^''foum<e''"T steatite at wayland mill . 37 



bank is about 10 feet hij;h; the other side beiug on the slofte of 

 the hill shows less elevation. The pit is partially filled with muck aud 

 rubbish, so that it is level within over an area of 50 by GO feet; hence 

 its entire depth can not be ascertained except by clearing- away the 

 accumulated material. Tlie other pits are at the present time from a 

 foot to 4 feet in depth, aud 10 to 50 feet in diameter. Several thousand 

 cubic yards of stone were excavated by those to whom these remains 

 are due. 



AYLOU FARM. 



On the farm of H. I. Aylor, lii miles from Wayland mills, is another 

 aboriginal quarry, less extensive tluin the one above mentioned. 



SHENANDOAH AND UPPER POTOMAC VALLEYS. 

 AUdUSTA COUNTY. 



Several mounds formerly existed in this county, but all have been 

 obliterated by cultivation except one on Middle river, ai few rods from 

 the bridge on the Staunton and Churchville road. This, after long 

 cultivation, is now about 5 feet high. 



KOCKINGIIAM BOUNTY. 



Tnini-.KVILLK. 



A mile north of Timbervillc was a small mound, 2 feet high, on a 

 slight natural elevation near the left l)ank of the Slienandoah. It 

 contained several skeletons extended at full length at the level of the 

 natural surface. Flat stones were set on edge around the bodies and 

 others placed over them. 



LINVILLK. 



Two miles northwest of Linville, on the farm of Mr S. M. Bowman, 

 is a mound near the bank of Linville creek. After heavy rains the 

 mound is often the only dry spot between the hills for 3 or 3 miles 

 along the stream. 



It now measures 05 by 75 feet, and 3 feet high, the longer diameter 

 trending northwest and southeast. Over the entire surface of the 

 mound, to a depth of inches, there is not so much as a space 3 inches 

 square, that did not contain fragments of bone which had been dragged 

 down from the toj) by cultivation. 



Five trenches were extended inward from the edge of the mound. 

 For a considerable distance no remains of any description were found 

 in any of tliese except the one from the .southwestern side. At 24 feet 

 from the center of the mound a small hole a foot deep contained the 

 decayed bones of a young child, which, judging from their dis])osition, 

 were evidently the remains of a skeleton burial. 



When undisturbed bones were reached the inner ends of these 

 trenches were connected, isolating a mass of earth nearly circular in 



