398 ANNUAL REPORT SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 193 4 



tion. Numerous examples of the small, triangular Cherokee point 

 were found on the surface, but none came from the trenches or refuse 

 deposits. The celts are of two types, a small polished implement 

 and a larger chipped form. Tentatively, it may be said that the 

 material is very suggestive of the Mississippi Basin culture. Some 

 aspects indicate a relationship to M. R. Harrington's middle level 

 on the upper Tennessee, the type preceding the Cherokee. 



Above and below the main mound area, on both sides of the river, 

 within a radius of 2 miles, are numerous village sites and small burial 

 mounds. The village sites give evidence of a comparatively lengthy 

 occupation, which is in contrast to the general indications at the main 

 mound cluster. Moreover, the various villages were for the most 

 part located on low ground which is subject to flooding by the river. 

 Because of this condition it is thought possible that the site on the 

 bluffs may represent both a refuge spot to which the Indians retired 

 during times of high water and the religious center of the region 

 which was placed beyond the reach of floods. A small group of 

 priests and their attendants may have occupied the large center con- 

 tinuously, whereas the larger groups w^ere present only in times of 

 stress or for ceremonial observances. 



CALIFORNIA 

 TULAMNIU MOUNDS, KERN COUNTY 



This site consisted of two large shell mounds along the base of the 

 hills bordering the west side of Buena Vista Lake, near Taft. 

 Mound no. 1 is about 1,000 feet long, 200 feet wide, and about 8 feet 

 high at the center. This mound marks the historic Yokuts village 

 site of Tulamniu first visited by the Spaniards in 1772. In addition 

 to the two mounds, several burial places located on adjoining hilltops 

 disclosed more than 400 burials and a few mortuary objects. 



The large mound was trenched extensively so as to permit a 

 thorough study of its internal structure. It proved to consist of 

 layers of shell, ash, refuse, charcoal, sand, gravel, and loam, indi- 

 cating that it had been used as a habitation site and midden for a 

 long period. A number of circular house floors were found at differ- 

 ent levels with peripheral post holes, cache pits, and fireplaces well 

 shown (pi. 9, fig. 1). The burials were mostly of infants apparently 

 thrown without ceremony into refuse pits. A single prepared burial 

 pit contained the bones of a child accompanied by two well-made 

 steatite vessels (pi. 9, fig. 2). A large area was excavated by layers 

 completely through the center of the mound and carefully screened 

 for small objects, yielding more than 3,000 specimens consisting of 

 stone tools, flaked flint points, bone awls and needles, shell beads 

 and ornaments, and curious balls of clay with tule rush impressions. 



