16 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [bull. 71 



trous defeat of the Indians and the death of their leader, August 

 12, 1676. 



Thus having three distinct references to the use of red oxide — 

 one on the coast of Maine in what should probably be accepted as 

 graves, another in Rhode Island, and the third on Cape Cod — would 

 make it appear that placing quantities of finely powdered red oxide 

 of iron in gi'aves with the human remains was a well-established 

 custom of the Algonquian tribes found occupying the coast of New 

 England when that rugged shore was settled by the English colo- 

 nists. Similar burials will probably be discovered at some later day 

 which will tend to substantiate this belief. 



Closely flexed burials, examples of which are shown in plate 2, 

 are characterstic of precolonial New England, but later, after coming 

 under the influence and teachings of missionaries and others, the 

 same tribes no longer used this form of burial, but placed the re- 

 mains of the dead in an extended position, either wrapped in bark 

 or deposited in roughly made wooden coffins. The latter form was 

 encountered during the partial exploration of the ancient Niantic 

 cemetery, known as Fort Neck Burying Ground, in Charlestown, 

 Washington County, Rhode Island, during the month of September, 

 1912. Another site, now designated "Indian Burying Hill," like*- 

 wise in Charlestown, and now a State reservation, is known as the 

 place of burial of the Niantic chiefs, among them Ninigret, by whom 

 the Narraganset, who escaped destruction during King Philip's 

 war, were later received. 



According to Prof, H. H. Wilder, by whom the " Fort Neck 

 Burying Ground" was examined, "the bodies had evidently been 

 buried in winding-sheets only, as nothing was found indicating 

 clothing." This would be consistent with the old custom of these 

 Indians, as Roger Williams told of one " who winds up and buries 

 the dead," and describing the burial customs said : " Mockkuttauce, 

 One of the chiefest esteeme, who winds up and buries the dead ; com- 

 monly some wise, grave, and well descended man hath that office. 

 When they come to the Grave, they lay the dead by the Grave's 

 mouth, and then all sit downe and lament; that I have seen teares 

 run down the cheeks of stoutest Captaines, as well as little children 

 in abundance; and after the dead is laid in Grave, and sometimes 

 (in some parts) some goods cast in with them, they have then a 

 second lamentation, and upon the Grave is spread the Mat that the 

 party died on, the Dish he eat in, and sometimes a faire Coat of skin 

 hung upon the next tree to the Grave, which none will touch, but 

 suffer it there to rot with the Dead : Yea I saw with mine owne eyes 

 that at my late comming forth of the Countrey, the chiefe and 

 most aged peaceable Father of the Countrey, Caunounicus, having 

 buried his Sonne, he burned his own Palace, and all his goods in it 



