404 ANCIENT MOUNDS IN UNION COUNTY, KENTUCKY. 



the center. It proved to have been a kitchen, being composed iirin- 

 cipally of ashes of imio shells, broken pottery, bones of animals, 

 &c. A small ax or skin-dressing chisel was found at the surface. The 

 fragments of pottery appeared to be parts of vessels, differing iu form 

 from those found in the mounds. Tlie vessels were larger, thicker, and 

 generail}' parts of shallow dishes. The fragments of one vessel, resem- 

 bling these, was found in mound 38, and one in the neck of 37. These 

 fragments are among the articles from these mounds sent to the Smith- 

 sonian. 



Mound 38 (Diagram No. G) was thoroughly examined. It was a low 

 mound, about 4 feet high and 45 feet in diameter. Figure 38 (a) (Dia- 

 gram 0) shows the amount of surface uncovered in this mound. 



It appeared to have been completely covered by two layers of the 

 bodies of the vase-burying peoi)le. On the southeast side vrere found 

 three of the vstone burial-places, of a later period tlian the vase burials, 

 some of the vases and bodies with which they were buried having been 

 : emoved to give place for these later structures. A trench from 4 to 

 <j feet wide had been worked over through the center of the mound, 

 from the stone boxes toward the northwest, disturbing the bodies. 



Sometime this later digging cut a previously buried body in twain, 

 leaving the head and feet in place, the more recent burial having been 

 made in a line nearly at right angles with the body partially removed. 

 This disturbance rendered the work very difficult. While tracing one 

 body longitudinally another was encountered lying at right angles, 

 either above, below, or cutting through the body being* traced. 



In the undisturbed part of mound 38 the bodies observed the arrange- 

 ment referred to at the Lindsay mound. 



It was in the disturbed part of mound ^^To. 38 that the two pipes were 

 found. I was careful that the decomposed portions of the stone on one 

 of the pipes should be lueserved, for it may i)ossibly give some hint as 

 to the length of time these articles have been buried. A small conical- 

 sliapcd article was found with the body, and also the black stone with 

 holes through it. 1 have seen this kind of an instrument used bj^ the 

 Pah-Utes, of Southeasterii Nevada, for giving uniform size to their 

 bow-strings. 



A few burial urns with seven cars were found in No. 38. I do not rec- 

 ollect that any of this form vrere found iu nuy other mound. The bones 

 in mound 38 were not so firm as those found in other mounds. Many 

 bodies were disinterred of which bones were sufficiently firm to pack up. 

 Barrel No. G contains the most perfect skulls from mound 38. A con- 

 siderable number of long bones from this mound will be found in barrel 

 No. 7. I omitted to mention an article found iu mound 37, circular iu 

 form, a})parently formed of bone. 



With the exception of the copper bells all the articles iound and for- 

 warded to the Institution are of the rudest form and evidently the pro- 

 duct of a isrimitive people. The fact of the bells having been found in 



