ABORIGINAL RUINS IN TENNESSEE. 409 



The outer line of eartli-worlcs appears to have been mucli lighter. At 

 some points it is still visible, while at others, especially on cultivated 

 grounds, it has entirely disappeared. In the diagram the obliterated 

 parts are represented by dotted lines, and the distinct portions by con- 

 tinuous lines. The outer works are fifty-five yards from the inner, and 

 parallel with tbem. They also have regular redoubts eighty yards 

 apart ; but the redoubts are longer than those of the inner works, 

 measuring forty yards along the line, and fifty-five yards at the angles. 

 The two lines are so arranged that the redoubts of one generally alter- 

 nate with those of the other. 



The earth in which these trenches have been dug is a tough red clay, 

 intermixed with gravel, exceedingly hard to excavate. In fact, the en- 

 tire elevation upon which the ruins lie is composed of the same mate- 

 rial, down almost to low-water mark of the river, where a deposit of 

 limestone begins. 



The relative position of the mouuds have been located on the diagram 

 by careful measurement. 



Mound A : Ten feet high, forty yards east and west, and sixty yards 

 north and south. I made a large excavation in the highest part of it, 

 going down in shape somewhat as shown by the dotted line. At the 

 depth of a foot and a half we came upon a human skeleton, lying on its 

 back, with the head to the south. The bones were so decayed that but 

 few could be taken out. At the left side of the head was a vase, con- 

 taining the remains of a shell. The root of a tree had grown against 

 and broken the vase, but I took out all that could be found. At the 

 right of the skeleton, about where the hand should have been, if the 

 arm lay at the side, were found three flint imi^lements — knives, I sup- 

 pose — and a small polished stone that had i)robably^ been used for paint- 

 ing purposes. ^Nothing more was found in this mound. We dug down 

 to the solid earth in two i)laces, as shown" by the dotted lines. The 

 mound was comiJosed of a soft alluvial soil, evidently brought from the 

 river bottom, about two hundred yards distant, and down a steep hill. 



Mound B : A small one, into which we made a large opening in the 

 center, and at one foot down obtained a stone implement, which was the 

 only article found. The composition of this mound was the same as that 

 of A. 



Mound C : Double mound, four feet high. Into this we went down to 

 solid earth in two places, but found nothing, except some bits of char- 

 coal and other evidences of there having been fire at several points. 

 It was niade up of alluvial soil, the same as A. 



Mound D : Has a house upon it, and therefore could not be opened. 



Mound E : Small mound in the garden, with a large tree upon it. I 

 did not open it. 



Mound F : Double mound, seventy yards long, forty yards wide at 

 widest point, and twelve feet high. We dug down to solid ground by 

 two large excavations started at the highest points. Within three feet 



