﻿120 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. 72 



The bottom and sides of this white pit were then probably covered 

 with soft furs. This is indicated by a thin l)lack layer of animal 

 matter next to the white coating. 



On the floor of this fur-lined pit, bones representing about 50 

 human beings had been laid. These bones had been brought from 

 elsewhere after the decay of flesh. The bones presented the appear- 

 ance of belonging to bodies which had either been left unburied, as 

 on some battle field, or of belonging to scaffold burials. This solid 

 layer of compressed broken and decayed human bones entirely covered 

 the floor of the charnel pit to a depth of from 2 inches to 6 inches. 



Fig. 123. — Bone Hesher. 



Portions of this layer of human bones, before it had been disturbed, 

 are shown in figure 122. 



On top of this solid mass of human bones traces of the thin fur layer 

 were also found. Over this soft, warm fur covering a layer of bark 

 was laid, and over this bark earth had been spread to a depth of from 

 3 to 6 inches. This layer of earth was then smoothed and pressed 

 down, and on this surface a white coating, similar to that on the 

 bottom and sides, had been spread. Thus, these human bones, en- 

 closed in their layer of warm furs, were completely incased by this 

 white layer, very much as the filling of a pie is enclosed by the crust. 

 Only one small, cylindrical copper bead was found with all this 

 mass of bones. 



On the exterior of this communal charnel pit, on all four sides, the 

 separate burials of several adults and two small children were found. 

 With these outer burials were found several objects. Amongst these 

 was the bone flesher shown in figure 123. Whh a compact bundle of 



