MODESOFBURIAL. 9 



and especially in the most carefully constructed burial mounds, the graves were 

 covered with a foot of earth or more, and in order to discover their location I 

 was obliged to sink an iron rod into the loose soil until it struck the lid of the 

 coffin. These burial mounds will be more fully described hereafter. 



In some localities the sides of the tombs stood up above the surface from four 

 to eight inches, as in the case of the stone graves described by Bartram. When a 

 number of coffins were placed together, tlie side stones of the first frequently con- 

 stituted the side of the second, and so on. Many of the stone graves are quite 

 small, and capable of containing only the body of a nem-horn infant. These small 

 graves were constructed with great care, and the sides, bottom, and top were 

 formed of much thinner and smoother slabs than the graves of the adults. Many 

 of the short, square graves, not more than eighteen inches or two feet in length, 

 contain the bones of adults piled together, the crania being surrounded by or 

 resting upon the arm and leg bones. This class of graves containing the bones of 

 adults packed in a small space were probably constructed at tlie general burying 

 festival, or contained the remains of the dead which had been transported from a 

 distance. This view is sustained by the fact that in some of these graves I have 

 found portions of two or more skeletons, sometimes two crania, and in others only 

 a portion of a single skeleton. 



It has been frequently asserted that the smaller graves contained the bones of 

 small adults or pigmies. It has been further asserted that entire cemeteries loere 

 composed of these small graves. 



The determination of the true character of the remains in these graves appeared 

 to me to be of much interest, and I opened a large number of them in various 

 ancient cemeteries, with the following results : — 



1st. Some of the small graves contained nothing more than the bones of small 

 animals and birds. The anmials appeared to be a species of dog, also rabbits, 

 raccoons, and opossums. The bones of the birds appeared to belong to the wild 

 turkey, eagle, owl, hawk, and wild duck. Occasionally bones of these animals and 

 birds were found in the large graves along with the bones of human adults. 



2d. The small graves were frequently in groups, in the neighborhood of the 

 large graves. The most carefully constructed burial mounds which appeared to 

 contain the remains of royal families, generally revealed not more than two or 

 three small graves, inclosing the remains of children ivho had died during the 

 process of dentition. 



3d. All the crania and bones which I examined in the small graves Avere, beyond 

 controversy, those of children. The bones of the crania were so soft and thin that, 

 after numerous trials, I was able to obtain only a single tolerable specimen. I was 

 enabled, in many cases, however, by exercising much care in removing the earth, 

 to ascertain the exact outline of the crania ; as, however, they contained earth 

 within, the attempt to lift them was followed by the breaking of the different 

 bones into fragments. In all cases the crania were much flattened at the occiput, 

 giving an exceedingly short longitudinal or occipi to-frontal diameter, and a very 

 long transverse or parietal diameter. This fact was determined by removing the 

 earth with sreat care from around the crania, and examining them in situ in the 



2 March. 1876. 



