﻿NO. 15 SMITIISOXIAN EXPLORATIOXS, I92I IO3 



portion of the town and were in their primitive condition, but soon 

 the settlement was to extend northward and the mounds were destined 

 to be leveled. A view of St. Louis from the east, taken from the 

 Illinois bank of the Mississippi during the year 1840, is reproduced in 

 figure 107. Far to the north of the principal structures of the town, 

 on the extreme right of the picture, stands the large detached mound. 

 The main group was below, probably near the middle of the picture. 



The large isolated work was more than i ,400 feet north of the main 

 cluster which formed an inclosure, thus conforming with the arrange- 

 ment of the mounds on the opposite side of the river. This most 

 important work was of oval form, with the maximum diameter of its 

 base, from north to south, 319 feet, and from east to west 158 feet. 

 The dimensions of the summit plateau were 139 feet and 11 feet. 

 Height 34 feet. On the eastern side, facing the river, was a terrace 

 resembling that on the south side of Cahokia, which was 79 feet from 

 east to west and probably extended the entire length of the structure. 



At the time of the destruction of the great mound in the year 1869 

 a most remarkable cavity was discovered within it. This was a burial 

 chamber which could be traced for a distance of 70 feet and part had 

 previously been removed. It had probably been constructed of logs 

 over which the mass of earth had Ijeen deposited and shaped. Within 

 were encountered human remains in the last stages of decay, and 

 associated with these were vast quantities of shell beads and other 

 objects. This was trul\- a remarkal)le structure and one which should 

 have been preserved, l)ut unfortunately it shared the fate of the lesser 

 mounds of the group, all traces of which have now disappeared. 



SOUTH GROUP 



The southern part of the American Bottom — a name long applied 

 to the lowlands occupied by the ancient works mentioned in this 

 sketcli — across the Mississippi from Jefferson Barracks, becomes 

 cjuite narrow, the bluffs approach the river and are, in some places, a 

 scant mile from the low marshy ground which was formerly covered 

 with water the greater part of the year. But the land extending along 

 the foot of the blufifs at this point was evidently at one time occupied 

 by a village of some importance which stood in the midst of a group 

 of mounds. This may be designated the south group and in some 

 respects resembles the north or Mitchell group, already described. 



The site was visited liy the writer during the latter part of October, 

 1921, at which time a plan of the group was made, this now being 

 included on the general map. As is indicated there are now seven 



