572 ABORIGINAL BURIAL MOUNDS. 



level with the general surface. It was tentatively excavated by one 

 who had seen it before being plowed down and a small excavation, 

 made in search of the charcoal and ashes, whose presence would con- 

 firm the hypothesis of position, discovered human remains. These 

 however had been once exhumed and were reinterred in a confused 

 heap. They were preserved by the writer, but no further search was 

 made then. It was at the largest of the mounds, and the one least dis- 

 turbed, that the systematic, though partial exploration was under- 

 taken. This was in the summer of 1886, and then the mound was 

 hardly, if any, more than 4 feet above the general surface, and 60 feet 

 in diameter. (Fig. '-i.) Hurried excavations brought to light the 

 charcoal and ashes, clean shells, broken bones of animals^ and broken 

 pieces of primitive dark pottery. Another unorderly opening resulted 

 in the discovery of the two smaller human skeletons, but they were 

 not secured entire. The skull of one of these "individuals" probably 

 remains in the mound.* 



Human remains were found in all of these. The largest mound con- 

 tained three skeletons (Fig. 3) that were uncovered, and a complete 

 excavation might be expected to reveal more. 



Feasting accompanied the interment. Fires were built on the un- 

 completed funeral pile, with which meats were cooked. Good sized 

 pottery vessels were brought to the grave, probably for rise in the 

 feasting, and at least .some of them were either accidentally or inten- 

 tionally demolished and the fragments scattered with the ashes 

 and charcoal and broken bones of animals over the half-built mound. 

 The tires were probably burning during the burial. The feasters en- 

 joyed the meat of the deer, beaver, raccoon, squirrel, hare ( ?), turtle, 

 birds, fish, and clam. The marrow was a much relished portion of the 

 meat; every l)one was ])roken so that the marrow was uncovered. The 

 need of something with which to accomplish this breaking may account 

 for the presence of moderate sized limestone bowlders a few feet apart 



* This description well illustrates the detriment and sometimes irreparable dam- 

 age to science arising from ill-informed opening of mounds. A mound once dis- 

 turbed is valueless to science. Its evidence as to tlie life history of its constrnctors 

 is destroyed. Circular 49, issued by the Smithsonian Institution, No. 730, explains 

 this and contains duections for mound and cave explorations. 



