This illustration is based on the linework published by the Smithsonian in 1894 in the "Report on the mound explorations of the Bureau of Ethnology," by Cyrus Thomas. It can be found on Internet Archive.
Here is his description of the context of this artifact.
Grave No. 1 contained the skeleton of an adult, extended, face up, head west. The cover to the coffin, which had not been disturbed, was 2 feet below the surface.
In this grave were one discoidal stone, one shell, and several pieces of copper plates. One of the latter, badly corroded, bears the impressed figure of a bird, similar to that shown further on in PL. XVIII, but wanting the head; the other, bearing dancing figures, is fortunately but slightly corroded; it measures 6 by 6 1/2 inches, and is shown in Fig. 85. The latter plate was lying flat on the bottom rock of the grave at the left of the skull immediately above the shoulder.
Today this kind of careless disturbance of graves is considered little better than looting. Some have advocated for the reburial of human remains and artifacts collected in this manner. More often they are merely removed from public display and have been relegated to dark cabinets in the back of museum collections, to be replaced in the front room with modern recreations.
by Sea-Juice1266
8 Comments
I don’t think the math really works on an intention for large-format graves to perpetually go undisturbed. There are too many humans.
Native “Indians” did not build the mounds.
This is another blatant example of the Smithsonian using the “Native Indians” to push a narrative that Black people were not here.
The United States was part of the Old World Black Empire that existed prior to 1776 “New World Independence”.
The trans Atlantic slave trade were largely white children that powered the Industrial Revolution.
All the infrastructure was already here. Buildings, canals, sewage, water plants, planes trains and automobiles.
It’s really getting old seeing you people push this nonsense
The truth is here my friend.
And yet, not only have the graves been disturbed but the very bodies of Egyptian dead are displayed in open exhibits in many museums.
Why would the display of ancient artifacts be considered “inconsiderate?” We owe much of our understanding of past cultures due to grave finds. Doesn’t make sense what you’re implying.
Where am I missing the point of the issue of it being considered inappropriate? To who? Now, I’m not Cherokee princess but my mom’s side is Hispanic and native American. I’d love to see it. I wish stuff like this was more visible in pop culture. Continued Native American erasure or what and how exactly would it offend the native Americans that are/feel close to their roots?
Edit- Thank you for posting, OP!
Downvoting for the stupid commentary in the title.
Sorry OP, that’s incorrect. There’s a photo of the artifact in this book. Page 105.
https://archive.org/details/lostcitiesofanci0000ocon/page/n104/mode/1up?q=%22copper+plate%22+%22union+county%22+%22dancing+figures%22
I cropped it for easy viewing:
https://picallow.com/native-relief-photograph/
Fun fact: Joseph Smith, founder of the Mormon church, got his start looting Native American graves.