134 . KANSAS ACADEMY OF SCIENCE. 



the Kansas river and Wild Cat creek. A rain soon put a stop to our opera- 

 tions. But Mr. GrifBng has, at intervals, continued the work, finding many 

 things of interest. At various times these articles have been unearthed at 

 this place. They consist of arrow-heads, rimmers, fleshers, beads of shells 

 and birds' bones, pieces of bone implements, and, perhaps of greater interest, 

 a piece of copper. This appears to have been hammered into shape. 



About fifty yards south is a still smaller one. Diligent search has revealed 

 only portions of skeletons. About one dozen of these have been found. 

 Whether this is the site of more recent burials, or whether it is the grave of 

 inferiors, women or slaughtered enemies, I can only conjecture. But, in 

 studying these remains to determine to what manner of people they belonged, 

 we should not lose sight of the seeming relation between these two burial 

 mounds. 



On the same bluff, and three-fourths of mile south, is another mound. In 

 this were found articles similar to those in others, but a very large number 

 of beads of birds' bones. This latter and the following were worked up by 

 Mr. Griffing. On a very prominent point about three miles east of Man- 

 hattan, Mr. Griffing opened a mound, securing thirty-four arrow-heads, 

 nearly one hundred an^l fifty shell beads, and over three hundred bone beads. 

 Here are some of the relics from this mound. 



The lamented Prof. Mudge and Dr. Blachly, on Nov. 17th, 1879, opened 

 the mound on the summit of Bluemont. This mound, which was formerly 

 supposed to be natural, is the largest of which I have learned. Numerous 

 specimens were obtained by these gentlemen. These heads and flint imple- 

 ments were found. But to these must be added others. 



Mr. Griffing, who has done more work in this line in our vicinity than any 

 other one person, dug over the dirt thrown from the mound, and was rewarded 

 by obtaining spear and arrow-heads, a bone fish-hook, etc. 



I have here some arrow and spear-heads that were found scattered over 

 the prairie. 



A locality which promises rich returns is the Wild Cat bottom, near the 

 college. An abundance of pottery in small pieces has been found. A few 

 days since, I spent an hour there, finding, at one place in the creek bank, 

 and three feet below the present surface, bits of charcoal and pottery. Sink- 

 ing a hole eighteen inches each way in an elevation in the bottom, three bits 

 of pottery and several pieces of burned clay were taken out. I am confident 

 pottery was made and burned here. The work at this point shall be fol- 

 lowed up at the earliest opportunity. 



It is not to be understood that all the small mounds in which portions of 

 skeletons are found have contained implements, tools and ornaments. More 

 than half have yielded only portions of skeletons. The locations of these 

 mounds are similar, so far as I have been able to determine. All are on the 

 highest hills. They are at present from six inches to two feet high, and in 

 rare cases four to six feet; are composed of black earth and stones, with sand 



