REV. J. GASS EXPLORATION IX LOUISA COUNTY. 143 



of a crescent, and west of this group the whole Held of many acres is 

 covered with hundreds of mounds. 



The first of the above mentioned group, opened by ^Ir. Kallenber- 

 ger, is situated at the southern end of the semi-circle, on Mr. K's. 

 land, at the extreme northwest corner of the S. E. ^ of Sec. 24, and 

 is the largest, viz: eight feet high and about a hundred feet in diam- 

 eter. 



An excavation from the center of the surface down to the natural 

 soil at the depth of six feet, showed a mixed earth, with only frag- 

 ments of flint implements. The next layer of earth, one and a half 

 feet thick, was a mixture of sand and clay, and in this he found a 

 flint knife and a perforator. Beneath this layer of s and and clay he dis- 

 covered four skeletons, lying with the heads toward the west, with a 

 number of other human bones and pieces of skulls. Near the second 

 skeleton he found a pipe of dark red pij^e stone, plain, (No. 7060,) 

 and a very small copper axe, (No. 706.3.) x\nother excavation was 

 made in the same mound, in the eastern side, where he found two 

 other skeletons and, near the skulls, two pipes (Nos. 7390 and 7391) 

 and a portion of the bones of a child, and near them a few copper 

 beads. 



The secoml mound of this crescent group is situated forty-five feet 

 northeast of No. 1 and is three and one-half feet high and forty-five 

 feet in diameteT. Four feet deep we found three skeletons, with the 

 heads westward, and a few fragments of flint and pottery. The 

 bones in b(,ith of thes ^ mounds were very much decaved. 



The third mound, thirty-five feet north of No. 2, is thrcM' and a half 

 feet in height and thirty feet in diameter. One and a half feet from 

 the surface, the earth apjieared to be a buint clay, and one and a half 

 feet further down, this clay was as hard as a soft-l>urned brick. Be- 

 low this layer of l)urnt clay, he met with an ash-bed of eleven inches 

 thickness, of oval foini, four l)y five and a half feet. Near the cen- 

 ter of this bed of ashes was a small copper axe, (No. r06'2,) which 

 showed indications of the action of fire. No. bones were found here. 

 This was, perhaps, a creuiatioii and not a sqjulchral mound. 



The last two were also exj)loi-ed by Mr. Kallenberger. 



The fourth mound, explored l)y myself, thirty-six feet northward 

 from tfie last described, was about three feet high and thirty feet in 

 diameter. Four feet down were a few human bones, some broken 

 pottery and Hint implements, and nothing luore was found. 



