654 



PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



Near the eastern end was a small pottery vessel (Cat. No. 278696, 



U.S.N.M.), which was preserved. 



4. Length, 3 feet 8 inches; width, 1 foot 8 inches. Stones on the 



sides, ends, and bottom. Contained two skulls and numerous other 



bones. Fragments of four small pottery vessels were met with; two 



of these had evidently been 

 colored red. Nothing in this 

 grave was saved. 



Although so few graves 

 were examined, it is remark- 

 able that all should have con- 

 tained disarticulated skele- 

 tons. However, graves have 

 been discovered in the valley 

 of the Saline in which the 

 skeletons remained entire and 

 extended, showing conclu- 

 sively that at the time of 

 burial the bones were articu- 

 lated, and that the flesh had 

 not been removed. 



Looking eastward from the 

 site of the graves just de- 

 scribed, across the former bed 

 of the Mississippi and the 

 lowland between it and the 

 Kaskaskia, the field of vision 

 is bounded by the line of 

 bluffs bordering the left bank 

 of the latter stream. Along 

 this highland are various 

 groups of stone graves simi- 

 lar to those near the Saline. 

 Similar in construction, al- 

 though the great majority 

 contain entire skeletons. It 

 probably all, were constructed 



-Grave I on high point south of village site 

 See also plate 54. 



is quite evident that many, and 

 by the Illinois tribes found occupying the area when it was first 

 reached by the French colonists. Some appear to have been made 

 within the past hundred years; this is certainly true of a group 

 near the village of Prairie du Rocher, of which it has been written: 

 "Mrs. Morude, an old Belgian lady, who lives here, informed Mr. 

 Middleton that when they were grading for the foundation of their 

 house she saw skulls with the hair still hanging to them taken from 



