112 ANCIENT MONUMENTS. 



arrows, a human skeleton, (a mature subject,) and a large quantity, nearly a half 

 bushel, of coarse pottery. It is of the same kind with that so abundant in the 

 Clear creek valley, where it would be easy to fill a cart in a day. None of the 

 vessels were whole ; and I may here remark that I have not been able to recover 

 any of the pottery entire, — all, not excepting the clay pipes, are invariably broken. 

 Among the fragments of pottery was found a piece of hard-burned clay, resembhng 

 in form a sweet potato, split longitudinally. The next excavation was made in the 

 centre or lowest part of the concavity above mentioned. The removal of the 

 vegetable accumulation disclosed a layer of yellow clay, four inches thick ; beneath 

 which, and nearly upon the original level of the earth, was found a hard-burned 

 stratum, perfectly black, and apparently mingled with ashes. It was with diffi- 

 culty broken up. Beneath this hearth was a spongy unstratified mass, in which, 

 to the depth of six inches, were mingled fragments of earthenware. Beyond 

 this, nothing was discovered. There were no traces of bones upon the hearth, 

 and but few fragments of pottery. Large trees are growing upon this mound. 



" Mound number 3 is about four feet high, and is situated upon the creek 

 bottom, not far from the stream. I opened it nearly a year since. About two 

 feet from the surface was found the skeleton of a child, much decayed, and unac- 

 companied by remains of any sort. A little below the surface was found a stone 

 tool, resembling a carver's flesh knife, and a leaden ounce bullet. There is much 

 pottery upon and around this mound; but little, if any, within it. It was not 

 thoroughly excavated ; but so far as examined there were discovered no traces 

 of fire, — it being, in this respect, peculiar. Every other mound which I have 

 investigated has been found to contain ashes and charcoal. " 



Whether either of the works above described had a military origin is sufficiently 

 doubtful ; although the last named has some of the characteristics of a work of 

 defence. There is nothing, however, in its position or structure so difierent from 

 hundreds of other works as to warrant us in assigning to it a later date or a 

 different origin. As a military work, it is vastly inferior to many with which we 

 are acquainted, and its regularity is not sufficiently marked to entitle it to any 

 special consideration on that account. It clearly belongs to that great family of 

 remains, of which so many examples have already been presented. Throughout 

 the entire field of their occurrence, these maintain certain characteristic features, 

 some of which are well exhibited in the particular work here mentioned. 



Had Hernando de Soto erected one tenth of the works which have been ascribed 

 to him, in the States bordering the Gulf, in Tennessee, and even in Kentucky, he 

 must have found ample demands on his time and exertions. It is most likely, 

 however, that the intervals between his tedious and toilsome marches were occu- 

 pied more profitably, if not less laboriously, than in the erection of vast earth 

 structures of tiiis description ; which, when finished, could not possibly have served 

 him any useful purpose. His handful of Aveary followers probably found in a small 

 stockade of logs a better defence, and one more obviously within their capabilities 

 of construction. 



In addition to the above plans, Mr. Morris has kindly communicated accounts 

 of several otluM- interesting works; of none of which, however, he was able to 



