32 THE PROBLEM OF THE OHIO MOUNDS. 



Fort Loiuloii and even to the island below with the arrangement of 

 tlie Cherokee "over-hill towns" as given by Tiniberlake in his map of 

 the Cherokee country called " Over the llills,"^ a group for each towu, 

 and in the only available spots the vallej' for this distance affords. As 

 these mounds when explored yielded precisely the kind of ornaments 

 and implements used by the Cherokees, it is reasonable to believe they 

 built them. 



Eamsey also gives a map,^ but his list evidently refers to a date cor- 

 responding with the close of their occupancy of this section. Bartram-* 

 gives a more comi)lete list applying to an earlier date. This evidently 

 includes some on the Uolstou (his "Cherokee") River and some on the 

 Tellico plains. This corresponds precisely with the result of the ex- 

 plorations by the Bureau as will be seen when the report is published. 

 Some three or four groups were discovered in the region of Tellico 

 plains, and five or six on the Little Tennessee below Fort Loudon and 

 on the nolston near the junction, one large mound and a group being 

 on the "Big Island" mentioned in Bartram's list. 



The largest of these groups is situated on the Little Tennessee above 

 Fort Loudon and corresponds with the position of the ancient " beloved 

 town of Chota" (" Great Chote" of Bartram) as located by tradition and 

 on both Timberlake's and Eamsey's maps. According to Ramsey," at 

 the time the pioneers, following in the wake of Daniel Boone near the 

 close of the eighteenth century, were pouring over the mountains into 

 the valley of the Watauga, a Mrs. Bean, who was captured by the Cher- 

 okees near Watauga, was brought to their town at this place and was 

 bound, taken to the top of one of the mounds and about to bo burned, 

 when Nancy Ward, then exercising in the nation the functions of the 

 Beloved or Pretty Woman, interfered and pronounced her pardon. 



During the explorations of the mounds of this region a peculiar type 

 of clay beds was found in several of the larger mounds. These were 

 always saucer shaped, varying in diameter IVom C to 15 feet, and in 

 thickness from 4 to 12 inches. In nearly every instance they were found 

 in series, one above another, with a layer of coals and ashes between. 

 The series, usually consisted of from three to five beds, sometimes only 

 two, decreasing in size from the lower one upward. These ap])arently 

 marked the stages of the growth of the mound, the upper one always 

 being near the present surface. 



The large mound which is on the supposed site of Chota, and pos- 

 sibly the one on which Mrs. Bean was about to be burned, was thor- 

 oughly explored, and found to contain a series of these clay beds, which 

 always showed the action of fire. In the center of some of these were 

 found the charred remains of a stake, and about them the usual layer 

 of coals and ashes, but, in this instance, immediately around where the 

 stake stood were charred fragments of human bones. 



' Memoirs, ITOf). ^ Travels, pp. 373, 374. 



-' Aiiuala of Tennessee, p. 370. •* Annals of Teuuesseo, p. 157. 



