I04 DAVENPORT ACADEMY OF NATURAL SCIENCES. 



Muscatine County — Contifiued. 



wide at base. Four feet below surface were two layers of flat 

 stones. Between two of these large stones and in a cavity of the 

 lower one was a large jet-black arrow-head. A broken skull was 

 found, with walls one-half inch thick; one leg-bone was notched 

 as if repeatedly struck with a sharp instrument. ^*^ 



Witter '99 describes mounds in Montpclier Toivnship, Sec. 22, 

 Wm. Lowry Farm; group of nine mounds on top of sharp ridge 

 running W. 10° N. One, probably the largest, opened; it was 

 seventy-two rods from the river's low water edge, and ninety feet 

 above it. Mounds numbered from the west. No. i is down the 

 point, which slopes to the west to a creek about 40 rods distant. 

 From the centre of No. i to that of No. 2 is 3. 2 rods. The rise be- 

 tween them is about 6 feet. From 2 to 3 is 1.5 rods. 2 and 3 form 

 a sort of double mound. From 3 to 4 is 4 rods. No. 4 was the 

 mound opened. From 4 to 5 is 4 rods; from 5 to 6 is 4.5 rods; 

 from 6 to 7, 3.6; from 7 to 8, 2.5, and from 8 to 9 is 6.5 rods. 

 From No. 6 the mounds diminish almost to invisibility. No. 4 is 

 about 70 feet diameter and 7 feet high (8 feet to undisturbed bot- 

 tom). Graded down by scraper for about 3 or 4 feet. At 5 feet 

 a quantity of flat, argillaceous limestone, averaging perhaps 10 

 inches in each direction. These were set on edge and in a circle, 

 although one-third or one-half the circle on the north was wanting. 

 This circle was 8 to 10 feet diameter and apparently surrounded 

 the centre of the mound. The stones were nearly all at the same 

 depth and appeared to be collected in little groups a foot or so 

 apart. Sticks of charred wood, two feet or more in lengih and 

 three or four inches in diameter, with some pieces apparently of 

 oak trees a foot or more in diameter, were with the stones on the 

 south side, and some of the stones were burned red with the char- 

 coal lying on them. Near the stones and apparently forming a 

 circle was a red material three or four inches thick and about the 

 same in depth (apparently burned stone). Charcoal was com- 

 mon, flint chips scarce. A little inside the circle of stones and 

 perhaps a foot below were these relics: two large marine shells, 

 Sycotypiis perversi/s, one- half of the last whorl of each. These are 

 each 9.5 inches long with spire wanting. Their diameters are 6 

 and 5.5 inches. Nearly one entire whorl was found close to one 

 shell, apparently part of another shell. (The shells were ])robably 



