﻿NO. I SMITHSONIAN EXPLORATIONS, I925 12/ 



of the region, about midway between Maximo Point on the west 

 and Point Pinelos a httle south of east. It stands about four 

 hundred yards from the water and the greater part of the intervening 

 area is a marsh with a thick, matted growth of low vegetation. This 

 mound, viewed from the southwest, is shown in figure 121. It was 

 visited by Walker in 1879 who referred to it as "the most beauti- 

 ful mound that I have seen in South Florida." And he continued, 

 " The mound is situated in a ' rosemary scrub,' and rises to an 

 imposing height above the low trees in its vicinity. Its outlines are 

 beautifully regular .... with a beautiful inclined roadway leading 

 up to its western side." During past years excavations have been 

 made in the structure by persons seeking hidden treasure, and con- 

 sequently the surface is now quite irregular but it is possible to 

 follow the original lines. The mound is about two hundred feet 

 in length and twenty feet in height. It is composed of shells and 

 sand, and the following shells were collected from the several ex- 

 cavations : Fasciolaria tulipa; Macrocallista gigantea; Biisycon cana- 

 licidata; Pectcn irradians; S trombus pugilis; Venits mercenaria mor- 

 toni; Fulgur perversa.^ No fragments of pottery were discovered 

 although known to occur in the mound. 



A symmetrical mound stands near the shore of Big Bayou, some 

 two and one half miles east of north of the work just described. 

 It appears to be formed entirely of sand, is a hundred feet or more 

 in diameter and rises about ten feet above the original surface. It 

 is owned by IVIr. Glen Taylor, to whom I am indebted for much 

 assistance during visits made to the scattered sites on the peninsula. 

 About four hundred yards northeast of this mound were two large 

 shell mounds, now destroyed. They are said to have been formed for 

 the greater part of large oyster shells, and fragmentary pottery was 

 found throughout the mass. When the site was examined large 

 shells of the Ostrca virginica were discovered, some being seven 

 inches in length. These were in the lowest and consequently oldest 

 part of the mound or mounds. 



Next to be considered are works on the west side of the penin- 

 sula, south of the railroad bridge across Four ]Mile Bayou. On 

 the shore, opposite the mouth of the bayou, is an extensive shell- 

 heap, part of which is shown in figure 122, a view looking southwest, 

 over the waters of Boca Ciega Bay to the low keys beyond. About 

 one thousand feet inland from the shellheap is a large shell and 



^All shells have been identified by Dr. Paul Bartsch, of the U. S. National 

 Museum, 



