136 Cincinnati Society of N'atural History. 



Between this skeleton and the edge of the plateau three ash pits 

 were found and explored. In the first one the layer of leaf-mold was 

 but ten inches, the second la3^er was twelve inches of sand and ashes, 

 and below this fifty inches of ashes; numerous shells, pot sherds, ani- 

 mal bones and some flint implements were found in this pit. The 

 second ash pit had three feet of sand in the second layer, and bat six- 

 teen inches of ashes. The third pit, eight inches of sand and fort}- 

 four inches ashes. A few words explanator}- of the method of making 

 these excavations may, perhaps, be in place, in order to make clear the 

 reason why skeletons were found at diff'erent dates in the same excava- 

 tion, as is the case in this group. The workman employed by the 

 Society, who is a ver}^ careful and reliable person, is instructed in all 

 cases of the discovery of skeletons, to partly uncover them, so as to 

 determine the length and direction, but under no circumstances to re- 

 move them until after they are viewed in place by Dr. Metz, the Su- 

 perintendent, or some other member of the Societ}^ who may be on the 

 ground. In this manner all the remains at one depth are discovered, 

 and upon their removal the excavations are continued beneath that 

 plane, until the bed of undisturbed gravel is reached, below which 

 no skeletons or relics have been found. 



In several instances, three or four skeletons have been exhumed, 

 overl3^ing each other at difl!*erent depths. 



On Monda}^, 24th, the ash pit discovered on Saturda}^ was explored, 

 and in addition to the usual contents, a small piece of copper was 

 found; three feet west of the ash pit, the skeleton of a child about six 

 3'ears of age was uncovered, position horizontal, head southeast, face 

 upward, depth 18 inches. On Wednesday, 26th, the skeleton of 

 another child, of about the same age, was discovered in the same 

 position, with head directed south, depth 17' inches. These remains 

 were deposited directly over an ash pit. 



Thursday, November 27th, an ash pit near the edge of the ravine 

 was opened : Two feet west of the ash pit the skeleton of a child was 

 found, lying horizontal, head south, and face upward, depth fourteen 

 inches. A small broken vessel lay at the top of the head. Two im- 

 mature skeletons, probabl}^ 16 or 18 years of age, were next exhumed, 

 about 17 feet from the edge of the plateau. The bones were inter- 

 mingled in a somewhat regular oblong arrangem^ent, with a cranium at 

 each end of the heap, both skulls facing north. Under one of these 

 skulls was found a peculiar narrow-necked vessel (fig. 30), originally 

 with four handles. Immediately under these remains was an ash pit. 



Including those mentioned, eight ash pits were opened during the 



