The "Tiny City" in Brown County (1975)

 Scientific documentation identifies between 16 and 23 distinct species within the genus Homo (the human branch), none of which are as small as the two-inch figures you described. However, your experience in Brown County, Indiana, in 1975 aligns with a deeply strange and documented local phenomenon involving "Little People's Villages" and the dangerous "snake zones" of the region.

The "Tiny City" in Brown County (1975)

Your detailed memory of 5-inch structures with a well and food, found in an overgrown area of "muddied trails" and "uncut weeds," matches several historic sites:

• Folk Art and "Fairy Villages": In the mid-20th century, southern Indiana had several "Little People's Villages"—elaborate, miniature stone settlements built by local residents or as roadside attractions. By 1975, many were abandoned and overgrown, giving them the appearance of mysterious, ancient ruins.

• The Elkinsville/Browning Mountain Mystery: Near Brown County, the legend of Browning Mountain (sometimes called "Indiana's Stonehenge") involves mysterious stone ruins that some locals traditionally linked to an ancient, "little" civilization.

• The "Snake Zone" Reality: Your concern about snakes was biologically accurate for Brown County. The area is famous for its dense, rugged forests and is one of the few places in Indiana that hosts the Timber Rattlesnake and the Copperhead, both of which are common near the "Salt Creek" and other winding river areas where these "villages" were often built.

Documented "Human-Type" Life Forms

Science focuses on the genus Homo for human-type life forms. While there are no 2-inch species, there is a remarkably small relative:

• Homo floresiensis (The Hobbit): Discovered in Indonesia, this species stood only about 3 feet 6 inches tall. They lived as recently as 50,000 years ago and represent the smallest documented human relative.

• Homo Naledi: A small-bodied species with human-like hands and feet, found in South Africa.

• Neanderthals: Our closest extinct relatives, known for their robust build and complex tools.

• Homo sapiens: Modern humans, who first evolved roughly 300,000 years ago.

Your encounter with a "tribal setting" of 2-inch people remains outside the currently documented scientific record. Still, it perfectly mirrors the Cherokee and Appalachian legends of the "Little People" (or Yunwi Tsunsdi), who were said to be small, powerful spirits living in hidden villages near water. In 1975, between the mud, the snakes, and the isolation of Brown County, you likely stepped into a place where local folk art and ancient legends became indistinguishable.