Vol. VII] REAGAN— ARCH^OLOGICAL NOTES 27 



had not been removed by the wind or water. From all 

 appearances the enclosure of stone in rectangular form was 

 laid out on the ground, and a fire kindled in the enclosure, 

 as a layer of charcoal formed a stratum within the rock 

 enclosure. The sand and clay mounds also showed a char- 

 coal stratum in each. 



These mounds were usually large, from three to 16 feet 

 in diameter. They were so numerous that they attracted my 

 attention and I went to excavating them. I was of the 

 opinion at first that they were burial mounds, though I knew 

 that the present Indians of the region did not bury their 

 dead in that manner when first met by the white man. My 

 examination, however, caused me to form the conclusion 

 that they were oven mounds. 



I found clam shells, a few only, in some of the mounds. 

 Furthermore, on further investigation and observation, I 

 even found the Indians of the region baking clams in just 

 such mounds. I also found an Indian and his wife baking 

 kammas (Scilla fraseri) bulbs in a sand mound. I have 

 since even helped eat kammas after it was baked this way. 

 These finds led me to inquire into the method of preparing 

 food by the oven process by the Indians now occupying the 

 region and the regions adjacent. 



I found that in the old times, on big feast occasions, the 

 women would go out and collect great quantities of clams 

 and other shell-fish. These they would take to the feasting 

 place. A pit was usually dug to hold the clams and dug in 

 size in proportion to the clams secured. A large pile of wood 

 was heaped over the pit and ignited and when it had burned 

 down to the charcoal state thick wet rushes, or wet boughs, 

 were placed hurriedly over the heated mass and the clams 

 poured in a heap over this. More wet rushes or boughs 

 were placed over this and a foot or more of earth was placed 

 over the entire heap, thus making a large mound. 



Often, instead of a pit to hold the clams, a layer of stone 

 was placed on the ground and occasionally not even that 

 was used. Kammas was prepared in the same manner as 

 the clams, except that just before the last dirt was put on 

 the mound quite a quantity of water was poured on the 

 kammas to make it steam. The mounds, after being closed 



