34 JAMES AND POTOMAC ARCHEOLOGY [" 



liDUEAU OK 

 liTHNOLOGY 



The mound stands on the right bank of Kapidau river, a mile east of 

 the boundary between Orange and Greene counties. Originally it was 

 elliptical in form, with the longer axis nearly east and west ; but the river 

 in shifting its channel some years ago undermined and carried away the 

 eastern portion. Estimates as to the amount removed, made by persons 

 who saw the mound intact, vary from one-half to two-thirds of the entire 

 structure. For several years more or less of tlie earth composing it 

 fell in at every freshet, thus keeping a vertical section exposed to view. 

 During this time the different strata of bone were plainly visible, and at 

 periods of low water fragments of human bones were strewn along the 

 shore beneath. Afterward the river took a new course and the earth 

 on the exposetl side of the mound soon assumed its natural slope. At 

 present the base of that portion still remaining measures ■42 by 48 feet, 

 with the longer axis nearly north and south. A considerable part of 

 this has been hauled away, leaving a depression at the middle fully 

 20 feet across nnd extending almost to the bottom of the mound. As 

 a result, the interior was very nuiddy, the bones extremely soft and 

 fragmentary, and excavation quite difficult. 



The highest point left by these destructive agencies was feet 

 above the level of the surrounding held; to judge from the slope of 

 the undisturbed surface the river had left it fully 10 feet high. How 

 much more it may have been, no one could say; if tlie statements con- 

 cerning its original form and extent be correct the apex was at least 

 12 feet above the base, the latter being not less than 50 by 75 feet. 



Beginning at the northern side, the earth was removed from an area 

 28 by 40 feet. At 7 feet from the margin was found the outer edge of 

 a b(me deposit measuring G by 15 feet, the longer axis about parallel 

 with that of the mound as constructed. It was very irregular both in 

 outline and thickness, in some places being 8 inches in depth and 

 in others showing only a thin chalky seam. There were indications in 

 several places that skeletons had been compactly bundled; but most 

 of the bones were scattered promiscuously, as if they had been collected 

 from some i^lace of previous interment and carelessly thrown in, there 

 being no evidence of an attempt to place them in their i)roper order- 

 In the mass were two small dei)osits of calcined human bones in 

 minute fragments, and beneath it were graves or burial pits which will 

 be described later. 



This bone-bed, which was at the level of the natural surface, Avas the 

 largest found in any part of the mound. Two feet above it, and 4 feet 

 within its outer margin, was another, much smaller; and numerous 

 others were found in all the portion removed. There was no attempt 

 at regularity in position or extent; in some places there was only 

 a trace such as may have resulted from the decomposition of a few 

 bones; in others it seemed that as many as 15 or 20 skeletons had been 

 deposited. They occurred at all levels below a foot from the upper 

 surlace of the monml; but no section showed more than 4 layers above 



