SACRIFICIAL MOUNDS 



147 



is certain that whatever occurs beneath them was placed there at the period of 

 the construction of the mound. But if, on the other hand, these strata are broken 

 up, it is equally certain that the mound has been disturbed, and new deposits made, 

 subsequent to i^ erection. It is in this view, that the fact of stratification is seen 

 to be important, as well as interesting ; for it will serve to fix, beyond all dispute, 

 the origin of many singular relics, having a decisive bearing on some of the leading 

 questions connected with American archaeology. The thickness of the exterior 

 layer of gravel, in mounds of this class, varies with the dimensions of the mound, 

 from eight to twenty inches. In a very few instances, the layer, which may have 

 been designed to protect the form of the mound, and which purpose it admirably 

 subserves, is entirely wanting. The number and relative position of the sand 

 strata are variable ; in some of the larger mounds, there are as many as six of 

 them, in no case less than one, most usually two or tlu'ee. 



Fig. 31 . 



Fig. 31 exhibits a section of mound No. 2 in the plan of " Mound City." This 

 mound is ninety feet in diameter at the base by seven and a half feet high, being 

 remarkably broad and flat. A shaft six feet square was sunk from the apex with 

 the following results : 



1st. Occurred the usual layer of gravel and pebbles, one foot thick. 



2d. A layer of earth, three feet thick. 



3d. A thin stratum of sand. 



4th. Another layer of earth two feet thick. 



5th. Another stratum of sand, beneath which, and separated by a lew niches of 

 earth, was — 



6th. The altar, Fig. 32. 



f\ Plan and Section of Altar This altar was a parallclogram of the utmost regu- 



.^,- \ larity, as shown in the plan and section. At its base, 



I i V::;;,;sasi^iiiB^ 1 ^| it measures ten feet in length by eight in width ; at the 



i .-gjjjiiiij^ .- " " ■ '" ,.g|||||- i top, six feet by four. Its height was eighteen inches, 



|iiM»» iliii™!^ . jj^j^jj ^]-|g jjj Qf j|-jg jjasin nine inches. Within the basin 



j was a deposit of fine ashes, unmixed with charcoal, 



\/. _.../?«k_ ^^:a three inches thick, much compacted by the weight of 



pj^ 3 3 the superincumbent earth. Amongst the ashes were 



some fragments of pottery, also a few shell and pearl beads. Enough of the 

 pottery was recovered to restore a beautiful vase, for a drawing and description 

 of which the reader is referred to the paragraphs onPottery. The second or 



