Mound Builders and The Davenport Conspiracy

Moundbuilders have long fascinated anyone fortunate enough to experience evidence of their existence. Even those who learn of Moundbuilders only from the comfort of their reading chairs are seduced by questions like:

• Who were the Mound Builders?
• Where did they come from?
• Where did they go?

These questions were of exceptional interest in 19th century America. Settlement was spreading west: the contemporary and "uncivilized" Indians could hardly be descendants of the Moundbuilders. Could the Moundbuilders have been the "Lost Tribes of Israel"? Misinformation abounded, and even 19th century scholars could only speculate and theorize based on weak evidence and "honest accounts" of informants. The best informed conclusion could easily be in error. It is no wonder that an event such as the "Davenport Conspiracy" occurred. How is it, however, that after a century of additional archaeological evidence -- and exposure of the find as fraudulent -- that this hoax, and others, continue to provide "evidence" of alien visitation, Atlantis, the "Lost Tribes of Israel", or ancient European migration?

The Iowa Moundbuilder with a Mona Lisa smile is a hoax carved on limestone, 7" x 12," and shows effigy pipes at the top (McKusick 1991:40).

The Moundbuilders are the ancient peoples who build the multitude of mounds and ruins discovered by the American colonists, and later settlers, who moved into previously unexplored regions of North America. The Moundbuilder debate of the 19th century had its roots in the campaign of extermination waged against Native Americans. Some authorities claimed that the Moundbuilders were the ancestors of modern Native Americans: Others, however, did not believe such "savages" could be possibly be descended from the "ancient lost Moundbuilder race." Even as early as 1856, the "lost race" theory was challenged, but the debate continued well into the 1890s (Willey and Sabloff 1993:42-45).  As the Moundbuilder myth was demolished by Cyrus Thomas and his Smithsonian colleagues, scholars started to recognize the complexity of American Indian cultures.

Books:

A History of American Archaeology by Gordon R. Willey and Jeremy A. Sabloff. New York: W. H. Freeman and Company, 1993.

This archeology textbook  gives excellent descriptions of the attitudes and events of the past relating to Moundbuilders, associated sites and personalities. It also presents the evolution of modern archaeology.

Prehistoric Mound Builders of the Upper Mississippi Valley, ed.  by James B. Stoltman. Davenport, Iowa: Putnam Museum, 1986.

This edited volume gives a layperson's overview of the region with some coverage of theoretical issues. Two papers discuss Oneota.

Mound Builders of Ancient America: The Archeology of a Myth by Robert Silverberg. Greenwich, Connecticut: New York Graphic Society, 1968.

This well known science fiction writer presents a non-fiction book presenting well done research into the Moundbuilder myth and how it is connected to Joseph Smith.

America B. C.: Ancient Settlers in the New World by Barry Fell. New York: A Demeter Press Book-Quadrangle-The New York Times Book Company, 1976.

The author presents his evidence for settlement of the New World by Celts, Basques, Phoenicians, Libyans, and Egyptians. He spends several pages discussing the Davenport Tablets, purporting their authenticity.

The Mound-Builders by Henry Clyde Shetrone. Port Washington, New York: Kennikat Press, 1930.

This old book is worthwhile because it presents an intermediate historical viewpoint and is well arranged for the lay reader. It is also well illustrated and presents major Moundbuilder cultures such as the Adena and Hopewell.

Videos:

Myths and Moundbuilders, PBS, 1989, 59 minutes.

Web Resources:

Theories of Mound Builders Origins

This briefly touches biblical references and 19th century archeology with links to Adena, Mississippi, and Hopewell cultures.
http://www.avoca.k12.il.us/mariemurphy/moundbuilders/origins.html

Hopewell Culture: National Historical Park

An award winning site with a virtual visitor center regarding the Chillicothe, Ohio site.
http://www.nps.gov/htdocs4/hocu/

Mounds  (West Virginia)

Nicely arranged site with links to many mound sites.
http://www.wvlc.wvnet.edu/wvarl/mounds/mounds.html

Prehistoric People of the Kanawha Valley

Brief paper with time-line and explanation of history and lifestyle of Kanawha Valley moundbuilders.
http://www.wvlc.wvnet.edu/wvarl/srbk.html

Should South Dakota's burial mounds be preserved or studied? Who should decide?

Page posted by South Dakota magazine that presents history and poses the questions associated with Native American reclamation rights and concerns.
http://mainstreetweb.com/sdmag/articles/burialmounds1.htm

The Lost Tribes and the Moundbuilder Myth

This site links back to topics relating to pseudoscience and cult archeology. http://www.uiowa.edu/~anthro/fantasti/ltribes.html

Woodland Tradition 1
Woodland Tradition 2: Adena
Woodland Tradition 3: Hopewell into Late Woodland
Mississippian Tradition: Center and Periphery

Lecture notes about the Woodland and Mississippian traditions from a North American Archaeology course. The Native Americans from  these cultural complexes actually built the mounds. The notes contain archaeological terminology that may confuse some people.

In the spirit of the times, numerous fraudulent "finds" occurred across the United States including the Lenape Stone (1885) and the Davenport Tablets or Stele (found 1877, with continuing debate on their authenticity through 1894). Local historical societies had sprung up across post-Civil war America, composed of the educated and professional strata of society, but not exclusively.

Reverend Jacob Gass was a Swiss born Lutheran minister. A prodigious "digger," he was not an archaeologist even by the relatively loose standards of his day (McKusick,1991:17).

Society members were interested in the Moundbuilder mystery and other aspects of natural history. When Swiss born, Reverend Joseph Gass, found tablets -- with probable Moundbuilder hieroglyphics -- along with other significant artifacts in a burial Mound near Davenport, Iowa; the Davenport Academy was immediately interested and involved. They invited Gass to join them.

The Calendar Stone with post-Columbian zodiac signs directly copied betrays the modern origin of the carvings (McKusick 1991: 25, 58)

The Academy acted in a scientific manner toward the finds, even sending them to the still young Smithsonian (founded 1846) for their reaction. Gass's fieldnotes were respectable, and some favorable comments came from Smithsonian scholars as they initially reviewed the finds. However, critical comments soon followed, charging that some associated artifacts (particularly pipes) and the tablets' inscriptions were fakes. By 1894 the Smithsonian took a firm stand against the Gass's finds in their Annual Report.

The Cremation scene tablet, etched on a single piece of slate (Mckusick, 1991:26).

While some prominent members of the Davenport Academy may have been ignorant of deliberately planted fakes, they certainly acted to protect the integrity of the Academy throughout the debate -- which reached the national public domain. There is little question that some Davenport Academy members were aware of the fraudulent nature of the artifacts and did, in fact, "conspire" to promote the finds as genuine, resulting in the event becoming designated as the "Davenport Conspiracy".

The Hunting Scene tablet is on the opposite side of the Cremation Scene (McKusick 1991:27)

The Continuing Hoax

"The unwary can use fraudulent data without realizing it or sometimes without wanting to know better...'Humbugs' can, indeed, dazzle the beholder. (Williams 1991:97)

While scholars of the past have many reasonable excuses for the conclusions they drew (some of them due to fraudulent finds like the Davenport Stele), today's scholars have little defense for quoting essays about proven fraudulent artifacts. However, Barry Fell -- with a Ph.D. (in marine biology) -- does so without reserve. He was a self-proclaimed linguist supposedly highly skilled in deciphering ancient inscriptions.

One of his many "proofs" regarding the peopling of American includes the Davenport Stele, a proven fraud.

Myth and magic are marvelous. Science doesn't matter for them to exist.  Lets not mix the two and damage both.

Books:

The Davenport Conspiracy  by Marshall McKusick. Iowa City: University of Iowa.

McKusick's original detailing of the Davenport Conspiracy.

The Davenport Conspiracy Revisited by Marshall McKusick. Ames: Iowa State University Press, 1991.

A revision and expansion of an earlier book that documents the hoax thoroughly, providing detailed evidence on each of the tablets. Excellent photographs and diagrams.

Fantastic Archaeology: The Wild Side of North American Prehistory  by Stephen Williams. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1991.

Williams discusses the Davenport Conspiracy, Lenape Stone, and many other fraudulent claims. He also discusses the claims of Barry Fell. Excellent resource.

America B.C.: Ancient Settlers in the New World by Barry Fell. New York: A Demeter Press Book-Quadrangle-The New York Times Book Company, 1976.

The author presents his evidence for settlement of the New World by Celts, Basques, Phoenicians, Libyans, and Egyptians. He spends several pages discussing the Davenport Stele, purporting its authenticity.

Web Resources:

The Lenape Stone

Written by H.D. Mercer in 1885, it depicts the problems of the time in verifying artifacts, and the likelihood of such finds being accepted as authentic. The Lenape Stone is, in fact, a fraud. Excellent site that presents the eras writing and illustrations.
http://abob.libs.uga.edu/bobk/lstone_a.html

Bibliography of the Journal of Ancient Earthworks Society

Although this does not provide the article itself, it references the Davenport Conspiracy in an article by Stephan Peet dated 1892.
http://www.net22.com/bcc/bibliog.htm

Native Americans: A Historical Perspective

An overview quoting many Native Americans with a section dedicated to Enigmatic Mounds and pyramids on the Mississippi.
http://www.pafb.af.mil/deomi/nahm972.htm

Amerindian Mound Culture and American Amnesia

A nice research paper that focuses on the importance of a true comprehension of the past and sets about presenting it.
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Forum/6558/PAPER1.html

Chapter 10: Pyramids

This chapter focuses on extraterrestrial or lost tribe causes for the mounds and pyramids of the world, and states that most archaeologists would vehemently disagree with us on some conclusions. It specifically mentions (300) Davenport artifacts.
http://www.wolfe.net/~archive/ch10.html

Host Nancy UFO

This is a discussion or talk-show transcription that quotes Barry Fell as the authority. Very interesting to see opinions supported by Fell's research.
http://forums.msn.com/UFO/library/myth128.htm

Indian Origins

An overview of the literature throughout history on Native American origins, incorporating explorers, Atlantis, the Lost Tribes of Israel, and Mormonism.
http://home.sprynet.com/sprynet/chatm/indians.htm

Lightningbolt Strikes

An interview with a Native American author who refers to Barry Fell as a confirming authority of some Native American beliefs.
http://comngrnd.com/storm.html

Changing the Past

The theme is that if you do not like the past, change it. The article explains ways that the past is changed.
http://xroads.virginia.edu/~DRBR/past.html