SACRIFICIAL MOUNDS 



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a fish ; and the hawk grasps a small bird in its talons, which it tears with its beak. 

 The panther, the bear, the wolf, the beaver, the otter, the squirrel, the raccoon, 

 the hawk, the heron, crow, swallow, buzzard, paroquet, toucan, and other indigenous 

 and southern birds, — the turtle, the frog, toad, rattlesnake, etc., are recognized at 

 first glance. But the most interesting and valuable in the list, are a number of 

 sculptured human heads, no doubt faithfully representing the predominant physical 

 features of the ancient people by whom they were made. We have this assurance 

 in the minute accuracy of the other sculptures of the same date. For engravings 

 of these as well as of a large series of the other relics here mentioned, the reader 

 is referred to the passages on " Sadptures." Appropriate notices of the remaining 

 articles discovered in this mound, — the copper discs and tubes, pearl, shell, and 

 silver beads, etc., — will be found under the head of " Ornaments." 



Fig. 39 is a section of mound No. 18 in "Mound City." It has three sand 

 strata, and an altar of the usual form and dimensions. This altar contained no 

 relics, but was thinly covered with a carbonaceous deposit, resembling burned 

 leaves. The feature of this mound most worthy of remark was a singular burial 

 by incremation, which had been made in it at some period subsequent to its erection. 

 The indications (so often remarked as to need no further specification here) that 

 the mound had been disturbed were observed at the commencement of the exca- 

 vation. At the depth of four and a half feet, the deposit 

 was reached (Fig. 41). A quantity of water-worn stones, 

 about the size of common paving stones, and evidently taken 

 from the river close by, had been laid down, forming a rude 

 pavement six feet long by four broad. Lying diagonally 

 upon this pavement, as shown in Fig. 40, with its head 

 to the north-west, was a skeleton. It was remarkably well 

 preserved, and retained much of its animal matter, — a fact 

 attributable in some degree to the antiseptic qualities of the 

 carbonaceous material surrounding it.* A fire had been built fic. 4o 



over the body after it was deposited, its traces being plainly visible on the stones, 

 all of which were slightly burned. A quantity of carbonaceous matter, resembling 



* The skull of this skeleton, which is singularly large and massive, is now in the possession of Samuel G. 

 Morton, M.D., of Philadelphia. It is of the same oonformation witli those of the recent Indians which 

 surround it. in his extensive collection. 



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