BUSHNELL] NATIVE CEMETERIES AND FORMS OF BURIAL 45 



Cumberland river, is another burying ground, where the graves are 

 equally numerous. At Cockerel's Spring, two or two and one-half 

 miles from the first mentioned, is another ; and about six miles from 

 Nashville, on the Charlotte road, we have another ; at Hayesborough, 

 another; so that in a circle of about ten miles diameter, we have 

 six extensive burying grounds. ... As to the form of the gi'aves, 

 they are rude fabrics, composed of rough flat stones (mostly a kind 

 of slaty limestone or slaty sandstone, both abundant in our State). 

 Such flat stone was laid on the ground in an excavation made for the 

 purpose; upon it were put (edgewise) two similar stones of about 

 the same length as the former, and two small ones were put at both 

 extremities, so as to form an oblong cavity lined with stones, of the 

 size of a man; the place for the head and feet had the same dimen- 

 sions. When a coffin was to be constructed next to it, one of the side 

 stones serves for both, and consequently they lay in straight rows, 

 in one layer onl}^, I never found one above the other." (Troost, (1), 

 pp. 358-359.) 



This very graphic description of a stone grave would apply 

 equally well to those discovered in widely separated parts of the 

 country. But it was not always possible to secure pieces of stone of 

 sufficient size to allow a single one to serve as the side of a grave, 

 in which event it was necessary to place several on each side. Again, 

 the graves were made of a size to correspond with that of the body 

 which was to be placed within it, and therefore they varied in length 

 and breadth. Others which were prepared to hold a bundle of 

 bones after the flesh had been removed, or had disappeared, were 

 quite short — the latter were the " pygmy graves " of the early 

 writers. 



About 9 miles from Nashville is a hill " on which the residence of 

 Colonel Overton stands . . . was in former times occupied by an 

 aboriginal settlement. The circular depressions of the wigwams are 

 still visible." (Jones, Joseph, (1), p. 39.) Many stone graves were 

 discovered here, " the earth having been excavated to the depth of 

 about eighteen inches, and the dimensions of the excavation corre- 

 sponding to the size of the skeleton. The sides of each were lined 

 with carefully selected stones, forming a perfect parallelogram, with 

 a single stone for the head and foot. The skeleton or body of the 

 dead person was then deposited at full length. In the square short 

 grave the skull w^as placed in the centre and surrounded by the long 

 bones." Jones made another very interesting observation and dis- 

 covered that " some of the small graves contained nothing more than 

 bones of small animals and birds. The animals appeared to be a 

 species of dog, also rabbits, raccoons, and opossums. The bones of 

 birds appeared to belong to the wild turkey, eagle, owl, hawk, and 

 wild duck. Occasionally bones of these animals and birds were 



