554 MISCELLANEOUS PAPERS EELATING TO ANTHROPOLOGY. 



ANTIQUITIES OF KNOX COUNTY, ILLINOIS. 



By M. a. McClp:lland, of Enoxville, 111. 



The drainage of the eastern and southern part of Knox County, Illi- 

 nois, is accomplished by numerous small streams navigable in the 

 spring for canoes. Their general course is toward the southeast to empty 

 into Spoon Eiver, a tributary of the Illinois. In the northwestern part 

 of the county numerous other small streams have their rise, and, run- 

 ning to the west, finally empty into the Mississippi. The portage be- 

 tween the headwaters of these streams is only a few miles in extent. 



The trails anciently followed by the aborigines have now entirely dis- 

 appeared, but along their former course, and upon the bluffs of the 

 streams, are still found implements of war, amusement, and the chase. 

 The discoidal stone, stone hatchet, and arrow-points sent to the Nation- 

 al Museum were all found upon the north bluifs of Court Creek, i)rin- 

 cipally upon sections 13, 14, 15, 16, township 11 north, range 2 east, 

 Knox County, Illinois. The stone axes, and arrow-points came also 

 from these sections, except the largest, which came from Haw Creek, 

 section 3, township 10 north, range 2 east. 



To all the interrogatories contained in circular No. 316 I return a 

 negative answer, except as to mounds and cemeteries. 



Mounds and excavations. — No. 1. One and a half miles westof Knoxville, 

 on section 30, township 11 north, range 2 east, Knox County, Illinois, on 

 the east side of a ravine running into Haw Creek, on a level piece of 

 timber land belonging to Harvey Montgomery, esq., is a single mound 

 51 feet in diameter, iind at the center about 3 feet above the general sur- 

 face. The trees upon this land are of two ages, viz, first, large oaks, elm, 

 &c., 2 feet 8 inches in diameter, and a smaller growth, of black-jack, 

 and white oak, ash, hickory, «&c., 6 to 8 inches in diameter. The mound 

 is surrounded by six or seven of these larger trees, one on the southwest 

 edge of the mound, the others, west, north, northeast, east, and south, 

 east, at variable distances, from 20 to 32 paces. Upon the mound there 

 are numerous trees, of from 3 to 6 inches, growing. There are very large 

 areas of ground in this same timber, in which the larger trees are very 

 sparsely scattered. The mound is circular in form, and 60 feet S. S. W. 

 is a circular pond or excavation, about 40 feet across, from which, 

 doubtless, much of the earth of whictf the mound is composed was taken- 

 Within 60 feet of its western edge the ground begins to decline to form 

 the ravine which carries the water from the adjacent praries to Haw 

 Creek. 



The mound had been dug into before, by whom I do not know, and 

 I think nothing was found — at least that is the report. I cleaned out 

 the former excavation, which was in the center, and about 4 feet across, 

 enlarging it to 6 feet, carrying it at least 2 feet deeper, or 2^ feet below 



