Alexandria Daily Advertiser

Some very extraordinary antiquities have lately been discovered on the banks of the little Miami river, state of Ohio. They consist of structures bearing every evidence of an acquaintance with the arts of civilization and of science, and from their great extent leave little room for enquiry as to the ancient state of this continent which sets aside all former hypotheses.

These works, considered as military fortifications, are not confined to one position, nor to that rude uniformity which distinguishes the works of unrefined nations.

The principal course of fortifications which are situated a few miles from the Ohio, are composed of a number of squares and oblong communications, adapted to the position of the ground, several rising banks and hills are chosen as points of defence; and circular as well as rectangular structures present themselves; which are connected by long chains of works of various lengths from half a mile to a mile.

It is remarkable that the communication is preserved and sally ports open covered by interior breast works, adjoining the neighbouring springs; the sides of the hills form a natural talus or glacis to the general range of the works, and a covert way is cut from each of the sally ports to the springs. In one point where there is a spring somewhat distant from the main fortress, a small fortress appears—the size of the greater may be conceived by that of the less, which forms a parallelogram of 662 by 331 feet. The sides of some of the squares are from 1000 to 2000 feet. And one of the communications extends to the distance of 2864 feet.

One of the most extraordinary of the discoveries of these antiquities, is what we call a turnpike road, formed of stone; which issues from one of the sally posts of the greater fortifications more than 20 feet wide and has been traced to the extent of 3 miles from the works in good order.

Twenty miles above the greater fortification on the same river is another series of works, upon similar principles. There are no ditches to any, but great ingenuity is perceptible in the choice of positions and the application of art to the line of apparent defence.

A Mr. Ludlow found in one of the works an iron ball of 70 pounds weight, which has thrown great difficulty in the way of enquiry. May it not have been adventitiously placed there? Or does it belong to the ancient works?