110 BULLETIN 183, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



were noted on the north and south walls. On the north they were 

 directly on the clean subsoil; on the west and south walls 6 to 10 

 inches of rubbish-mixed earth intervened between the impressions 

 and the steep slopes of the pit. These marks are believed to indicate 

 the former position of closely set upright poles 1-2 inches in diameter. 

 No impressions were found on the east side ; they may have been dug 

 out beforehand, though I am dubious about their ever having existed 

 here. This doubt is based on the observation that a sort of chute, 

 somewhat narrower than the pit, led upward from the floor of the 

 latter to the top of the subsoil at the outer east edge of the slab area. 

 The pit appears to have lain at the center of a shallow basin scooped 

 out of the subsoil and of just sufficient diameter to have been com- 

 pletely covered by the slab layer. The rectangular pit was about 30 

 inches deeper than the floor of the basin where the latter dropped 

 away to fonn the central pit. 



No burials were encountered anywhere in this mound, but the pres- 

 ence of human-bone fragments is presumptive evidence that it was in 

 some way connected with funerary rites. One or two tiny grit- 

 tempered sherds were found, but these were in the refilled area and 

 must be regarded with suspicion as possibly intrusive. In any event, 

 they were too small and characterless to give any sort of clue to the 

 ceramic complex to which they once belonged. 



The extensive damage that the mound had undergone makes it 

 well-nigh impossible to reconstruct the former details of its principal 

 features. It seems likely, however, that an enclosure or platform 

 originally occupied the central pit, and that this may have been open 

 at the east end. The relation of this structure to the masses of burnt 

 clay and scorched boulders is entirely problematical, but intensely hot 

 or prolonged fires are certainly indicated. Curiously enough, there 

 were no traces whatever of ashes, and the charred wood fragments 

 were so small and few in number that they could have come from a 

 handful of incompletely burned twigs and small branches. Also 

 perplexing is the virtual absence of skeletal remains other than a 

 handful of bone fragments, though it is possible that these are all 

 that were left after removal by pot-hunters of the larger pieces. My 

 guess, made only as a suggestion, would be that the mound was used 

 either as a cremator}^ whence the surviving bones were carried else- 

 where for final interment, or else that one or two individuals worthy 

 of especial treatment were here given the final rites of cremation 

 and burial. If it is true that the slabs originally covered the entire 

 area, a burial rather than a mere burning place seems the more rea- 

 sonable explanation, and for this reason I favor the second alter- 

 native. 



Pearl B. — About 150 yards northwest of Pearl A, on a lower point 

 directly overlooking the mouth of Pearl Branch and the Missouri bot- 



