40 Indian Mounds and Shdls in Michigan. 



Mound 3), Some of the bones first taken out overlay this, and 

 decayed roots of the oak, as thick as a man's arm, stretched above it. 

 The other bones belonging to the body appear dwarfish. It was 

 buried with the head to the east, and the legs seem to have been 

 drawn up, and not stretched out at full length. On removing these 

 remains, we found, immediately underneath, a third body, placed so 

 closely that the skull of the upper rested on that of the lower. At 

 the head was a large quantity of the bones of birds and fishes, in a 

 compact mass, as though once held in some wrapping or vessel which 

 had decayed. These were pressed against the skulls, so that in some 

 cases they adhered to them, and are, no doubt, the remains of the 

 food placed with the dead. Such of the bones as could be removed 

 are preserved, but a great portion crumbled to pieces. This body w^is 

 buried with the head to the eastward. The roots of the oak tree had 

 penetrated the bones in many cases, the long roots presenting some 

 interesting examples of this, as the roots in their natural growth had 

 first filled, then burst, the bones, so that in several instances the parts 

 of the bone surrounded the now decayed root imbedded in it. Such 

 pieces as held together are forwarded. This tree, which evidently 

 belonged to the second growth of timber, was, I think, a scarlet oak 

 (Quercus coccinea Wang.), as the majority of the wood covering the 

 southern half of the mound, is of this species, together with white pine. 

 . The decayed stump was two feet in diameter at the base, and at one 

 foot above the ground divided into three trunks or main branches, 

 each nine inches in diameter. These had been cut down, apparently, 

 many years ago ; and as between the first and two subsequent burials 

 must have occurred, in all probability, some lapse of time, and the oak 

 must have S2:)rung up, reached its growth, been cut down, and its 

 stump finally have decayed long afterw-ard, some slight idea may be 

 had as to the age of the first burial. 



The trench was now opened to the oak stump, when, from directly 

 beneath it, skull No. 3 was taken out with the accompanying bones. 

 Upon this skull lay a plate of mica, five by four inches, of a quadri- 

 lateral shape, the corners worn off. A pebble of water-worn coral 

 rested upon the mica, as if to keep it in place. About the neck of the 

 deceased a necklace of remarkable construction had apparently been 

 hung. This uncommon ornament was composed of the teeth of the 

 moose, finely perforated at the roots, alternating with wrought beads 

 of copper of diflferent lengths, and the perforated bones of birds, stained 

 a fine green color, the stain, in a few pieces preserved, being wonder- 

 fully fresh. Small portions of the cord to Avhich they had been 

 attached are still partially preserved and remain in the apertures of 



