154 



ANCIENT M O X U M E NTS. 



that formed by the sudden covering up of burning twigs or other light materials, 

 covered the pavement and the skeleton. There were no relics with the skeleton; 

 although around its head were disposed a number of large fragments of sienite, 

 identical with that of which many of the instruments of the modern Indians are 

 known to have been made, previous and for some time subsequent to the intro- 

 duction of iron amongst them. After the burial had been performed, and the hole 

 partly filled, another fire had been kindled, burning the earth of a reddish color, 

 and leaving a distinctly marked line, as indicated in the section. The hole had 

 then been completely filled up, so as to leave a scarcely perceptible depression in 

 the mound. 



^tfSiniyr"' 



Fig. 41 is a section of mound No. 7 in " Mound City." This mound is much the 

 largest within the enclosure, measuring seventeen and a half feet in height by ninety 

 feet base. From its top a fidl view of the entire group is commanded. A shaft 

 nine feet square was sunk from the apex. The outer layer of gravel, which in 

 this case was twenty inches thick, was found to be broken up, and at the depth 

 of three feet (at a point indicated by a in the section) were found two copper 

 axes, weighing respectively two, and two and one fourth pounds. At the depth of 

 seven feet occurred the first sand stratum, below which, at intervals of little more 

 than a foot, were three more, — four in all. At the depth of nineteen feet was found 

 a smooth level floor of clay, slightly burned, which was covered with a thin layer 

 of sand an inch in thickness. This sand had a marked ferruginous appearance, 

 and seemed to be cemented together, breaking up into large fragments a foot or 

 two square. At one side of the shaft, and resting on the sand, was noticed a 



layer of silvery mica, as shown in the plan of the 

 excavation, Fig. 42. It was formed of round sheets, 

 ten inches or a foot in diameter, overlapping each 

 other like the scales of a fish. Lateral excavations 

 were made to determine its extent, with the result 

 indicated in the plan. The portion uncovered ex- 

 hibited something over one half of a large and regular 

 crescent, the outer edge of which rested on an ele- 

 vation or ridge of sand six inches in height, as shown 

 in the supplementary section n. The entire length of 



Fio 



