Your Daily Giant 6/25/2013

 

 

 

Today's Daily Giant comes from A Standard History of Georgian and Georgians, Volume 1 by Lucian Lamar Knight, 1917, pg 31. This famous account originally was reported in the scientific journal The American Antiquarian in Volume 7:52, 1885. A discussion of tumuli (burial mounds) around the Etowah site in Cartersville Georgia is given. The following is reported, "Since the locality in question was visited by Colonel Jones, light from other sources has been thrown upon these mysterious tumuli. The following item is copied from one of the old scrap-books of Judge Richard H. Clarke. It reads: "Several years ago an Indian mound was opened near Cartersville, Ga., by a committee of scientists from Smithsonian. After removing the dirt for some distance a layer of large flag-stones was found, which had evidently been dressed by hand, showing that the men who quarried the rock understood the business. These stones were removed and in a vault beneath them was found the skeleton of a giant, measuring seven feet and two inches. His hair was coarse and jet black and hung to the waist, the brow being ornamented with copper crown. The skeleton was remarkably well preserved and was taken from the vault intact... In fact, the bodies had been prepared somewhat after the manner of mummies and will doubtless throw new light upon the history of the people who reared these mounds. On the stones which covered with carved inscriptions and if deciphered will probably lift the veil which has enshrouded the history of the race of giants which undoubtedly at one time inhabited the continent." The end of the American Antiquarian account reads as follows, "The relics have been carefully packed and forwarded to the Smithsonian Institute, and they are said to be the most interesting collection ever found in the United States." More giants, more curious inscriptions and more Smithsonian involvement.