STARR — SUMMARY OF THE ARCHEOLOGY OF IOWA. lOI 



Mills County — Continued. 



Oak Township, S.-E. corner S.-W^^, Sec. 8, Twp. 73 N., R. 

 43 W., Allis Farm, on a spur of the bluffs, fifty feet above the 

 plain, some four hundred feet north of a deep ravine, is a group 

 of five lodge circles. The depressions are fairly marked, vary 

 from 20 feet to 30 feet in diameter, and, although considerably 

 filled, from ii^ feet to 2 feet deep. The ground about is strewn 

 with chips, sherds, and occasional arrow-heads, knives, etc.; frag- 

 ments of an arrow-straightener of sandstone, some paint stones 

 and some mussel-shells were also found. On the site of an- 

 other lodge, south of the ravine, was a catlinite pipe. 



One mile west of G/cmoooJ, partly on the T. D. Tipton farm, 

 is a series of seven lodge circles extending along a crescentic 

 ridge for three-fourths of a mile. With these is a mound. This is 

 located five and a half miles south and t\\ o miles east of the preced- 

 ing locality, near N.-W. corner, N.-W. y;^ S.-E. ]^, Sec. 10, Twp. 

 72 N., R. 43 W. The bluff is 300 feet high and overlooks the 

 surrounding country in every direction. The mound is ellii)tical 

 at base, measures 70 feet from north to south and 40 feet from 

 east to west ; it is composed of local material taken from a spot 

 about 125 feet to the south, where there is a depression 35 feet 

 square and 5 feet deej). At 7 feet from the top was found a layer 

 of ashes half an inch thick; then came a layer of stones from 2 

 inches to 1 1 inches thick and weighing from 20 to 30 pounds; 

 (these were probably brought eight miles from across the river) ; 

 this layer of stones was probably placed upon tlie original surface 

 and the mound then heaped over it to a height of 6 feet; an ear- 

 lier exploration found a second layer of stones at that height and 

 the original mound perhaps was several feet higher than that. 

 No implements, bones, or traces of fire were found in the mound. 

 A few flint chips and a large implement, perhaps for agri- 

 cultural purposes, were found near by. Trenching acro.ss the 



lodge circles showed, in one case, black soil T^y^ feet deep over 

 the floor; in a second case 2 feet of black soil. In both cases 

 potsherds, charcoal, and flint chips were found and in the latter, 

 at the centre, a conical heap of burned earth in which was a large 

 vessel of pottery, which was broken in the excavation. 



One-half mile south of Glcnwood, on the fair-grounds, are 

 four still distinct lodge-circles; they are situated upon a flat, 



[Pboc. D. a. N. S.. Vol. VI.J 13 [May 9, 1895.] 



