W. C. IIOI.BllOOK. AXTIQriTIES OK WHITESIDE CO., ILL. 71 



least two skulls. Nearer the center of the altar, buried in charcoal, 

 we found the carpal end of the radius of the lig-ht aim. It was about 

 three and one-half inches in leno'th, and was charred and blackened 

 by fire. It was not a difficult task to separate tlie bone and the wood 

 charcoal, but many of the sinaliei- frayiiients of bones could not be 

 identified. T know not wiiether tliey weic lunuan or animal bones. 

 About one-half of the left femur lay ])artially under one of the long- 

 flat stones of tiie lower laver of tiie altar. 



Mound number two of this group was next examined. We found 

 portions of three adult skeletons. Two were lying upon the face, 

 with their heads to the east, and the third was lying upon, the right 

 side, with head to the west. A part of the left side of the lower jaw 

 of a child about five years old was found near the skulls, in the east- 

 ern part of the mound; also the claws of some bird. The bones were 

 found in a layer of black soil about ten inclies in thickness. Above 

 the black soil there was a thin sti-atum of charcoal. The remainder 

 of the mound was composed of clay common to that locality. 



In the "•doimen mound," we found a dry wall enclosing a quadri- 

 lateral space, about ten feet long, four and a half feet wide and four 

 feet high. The top was covered with large flat slabs of limestone. 

 Inside of this structure we found the remains of no less than eight 

 persons, two finely-polished black j)el)bles, one fossil, and a plunuuet. 

 In this mound, as well as several other numnds of this group, there 

 were several small fragments of the above-described limestone.* 



On the north bank of Rock River, below Sterling, every mound 

 excavated contained several pieces of these charred and reddened 

 stones. They appear to have been thi'own in beside the corpse dur- 

 ing burial, for there are no other evidences of fire in these mounds.f 



Taking all of these facts into consideration, 1 am of the opinion, if 

 an unbiassed witness is allowed to state an opinion, that the prehis- 

 toric men of Whiteside county burned human victims on altars once 

 sacred to a religion now forgotten. 



* For an account of this ;in(l other inounils see AiiNrinm Ndtandist, Nov., 

 1877, Vol. XI, page 688. 



f A remarkable altar has since been found a few rods east of these mounds. 

 It was made of large flat stones, in the foi'm of a perfect circle, and about 

 twelve feet in diameter. In the soil below this structure, portions of five 

 adult skeletons were found. The heads were in the center and feet at the 

 circumference, at points equidistant. These bones soon crumbled to dust 

 when exposed to the air. One skull was pierced by a small reddish chert 

 arrow. This altar was found by some workmen, who gave the specimens to 

 Dr. J. T. Everett. I examined part of the structure, and obtained some of 

 the facts froiii him, 



