ARCHEOLOGY 

 FOWKE 



] HUMAN REMAINS ON ELK ISLAND 11 



beneath several feet of accumulated earth, and there is no tradition 

 of early mica mining in this section by the whites. 



GOOCHLAND COUNTY. 



ELK ISLAND. 



The upper end of Elk island is 2 J miles below Columbia; the lower 

 end 7 miles farther down. The widest part, which is a mile across,, is 

 a little more than 2 miles from the upper point, and the island contains 

 about 1,200 acres of very fertile soil. The southern branch or channel of 

 the river is nuich wider than the northern branch. The entire island 

 was submerged in 1870, and a large part of it is flooded every year, 

 though much remains bare except in the highest freshets. It is gradu- 

 ally increasing in size; a thick growth of maples along the water's 

 edge breaks the current from the banks and favors the accumulation 

 of sediment, which forms lower terraces and has covered with many 

 feet of mud any remains which may have been exposed by caving in of 

 the banks before timber began to grow. The same cause is raising 

 the general level ; within the last titty years 8 or 10 feet of soil have been 

 deposited on the lower portions. 



There are very fev/ gullies or bare spots along the banks; but at 

 nearly every place along both sides, for more than 2 miles from the head, 

 at which the ground could be examined at all, the usual indications 

 of Indian occupancy are visible.. When the ground on ridges is plowed 

 the same indications may be seen. Skeletons have been found in three 

 places — on the southern side of the island, near the ferry landing; on 

 the northern side, just opposite the first, at some distance from the bank ; 

 and on the edge of the bank nearly a mile below the latter. At the last 

 an extensive washout had taken place, and many bones were afterward 

 found in the bank, as well as lying at the base where they had fallen. 

 This bank has been sloped down and trees cut to cover it, and bushes 

 and weeds allowed to grow thickly over it, so that nothing can now be 

 seen. No excavations can be made, as a very small hole might give the 

 river a start, during floods, that would cause the loss of many acres. 

 The second burial place mentioned was discovered by plowing several 

 inches deeper than usual. Many bones were unearthed, but as the 

 ground has since filled 5 or C feet through the agency of freshets, 

 explorations are impracticable. 



Smith ^ says the chief habitation of the Monacan was at Kasauweak; 

 on his map this settlement is shown on the point within the two 

 branches of the river. Jetterson,^ also, says their principal town was at 

 the forks of the James.^ But the point of land between the two rivers 

 is irregular, infertile, rather difficult of access, and nothing is found to 



'History of Virginia, op. cit., vol. i, p. 134. 

 ^Table of Indian tribes in Virginia, in bis Notes, op. cit. 



sThat portion of the James above the mouth of the Rivanna was formerlj^ called 

 the Flnvanna. 



