Human Sacrifice and a Giant Skeleton at Charleston West Virginia Burial Mound

Human Sacrifice and a Giant Skeleton at Charleston, West Virginia Burial Mound
Dunbar Mound in Charleston, West Virginia

Adena burial mound located in Shawnee Park, in Dunbar, West Virginia.


The Kanawha Spectator, Vol. I, 1953
     “The excavations made inthe Dunbar mound revealed it to be a double storied structure. The exploration was made by first sinking a vertical shaft through the center of the mound, down to and slightly below the original surface of the ground. This mound was about 175 feet in diameter and 35 feet high-as high as a modern three-story house. Within the mound were found successive layers of skeletons, some of them sepulchered in a stone vault, and those nearer the bottom in a large wooden vault. Some of the beams of the latter were of walnut, and were 12 inches in diameter.

“About half way down to the bottom the earth was mixed, for a depth of three or four feet, with ashes. One skeleton, still enclosed in a coffin made of bark, was in a better state of preservation than the others.
“Within the large wooden vault, near the bottom layer of earth, lay the principle figure, a huge skeleton measuring seven and a half feet in length and nineteen inches between the shoulder sockets. This figure lay prone, the head pointing toward the east. Around this skeleton were four others. Dr. Hale, who watched some of Colonel Norris’ excavations, states that the irregular positions of these four skeletons indicated that they had been placed in a standing position, at each of the four corners; and that their irregular heaps suggested to some who saw them ‘the possibility that they may have been buried alive, toaccompany their great chief to the happy hunting grounds and land of spirits.’”

Criel Mound positioned between two henges that were 666 feet in circumference. The sacred via is aligned to the winter solstice sunrise and the summer solstice sunset.

Photo from 1909 where the sacred via that led to the Kanawha River can still be seen.

Ax Belonging to a Human Giant Discovered in West Virginia

Ax Belonging to a Human Giant Discovered in West Virginia

West Virginia Historical Magazine, Volume-2-1902

Giant's Axe

Charleston, West Virginia., March 17, 1902

Dear Mr. Ladley,

    Some years ago when Colonel Ben Smith mound was opened by Professor Norris, of the Smithsonian, he found the skeleton of a giant, which measured seven feet eight inches in length.

     This occurred about fifteen years ago.  Now comes the sequel.  A few days ago Joe Fister was ploughing near the mound an unearthed a stone ax.  The ax is of granite, beautifully made and well preserved.  It weighs seven pounds eight ounces.  The largest ever found here.

     Dr. J. N. Mahan brought this ax, and has it in his possession.  Could this have been the giant's ax?

   Can't you get some of your correspondents to give an article on Indian axes, & c.

 Very Truly Yours,

Robert Douglas Roller

Ancient Caucasians Mummies Found in Tennessee Cave

Ancient Caucasians Mummies Found in Tennessee Cave

It happens that few baskets have been recovered from mounds and graves, but they are occasionally reported as having been discovered in 

caverns and shelters where conditions were especially favorable to their preservation. Such specimens may as reasonably be attributed to the mound-building as to the other Indians. The following statement is from John Haywood:

On the south side of Cumberland river, about 22 miles above Cairo, * * * is a cave * * *. In this room, near about the center, were found sitting in baskets made of cane, three human bodies; the flesh entire, but a little shrivelled, and not much so. The bodies were those of a man, a female and a small child. The complexion of all was very fair, and white, without any intermixture of the copper colour. Their eyes were blue; their hair auburn, and fine. The teeth were very white, their stature was delicate, about the size of the whites of the present day. The man was wrapped in 14 dressed deer skins. The 14 deer skins were wrapped in what those present called blankets. They were made of bark, like those found in the cave in White county. The form of the baskets which inclosed them, was pyramidal, being larger at the bottom, and declining to the top. The heads of the skeletons, from the neck, were above the summits of the blankets.[10]