72 



Regular Meeting, Monday, March 18, 1878. 



Meeting this evening at 7.30 o'clock. The President 

 in the chair. Records and correspondence read and dona- 

 tions announced. 



The evening was occupied by Vice President F. W. 

 Putnam, who gave an account of his recent 



ARCHAEOLOGICAL EXPLORATIONS IN TENNESSEE. 



After a review of what is known of the remains of the 

 prehistoric nations of the southwestern portions of the 

 United States, Mr. Putnam gave a special account of 

 his own work in the vicinity of Nashville, where he had 

 enjoyed special opportunities for field work for a month 

 after the adjournment of the meeting of the American 

 Association for the Advancement of Science in September 

 last. 



The first excavations were made near the site of Fort 

 ZollicofFer, a few miles out from Nashville. Here were 

 found many of the ancient stone graves which occur by 

 thousands in various parts of the state, the large ceme- 

 teries bearing witness of a numerous people who formerly 

 inhabited that beautiful country. 



These stone graves are sometimes isolated, but gener- 

 ally they occur close together and covering large tracts, 

 oftentimes of several acres in extent. Each grave is 

 made by placing slabs of stone, a few inches thick, on 

 edge, forming the four sides of the grave. The bottom 

 of the grave was then lined with stones, and after the 

 body, and various articles deposited witli it, had been 

 placed in this stone box, or cist, the whole was covered 

 over by large slabs of stone. Sometimes only one piece 

 of stone was used for a cover, but generally three or four. 

 These graves were of all sizes, from those not much over 



