10 MOUND EXPLORING OF THE 



At tlie bottom of an uiulisturbecl Pennsylvania mound, accompanying 

 tlie orij;inal interment, of which but slight evidences remained, was a 

 joint of large cane, wrapi)ed in pieces of thin and evenly wrought silver 

 foil, smoothly cut in fancy figures. In addition to these, the assistants 

 have obtained from mounds such things as brass kettles with iron bails, 

 brass wire, wooden ladles, glass beads, &(;. Some of these things clearly 

 pertained to intrusive burials, but a large portion of them were evidently 

 placed in the mounds at the time they were constructed and witli the 

 original interment, as shown by their position when discovered. 



Of the collections, perhaps the most imi)ortant portion in an aniluiio- 

 logical view is the pottery, of which some fourteen or fifteen hundred 

 vessels have been obtained, including most of the known varieties and 

 several that are new as to form and ornamentation. Among these are 

 two or three full faced pots, of which but a single specimen had been 

 previously discovered. This collection, which is being carefully studied 

 by Mr. W. 11. Holmes, it is believed will be found to contain most, if 

 not all, of the hitherto known types of textile impressions, as well as 

 some new ones. 



An unusually large ninnber of polished and picked celts have been 

 secured, including every known pattern and variety yet found in the 

 area investigated. A si)ecial value attaches to this collection of celts 

 from the fact th.atithas been mostly obtained from mounds and affords 

 a means of comparing true mound s[)ecimens with surface finds. 



The number of stone pi[)es obtained is proportionally large, including 

 a good portion of the known forms and several that are new. l>nt 

 the most imi)ortant fact connected with this part of the (;ollection is 

 that it so sup[)lements the collections in this line made by others that 

 with them it enables the arcluTcologist to trace the evolution of the 

 com[)arati vely modern and historic form from the " monitor," or supposed 

 earliest niouml pipe. The record of localities whence they have been 

 obtained also indicates geographically the line of this evolution and, 

 so far as the testimony bears u))on the question, gives a decided nega- 

 tive to the snpi)osition that the Ohio pipe snaking mound builders went 

 southward to the Gulf States. 



A fair number of copper articles, including nearly all the types hith- 

 eito known, are in the collection. In addition to these, two new and 

 decidedly the most important types yet dis<;overed have been unearthed. 

 These, as is known to the public through articles published in Science, 

 are large thin and even plates, stamped with elaborate figures, evi- 

 dently of Mexican or Central American designs. 



Th(^ collection of engraved shells obtained from mounds i)robabIy 

 exceeds in nuiubcr, variety, and imi)ortance any other in the country. 

 Several of tluMn will be found illustrated in Mr. Holmes's paper, entitled 

 "Art in Slicll," i)ul)lished in the third annual import of the IJnreau. 



The spcciiucns of textiles fabrics an<l remnants of matting though not 

 numerous are im[M)rtant and valuable. One of the assistajits obtained 



