204 Cincinnati Society of Natural History. 



depth 19 inches. A perfect vessel was found at the right side of the 

 liead. No. 370 was immature, irregularly doubled up, head south, at a 

 depth of 20 inches. 



On January 10th one of the deepest ash pits 3'et discovered was opened 

 and explored; diameter 3 feet 4 inches, depth 8 feet 5 inches, the 

 laj'er of leaf-mold 20 inches, sand 33 inches, ashes 48 inches. A 

 perfect grooved bone implement, one long flint-drill, grooved stone 

 hammer, and a large quantity of animal remains, shells and sherds 

 were taken from this pit. In the fishes at the bottom of the pit, a 

 human atlas and axis were found. 



Skeleton No. 371 was exhumed on Januarj^ 16th, an adult male in 

 horizontal position, head south, length 5 feet 6 inches, depth 4 feet 6 

 inches. 



On Saturda}^, January 17th, skeleton No. 372, a child about ten 

 years of age, was found 2 feet 10 inches west of and at right angles 

 with the preceding skeleton; position horizontal, head east, depth 15 

 inches. 



On Tuesday, Januar}' 20th, an ash pit was opened 3 feet 4 inches in 

 diameter, and 6 feet in depth; the la^-er of leaf mold was 21 inches, 

 then a layer of ashes 36 inches, with sherds, Unio shells, animal re- 

 mains and burnt limestones; third, a laver of charcoal about 3 inches 

 in thickness, and below this, 12 inches of pure, grayish ashes. In this 

 ashes was found an entire human skeleton. 



This skeleton (No. 3'73) was l3^ing in the bottom of the pit on its 

 back, head toward the northwest, with the lower limbs sharply flexed 

 on the thio^hs. Surroundiuo^ the skeleton were a number of flat lime- 

 Stones ten or twelve inches square, set on edge, forming a wall around 

 the base of the pit. All these stones showed distinctly the marks of 

 fire, but must have been burned before placing in their present position, 

 as a very careful examination was made of the walls and bottom of 

 the pit and no traces of the action of fire were visible. (See fig. 32.) 



The discover}^ of human remains in undisturbed position at the bot- 

 tom of this ash pit, furnishes some clue to the purposes of these exca- 

 vations, and favors the view, which has been entertained b}' the writer 

 and others, that the}' were probabh' places for temporary burial, from 

 which the human remains have been removed for interment in some of 

 the numerous sepulchral tumuli, usualh* designated ''Battle Mounds,' 

 or '• Sacrificial Mounds." 



Why may not these 'ash pits and remains be contemporaneous with 

 the Mound Builder? 



That the ash pits are very ancient is evident from the fact that sub- 



