The Golden Isles Giants

The Golden Isle Giants.

Georgia’s Sand-Dunes Meld Startling Proof of a Prehistoric Race of Giants

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The Archaeologists Were Mystified at Finding Skeletons of Men Who Were 7 Feet OUT OF THE PRE-HISTORIC PAST The Arrow, Above, S h o w s the Indian Mound on Sea Island \V here the Three Skulls, In Inset, Were Found. Archaeological Experts* Declare They Are Not of the Ac- Indian Type. Skulls Are Classified, Left to Klght, as Those of an Adult Female, an Aged M a 1 e and an Adult Mule. All of the Skulls Are Unusually Large and of the Long- Headed Type. \*£ -. ft”\{*\ t – < j • HERE’S THE SKULL OF ONE GIANT ABORIGINE Dr. Preston Holder, Above, Who Is Directing Archaeological Study «iul TCvcnvatioii on Sea Island, Points Out the Unusual Characteristics of One or His Amazing Finds. The Skeletons of These Hitherto Unknown American Aborigines Showed They All Hanged in Height From Six and One-Half to Seven Feet.

PERHAPS the discovery of the first dinosaur bones on the North American continent: created no more sensation in scientific circles than the recent revelations of prehistoric man lately developed off the coast of Georgia. Excavating in the sand dimes of the sun-sprayed Golden Isles, archaeologists have gouged out the strange record of an amazing’ prc-h.isl.oric race of giants. With pickaxe antl spade, these searchers into the past have burrowed their way beneath the surface, of the palm-clad dimes of Georgia’s semitropical coastal islands, to delve into the mysteries of a previously unsuspected race of mankind. The question uppermost in their minils today is: What manner of men were those, the members of whose tribe all averaged between six and one-half and seven feet tall? Preston Holder, archaeologist, is directing the excavation work, which has been sponsored by the Smithsonian Institute. Slowly, painstakingly, Holder la endeavoring to piece together toe slender threads that will lead hiau into the post. Pin has expressed the opinion that the Smithsonian enterprise will throw important light upon a thus far unrecorded tribe and, perhaps, establish a now link in the history of mankind in North America.

The Golden Isles extend in a chain from Savannah as far south as Kcr- nandlna. They are today inhabited mostly by wealthy Americans whose luxurious Hummer homes anci camps dot the landscape. The Golden Isles are romantic in the extreme. The known history of these islands in semi-modern times fairly reeks with pirate lore, tales of mystery and violence, and hidden treasure. The warlike Spaniards nnd Franciscan, friars passed these islands on na- tive “marsh tackies”—raft-like boats, that were poled or pushed along— when they lirst set out to conquer the new world by sword and prayer. French royalists, fleeing the revolution, later trod the dunes of the Golden Isles, and in Colonial days sons of our young nation’s foremost figures rolled over the same ground in horse-drawn carriages to their stately plantation homes. But today, only one or all the islands still remains open to the public. It is called Saint Simons and Sea Island. And had it not been for the never-ceasing strides of modern civilization, it might well be that the new proof of America’s prehistoric giants might never have been found. For it was the ground-breaking for Georgia’s new Glynn County airport—which will he constructed on Sea Island — that re- vraled the first evidences of the lind which has since brought archaeologists fairly tumbling over one another. \Vorkrrs on the proposed new airport hadn’t set off more than two or three charges ot dynamite when they were amazed to lint! a number of shuttered skulls antl skeletons scattered about. One of the nation’s leading archaeologists. Dr. K. M. Setzlei, of the United States National Museum, was dispatched to the scene. One look, and Dr. Sctzler was convinced that the earth beneath the sand dunes would bear importantly upon thr- history and habits of southern coast aborigines. So systematic svork began. Some of thft first wkulls to be disinterred by Preston Holder have already been examined at the Smithsonian Institute by Dr. Ales Hrdlicka? foremost authority on North American types. According to Dr. Hrdlicka, the Sea Island skulls follow closely the Timu- cuan characteristics, while the pottery, implements nnd adornments uncovered in and about the village and * *s$> , ~v HEAD AND SHOULDERS ABOVE MODERN MAN “This fellow Couldn’t Kit Into a Motor Car of Today,” May Be the Words [)r. Preston Holder Is Using to Describe to a Visitor the. Brawny Build Once Possessed by the Pre-Historic Brave, Above- burial grounds indicate Hichiti, or Creek, affinities. That they were an early type of North American Indian there is little doubt. And as science continues to spread eager lingers over the moss-laced quietness of Sea Island, gradually the secrets of those early inhabitants ol gigantic stature are being pieced together. In one mound delved into by Holder he found evidence which led him to believe he had stumbled upon the site of a temporary camp, rather than a permanent village such as that which was located at the airport site. The mound was composed of at least three layers of shell, each six inches • to a foot thick, separated by layers of clean sand one to three feet thick. Very little midden, or garbage, was found in the shell, t which established Holden’s belief that the site was not permanently occupied. The mound was fifty feet in diameter, with a six-foot raise. Burials were found to have been made immediately beneath the layers of shell. , It was in this mound that the archaeologist made the important discovery of a complete skeleton of a young man, believed to have still been in his ‘teens at the time of his death. From tip to tip it measured exactly six and one-half feet. Every detail of the burial of this skeleton indicated that he had been an important member of the tribe—probably a chieftain, or at least the son of a chieftain. His bones were arranged with exceeding care. And between his right arm and his side were found three small bone awls, three large deer bone awls and three split and worked bones in the process of being made into implements or weapons. Over his left shoulder were four mussel-shell pendants and a chipped stone spear- • point, while fastened about his left knee was a string of sea-snail shell beads, numbering about 80 beads in all. The method of burial disclosed other bones—those of an older man, probably buried previously, had been recklessly disturbed by the giants during their burial of the young chieftain. These had been scattered back into the grave, over those of the younger man, with an abandon which archaeologists say is not at all characteristic of the Florida Indians. Of the first four interments made in this mound, all were of the full-flexed type, or curled up with knees close to the chins. Two of these were children, burled close together in “spoon fashion.” They were heavily covered with hematite paint, a red pignnent used by these Indians. One of the skeletons still wore an apron woven of 225 olivella shell beads. Other burials yielded by the mound were all of the prone or full-extended type. Skulls were lacking fronv these. Because of the generally disturbsd condition of the contents of the mound, and the lack of order in which the bodies were placed, the excavators surmised that the burials had been made (it various times -probably on fishing expeditions which were under taken from time to time. At the village under the airport site,’ Holden and his workers uncovered ap» proximatcly 4,000 sherds, or pieces of tribal pottery and cooking utensils While a great deal of the pottery was plain warn, and in general quite crude, there were a few pieces which were somewhat decorative. Colors ranged from black, through grey and red, to buff. The decorated ware showed at lenat five types of stamped design. Including the “check” stamp, the “delta” stamp, and a “herring- bone” stamp. In addition there were discovered three distinct types of cord-marked ware, three types of thong-marked ware, and examples of the rr.re incised and punctuate sherds. Aside from pottery, innumerable ex- amples of implements and burial offerings have been found, both in the village and the burial mound. They include conch hoes, a conch abraider, a connh bowl, and an unidentified piece of polished conch. • Pendants carved from turtle shells and the teeth of bears are among the invaluable archaeological finds which have been made. One discovery made by Dr. Holder ‘drew especial interest. It was’ a burial of the “bundle” type, where the bodies had been exposed in trees, or temples, until the flesh had decomposed; the bones were then bundled together in the grave with thosa of the other dead. Persons who in the past have spent hours and days in searching for treasure reputed to have been concealed on islands along the Georgia coast by pirates of long ag”o, are eagerly awaiting the highly possible announcement FlRNAKDtNA Above Is a Map Which Shows the Location of the Golden Isles Off the. Coast of Georgia Where, Science Has Now Learned, Once Roamed a Race of Giant American Aborigines. . The Discovery Was Made by Workmen on the New Sea Island Airport Site. of the uncovering bt a king’s ransom in gold by the eager excavators. For Jean LaFitte, one of the fiercest of pirate captains ever to sail the bounding main, is believed to have burled :i treasure on Sea Island, centuries after the disappearance of this strange tribe of giant American aboriginals. But the treasure most significant to the eager archaeologists is that which* will tell them more about these strange, tall, sturdy natives who lished, swam and hunted in a warm, sun-kisaud paradise off the coast of Georgia long ago. As yet, says Dr. Holder, he has only “scratched the surface” of Sea Island. For most of his efforts have been concentrated at the airport site—modern progress being unable to wait long for scientists to leisurely delve into the past. Today, time is money. And while the archaeologists are busy, other eager workers—those who expect to build the airport—are chaffing at the delay. Tomorrow, concrete runways and the roar of airplane motors will mark the site of the lowly Indian village once occupied by the prehistoric race. Copyright, 1036, King KeaUnrs Syndicate, hie.

THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE, SUNDAY MORNING, AUGUST 2, 1036.

Research done by Rephaim23