Fort Ancient Observations and Notes

              [page 1]

[corresponds to page one of "A plan of an ancient fortification" by Thomas Rotch]
						
A plan of an Ancient fortification on the east [word crossed out] [carrot mark] Bank [above carrot mark] of the little Miama

River about 4 miles above the mouth of Todds fork.

Explanation.      The fortification stands on a plain, nearly hori

=zontal about 236 feet above the level of the River between two

branches with very steep and deep banks, the walls are represented

by lines shaded yellow the gates marked with red- the plan extends

eastward along the state road nearly level about half a mile,

the fortification on all sides except on the east and West where

the road runs is surrounded with  precipices nearly the shape of

the wall on the inside varies in its height according to the

shape of the ground on the out side, being generally from 8 =

=to 10 feet- but on the plain it is about 19 1/2 feel high inside

and out on a base of 4 1/2 poles in a few places it appears to

be washed away by gutters made by water Collecting on the

inside at about 20 poles east from the gate through which

the state road runs are two mounds 10 feet 8 inches in height=

=the road running between them nearly equidistant from

each other [crossed out] from these mounds are gutters, running nearly N & S

that appear to be artificial, made to communicate with the

branches on each side- NE from the mounds on the plain

are two roads about one pole wide elevated about 3 feet &

run nearly parallel about 1/4  of a mile and then form

an irregular Semicircle round a small mound  as repre=

=sented in the plan.  Near the south end of the fortification

on the SW side are 3 circular roads about 40 poles in

length cut out of the side of the precipice between the

wall & the river.

NB  the Wall is made of earth & no appearance of regular

stone work- though some loose stones seem to have been collected

in places on the side next the river.  Within the fortification

are a kind of basons dug several feet deep with Circular banks

as if intended for some kind of subterraneous  passage [crossed out] habitations

and without the wall are sever of these places 40, or 50 feet Diam.

& hold Water the most or all the year-  and at 3 or 4 poles from one

of the largest of these is an irregular bank of earth as if taken out

of it above what raised a bank round the bason 2 or 3 feet high~