SECTION OF ORMOND MOUND. 167 



Inches. 



1. Soil, rich and black 12 



2. Shells, more or less mixed with soil 25 



3. Shells, very clean 36 



4. Mold 3 



5. Shells 5 



6. Sand, pure and clean 2 



7. Shells 6 



8. Mold 4 



9. Shells 6 



10. Mold 4 



11. Shells 14 



12. Sand, surface of surrounding plain 



Total 116 



In places a layer of charcoal, two and a half inches 

 in thickness, occurs between Nos. 2 and 3 of the above 

 section. The alternating layers of sand or mold be- 

 tween the layers of shells indicate that the people who 

 formed the mound made periodical visits to this local- 

 ity, their absence being sufficiently prolonged to allow 

 the decaying vegetation to form the layers of mold 

 or soil. It is possible, of course, that their rubbish 

 was dumped on one portion of the mound while an- 

 other portion formerly used was allowed to accumu- 

 late a layer of mold above the shells before being 

 again used as a dumping place. Judging from the 

 length of time even here necessary to form a con- 

 tinuous layer of soil or mold an inch in thickness, the 

 mound must have been a long period, possibly several 

 centuries, in the course of formation. 



