles back and above this canal is another partly natural and partly artificial connecting Rock and Mississippi Rivers. This is so well preserved that about twelve years ago the "Serling" a small Rock River steamer, passed through it into the Mississippi River. These works are as old as the mountains of Egypt and were in all probability built by a contemporaneous people.

Giant Amorite's Burial Dolman Found Within Illinois Indian Burial Mound

Giant Amorite's Burial Dolman  Found Within Illinois Indian Burial Mound

The Indian mounds of Sterling County, Illinois, are described by W. C. Holbrook as follows:

      I recently made an examination of a few of the many Illinois Indian mounds found on Rock River, about two miles above Sterling, Ill. The first one opened was an oval mound about 20 feet long, 12 feet wide, and 7 feet high. In the interior of this, I found a dolmen or quadrilateral wall about 10 feet long, 4 feet high, and 4½ feet wide. It had been built of lime-rock from a quarry nearby, and was covered with large flat stones. No mortar or cement had been used. The whole structure rested on the surface of the natural soil, the interior of which had been scooped out to enlarge the chamber. Inside of the dolmen I found the partly decayed remains of eight human skeletons, two very large teeth of an unknown animal, two fossils, one of which is not found in this place, and a plummet. One of the long bones had been splintered; the fragments had united, but there remained large morbid growths of bone (exostosis) in several places. One of the skulls presented a circular opening about the size of a silver dime. This perforation had been made during life, for the edges had commenced cicatrizing. 
I later examined three circular mounds, but in them, I found no dolmens. The first mound contained three adult human skeletons, a few fragments of the skeleton of a child, the lower maxillary of which indicated it to be about six years old. I also found the claws of some carnivorous animal. The surface of the soil had been scooped out and the bodies laid in the excavation and covered with about a foot of earth; fires had then been made upon the grave and the mound afterward completed. The bones had not been charred. No charcoal was found among the bones but occurred in abundance in a stratum about one foot above them. Two other mounds, examined at the same time, contain no remains.

Of two other Indian mounds, opened later, the first was circular, about 4 feet high, and 15 feet in diameter at the base, and was situated on an elevated point of land close to the bank of the river. From the top of this mound one might view the country for many miles in almost any direction. On its summit was an oval altar 6 feet long and 4½ wide. It was composed of flat pieces of limestone, which had been burned red, some portions having been almost converted into lime. On and about this altar I found an abundance of charcoal. At the sides of the altar were fragments of human bones, some of which had been charred. It was covered by a natural growth of vegetable mold and sod, the thickness of which was about 10 inches. Large trees had once grown in this vegetable mold, but their stumps were so decayed I could not tell with certainty; to what species they belonged. Another large mound was opened which contained nothing

Roman Coin Discovered Within an Illinois Burial Mound

Roman Coin Discovered Within an Illinois Burial Mound

The Washington Herald, March 14, 1913
FIND ROMAN COIN IN INDIAN MOUND IN HANCOCK COUNTY, ILLINOIS  
    
    Chicago, March 13 - An old coin discovered in an Illinois Indian mound in Hancock County, and examined by Dr. Alfred Emerson of the Chicago Art Institute, a famous numismatist, was declared to be either an old Greek or Roman coin.  Dr. Emerson said he had never seen one like it, but that he was certain it was coined in Rome or Greece during the period between 250 B.C. and 250 A.D.

    The discovery of the coin has awakened scientific interest here in the Indian mounds.  It is believed that they may furnish proof that white men were on the American continent 2,000 years agoi, scientists today asserted.

Giant Sioux Hopewell Indian Skeletons Removed from an Illinois Burial Mound

Fifth Annual Report of The Bureau of Ethnology of the Smithsonian Institution.

       "Near the original surface of the ground, several feet north of the center, where the many decayed skeletons of some six or eight individuals from the infant to the adult. Near the original surface, some 10 to 12 feet from the center, on the lower side, was discovered lying at full length on its back, an unusually large skeleton, the length being something over 7 feet. It was distinctly traceable though it crumbled to pieces immediately after removal from the hard earth in which it was encased. With it were three thin, crescent shaped pieces of roughly hammered native copper, respectively 6, 8 and 10 inches in length, with small holes along the convex margin; also a number of elongate copper beads, made by rolling together thin sheets and a chert lance head 11 inches long; the latter was placed near the left thigh. Around the neck were the remains of a necklace of bear teeth. Lying across the thighs were dozens of small copper beads, evidently formed by rolling slender strips into small rings."

Giant Amorite's Burial Dolman Discovered Within an Illinois Burial Mound

Giant Amorite's Burial Dolman  Found Within Illinois Indian Burial Mound

The Indian mounds of Sterling County, Illinois, are described by W. C. Holbrook as follows:

I recently made an examination of a few of the many Illinois Indian mounds found on Rock River, about two miles above Sterling, Ill. The first one opened was an oval mound about 20 feet long, 12 feet wide, and 7 feet high. In the interior of this, I found a dolmen or quadrilateral wall about 10 feet long, 4 feet high, and 4½ feet wide. It had been built of lime-rock from a quarry near by, and was covered with large flat stones. No mortar or cement had been used. The whole structure rested on the surface of the natural soil, the interior of which had been scooped out to enlarge the chamber. Inside of the dolmen I found the partly decayed remains of eight human skeletons, two very large teeth of an unknown animal, two fossils, one of which is not found in this place, and a plummet. One of the long bones had been splintered; the fragments had united, but there remained large morbid growths of bone (exostosis) in several places. One of the skulls presented a circular opening about the size of a silver dime. This perforation had been made during life, for the edges had commenced cicatrizing. 
I later examined three circular mounds, but in them, I found no dolmens. The first mound contained three adult human skeletons, a few fragments of the skeleton of a child, the lower maxillary of which indicated it to be about six years old. I also found claws of some carnivorous animal. The surface of the soil had been scooped out and the bodies laid in the excavation and covered with about a foot of earth; fires had then been made upon the grave and the mound afterwards completed. The bones had not been charred. No charcoal was found among the bones, but occurred in abundance in a stratum about one foot above them. Two other mounds, examined at the same time, contain no remains.

Of two other Indian mounds, opened later, the first was circular, about 4 feet high, and 15 feet in diameter at the base, and was situated on an elevated point of land close to the bank of the river. From the top of this mound one might view the country for many miles in almost any direction. On its summit was an oval altar 6 feet long and 4½ wide. It was composed of flat pieces of limestone, which had been burned red, some portions having been almost converted into lime. On and about this altar I found abundance of charcoal. At the sides of the altar were fragments of human bones, some of which had been charred. It was covered by a natural growth of vegetable mold and sod, the thickness of which was about 10 inches. Large trees had once grown in this vegetable mold, but their stumps were so decayed I could not tell with certainty; to what species they belonged. Another large mound was opened which contained nothing