Books Should Be Free Loyal Books Free Public Domain Audiobooks & eBook Downloads |
|
A New Hochelagan Burying-ground Discovered at Westmount on the Western Spur of Mount Royal, Montreal, July-September, 1898 By: W. D. (William Douw) Lighthall (1857-1954) |
---|
![]()
Notes by W. D. LIGHTHALL, M.A., F.R.S.L. Privately printed for the writer by
Alphonse Pelletier
Printer to the Numismatic and Antiquarian Society of Montreal 1898
The above title is provisional as respects the term "Hochelagan." All
those who are interested in the Indians of old Hochelaga, or in the
Mohawks with whom they seem to have had a close and not yet fully
ascertained race relationship, will be pleased to learn of the
discovery of a prehistoric burying ground which is probably one of
their race, the only one heretofore known having been on the borders
of their town itself, about upper Metcalfe street, Montreal. The new
one is on the upper level (not the top) of Westmount, which is the
south western prolongation of Mount Royal, and the four or five graves
thus far found are scattered at considerable intervals over an an
area of about 600 by 300 yards, nearly bounded by Argyle, Montrose
and Aberdeen Avenues and the Boulevard, three of the graves being a
little outside of these limits. A number of years ago a skeleton was
discovered, near the surface, on the cutting of Argyle Avenue on about
a westerly line from the residence of Mr. Earle. As the remains were
rumored to be possibly Indian, Mr. Earle secured the skull, which
had been used as a football by boys, some of the teeth, which had
originally been complete in number, being thus lost. This head is
identical in form with those last found. Roots of grass interlaced
in it show the lightness of the covering. On another occasion many
years ago, a skeleton was found, also lightly buried, and with the
knees drawn up, just east of the residence of Mr. John Macfarlane
on Montrose Avenue, during the digging of a flower bed. It was over
six feet long. After being exposed for a few days it was re interred
in the same spot by order of Mr. Macfarlane, and could doubtless
be obtained for examination if desirable. At a later period, the
gardener, Mr. Latter, who had found the Macfarlane skeleton, dug up
and re interred another just within the bounds of his own property
adjoining the head of Aberdeen Avenue opposite the St. George's
Snowshoe Club house. On the 22nd of July last (1898) a gardener
excavating in the St. George's Club house grounds found three
skeletons interred at a depth of from two to two and a half feet and
with knees drawn up. A report of the find was made to the Chief
of Police of Westmount and to Mr. J. Stevenson Brown, and Mr. A.S.
Wheeler, respectively President and Vice President of the St. George's
Club, the former being also an ex Vice President of the Natural
History Society. They examined the spot and remains, Mr. Brown
concluding them to be probably Indian from the prominent cheek bones
and large mouths. Having just been paying some attention to the
archaeology of the Iroquois, which had been taken me on a flying trip
to their former country in the State of New York, I, on seeing in a
newspaper at the seaside, a short item concerning the skeletons, was
immediately interested, and especially in the possibility of their
being Hochelagans, and having particularly commenced some inquiries
into the relations between the latter Indians and the Mohawks, I
wrote, as Chairman of Health of Westmount, asking Chief Harrison to
note the manner and attitude of burial and any objects found, and to
enquire concerning previous excavations in the neighborhood and save
the remains for scientific purposes. (They had been sent by him to the
City Morgue.) The above information concerning the previous skeletons
was then collected and I found that the witnesses concurred in
agreeing that the attitude seems to have been in all cases with
knees bent up. No objects seem to have been noticed in any of the
excavations then made, though some may have been overlooked by the
workmen, particularly as the soil of the locality is full of pieces of
limestone and small boulders, closely resembling arrow heads, hammers
and celts... Continue reading book >>
|
eBook Downloads | |
---|---|
ePUB eBook • iBooks for iPhone and iPad • Nook • Sony Reader |
Kindle eBook • Mobi file format for Kindle |
Read eBook • Load eBook in browser |
Text File eBook • Computers • Windows • Mac |
Review this book |
---|