62 



on the slopes there was found to be a hiyer of shells, then a layer of sev- 

 eral inches of soil, followed by another layer of shells, this indicating an 

 irregularity of dumping, brought about iierhaps by the village site being 

 vacated at inter\-als. n the thickest iwrtion of the heap the shells were 

 occasionally mixed with much humus, but for the most part they were 

 nearly clean, appearing as if but recently dumped, though rapidly disin- 

 tegrating when exfiosed. They represented the more common species of 

 mussels now occurring in the river, but were mostly of small size. Among 

 those noted were T'nio triaiif/iihiris, JuieuhtH. JUiamentinua, teres, rectus, 

 (irciilus, (lonaciformls, tubcr<:iihilu.s, irraratus, gihhosus, plicatus, undu- 

 Uituft, ciflindrcus, mctancvrus, lachrymosus, pustulosus, ruhiginous, etc. 

 Numerous specimens of fresh water univalve shells of the genera Pleuro- 

 crra and Campcloma were mixed among the bivalves, as were also frag- 

 ments of elks' and deers' horns and bones of various mammals. Almost 

 all the bones, even the smaller ones, had been split for the marrow. 



Mixetl with the shells were also many fragments of sandstone rock 

 about 3x2x3 inches which appeared as if they had been exposed to fire; 

 also small pieces of charcoal and in two or three places thin beds of ashes 

 tightly cemented together. 



One very small fragment of coarse pottery of a reddish hue was fouml 

 and one or two imi>erfect flint arrow-heads. The most interesting arti- 

 ficial objects taken were a number of bone awls and thicker pieces of bone 

 sharpened down to serve as prys in opening the shells. The majority of 

 the awls were broken, but of some all the pieces were found and cemented 

 together. One had an eye or small opening at the end and had doubtless 

 served as a needle. Some fragments of red orpiment or clay from which 

 it is burned were also found. 



T. Ghormley. the owner of the land, has ploughed up two small axes 

 and a number of flints, stone hammers, etc., from the supposed village site 

 just south of the shell heap. Whether these belonged to the people who 

 dumped the shells or to a later race which aftenvard inhabited the same 

 site, there is no means of telling. They would indicate, however, that the 

 former owners lived in the stone age before the advent of the white man 

 with his weaiions and implements of metal. By the best authorities such 

 mounds in other localities are referred to the early part of the Neolithic 

 age when the art of polishing flint instruments was known but before it 

 had reached its greatest development. 



