▁d ime ▁and ▁nick el ▁nov els ▁of ▁the ▁si xt ies , ▁sevent ies ▁and ▁eight ies ." ▁ ▁American ▁Anti qu ities ▁( 1 8 3 3 ) ▁ ▁This ▁ 4 0 0 - page ▁publication ▁centered ▁around ▁Pri est ' s ▁own ▁study ▁of ▁the ▁Bible ▁and ▁anti qu arian ▁journ als , ▁supp lement ed ▁by ▁information ▁from ▁his ▁travel s . ▁ ▁After ▁visit ing ▁earth works ▁in ▁Ohio ▁and ▁New ▁York , ▁Pri est ▁concluded ▁that ▁these ▁m ounds ▁could ▁be ▁trac ed ▁back ▁to ▁a ▁lost ▁race ▁that ▁had ▁inhab ited ▁America ▁even ▁before ▁the ▁Native ▁Americans . ▁ ▁This ▁idea ▁is ▁now ▁referred ▁to ▁as ▁the ▁" m ound ▁builder ▁myth " ▁and ▁still ▁has ▁supp or ters ▁in ▁society ▁today . ▁ ▁The ▁book ▁grew ▁in ▁popular ity ▁because ▁of ▁Pri est ' s ▁views ▁on ▁Native ▁Americans . ▁ ▁" It ▁t apped ▁into ▁the ▁widely ▁accepted ▁view ▁of ▁those ▁times ▁that ▁Native ▁Americans ▁were ▁merely ▁blood th irst y ▁sav ages , ▁bent ▁on ▁the ▁destruction ▁of ▁all ▁but ▁their ▁own ▁race . ▁ ▁It ▁was ▁incon ce iv able ▁to ▁Pri est ▁and ▁like - mind ed ▁men ▁that ▁a ▁race ▁so ▁lazy ▁and ▁in e pt ▁could ▁conce ive ▁and ▁build ▁such ▁huge , ▁elaborate ▁structures ." ▁Pri est ▁spec ulated ▁that ▁the ▁original ▁dwell ers ▁could ▁be ▁the ▁Ten ▁Lost ▁Trib es ▁of ▁Israel . ▁ ▁The ▁reasoning ▁Pri est ▁gives ▁for ▁his ▁conclusion ▁that ▁there ▁was ▁an