652 PROCEEDTNGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM. vor.. 40. 



Tliree shell beads were found near the spring, but nothing of the kind 

 was met with in any of the excavations. 



Shells of the river mussel were used as spoons; a fragment of one 

 was obtained near the spring. 



Pipes are seldom found. A small carving in limestone, representing 

 a human head, which was found in the cultivated field across the road 

 from the salt spring, is probably a part of a tobacco pipe (Cat. No. 

 278688, U.S.N.M.). (See B and C on pi. 53.) Objects of hematite 

 have, from time to time, been found on the surface. Small chipped 

 flints have been very plentiful. 



The large number of specimens found in this section durmg the past 

 few years have gone to enrich private collections, or have been ac- 

 quired by dealers. Unfortunately no museum possesses a represen- 

 tative collection from the area circumjacent to the salt spring. 



STONE GRAVES. 



Stone graves existed in large numbers in the vicinity of the SaUne, 

 and every elevated pomt appears to have been occupied by a group. 

 But at this late day it is quite difficult to discover any remaming in 

 an undisturbed condition. The plow, and the seekers of buried treas- 

 ure, are responsible for the destruction of a great majority of the 

 ancient burials. 



Many graves have, from time to time, come to light along the brow 

 of the elevated land just across the present road from the salt spring. 

 During the present investigation several were discovered on the sum- 

 mit of this ridge at a point just above the approach to the wagon 

 bridge spanning the Saline. These, however, were entirely empty, 

 and although the stones forming the sides, ends, and bottoms re- 

 mained in place, not a vestige of bone was met with. The graves 

 were of the ordinary form and the largest measured upward of 6 feet 

 in length. 



Several hundred yards below the mouth of the Saline, and midway 

 between this stream and the former bed of the Mississippi, the high- 

 land terminates in an abrupt point which rises some 50 feet above 

 the flood plain of the streams. The summit of this point is occupied 

 by a small mound ; of this we shall speak later. A single stone grave 

 was encountered at the foot of the mound, on the west side. This 

 was carefully examined, but not a trace of bone was found. It 

 extended from north to south, and measured 4 feet 6 inches in length. 

 One unusually large slab of limestone, the length of the grave, served 

 as the eastern wall. 



Four graves, undisturbed with the exception of the top stones 

 having been removed by the plow, were discovered on the brow of 

 the ridge about 50 yards south of the small mound previously men- 

 tioned. But for want of time it was not possible to determine the 



