Chapter 4
Copper-Crowned Kings and Pearl-Bedecked Queens

CHARLESTON WEST VIRGINIA--HOME TO GIANTS, ANCIENT KINGS, AND HIGH PRIESTS

In many respects the West Virginia mounds are key to understanding the giants who once ruled America. Not only are the West Virginia mound sites in Charleston, Wheeling, and Moundsville some of the most significant in size and number in United States, but in 1883, the Smithsonian dispatched a team of archaeologists to conduct an extensive dig of the fifty mounds they found there and issue a detailed report.

The team was led by Professors Norris and Thomas, who prepared a detailed report of the work done by scientists who were trained in the excavating of prehistoric monuments, capable of making careful observations, and qualified to write accurate reports. The report shows quite clearly that the team uncovered numerous giants, one of which was 7'6" tall and decorated with heavy copper bracelets. In another mound, they found a circle of ten skeletons surrounding another giant skeleton, as well as underground vaults, various copper and mica ornaments, religious items, pipes and spearheads.

That the ancient giants were considered to be kings and rulers is evidenced by the numerous giant burials where the skeletons have been buried in copper crowns and other regalia such as pearl robes and mica ornaments. In this case, the crowned giants were found buried in a standing position, one of a number of unusual burial positions found in mound builder burial sites.

That the Smithsonian was at the forefront of excavations in West Virginia can be seen clearly from a Charleston Daily Mail feature story, September 23, 1923, which quotes from the Smithsonian's own report.

FIFTY MAJOR MOUNDS IN THE CHARLESTON AREA

CHARLESTON DAILY MAIL, SEPTEMBER 23, 1923
Extending along the terrace about five miles over-looking the Kenawha River west of Charleston, above flood level were found about 50 mounds. They range in height from 5 to 35 feet. The principal one is known as the South Charleston Mound, which is 175 feet in diameter at the base and 35 feet high.

In all it is estimated that there are at least 100,000 mounds in the Eastern portion of the United States. These represent the work of millions of people, many nations and tribes, and they were constructed over a long period of time.

FIRST PERSON ACCOUNT OF THE 1883 OPENING OF THE SOUTH CHARLESTON MOUND
BY CHARLES CONNOR

CHARLESTON DAILY MAIL, APRIL 7, 1952
In looking at the history of the South Charleston Mound, it turns out our best source is A. R. Sines, grandfather of Dr. F. A. Sines, Charleston dentist. Mr. Sines, who died in 1937, had a written account of his part in the mound opening published in the 1920s.

"No doubt among the thousands of people who daily pass the large mound at South Charleston," wrote Sines, "many have often wondered if there is anyone living who can tell what is lying, or once lay, at the bottom of that pile of earth. I am probably the only man now living who stood at the bottom of this mound and assisted with a thorough examination of every foot of its interior from top to bottom in November of 1883."

EMPLOYED BY THE SMITHSONIAN IN 1883
Mr. Sines related that he was employed to help in the excavation by Col. P.W. Morris, an old Indian scout who was then in the employ of the Smithsonian Institution of Washington. Colonel Morris, former superintendant of the Yellowstone National Park, was investigating all mounds of West Virginia, Ohio, and nearby states at that time. In opening the mound, the men under Col. Morris' supervision first leveled off the top, then dug a round hole ten feet in diameter downward. As they progressed towards the bottom, they dug out a series of shelves around the sides to have a place to throw the dirt.

"Four feet from the bottom we made our f