500 PREHISTORIC VILLAGES IN TENNESSEE (ern. ANN. 41 
mal bones or of cooking or other domestic use. The one built on the 
clay fire-bed or altar probably was connected with the rite of greater 
importance, and was longer continued. A careful search of these 
fire-beds showed no objects deposited either in or below them. 
CELEBRATIONS AT THE 16-INCH STAGE 
When this mound had reached a height of 16 inches the builders 
must have ceased work for a time and celebrated with a great feast 
and different ceremonies, some of which must have continued several 
days. Here again fire played a conspicuous part. Near the center 
of what was then the surface of the mound another great clay fire-bed 
or altar had been made which covered a space 10 by 6 feet and was 2 
inches in thickness. The ceremonies connected with this altar 
differed from those of the altar at the bottom of the mound, and at 
one stage included a great feast; for in the ashes were a large number 
of deer bones and the fragments of a large domestic pot, evidently 
the remains of a barbaric feast. After the feast, and while the fire 
was still well supplied with wood, earth was thrown on it and the 
burning wood smothered into a layer of charcoal 4 inches in thickness. 
During this 16-inch stage celebration there appear to have been 
several ceremonies at various dates, each with its separate fire. Some 
of these rites must have continued for many days, as the fires con- 
nected with them had been continued long enough to make the soil 
underneath show the effects of heat for at least 244 inches. This 
burned soil was especially noticeable under the central altar and also 
under another fire which covered a circular space about 5 feet in 
diameter. The other fires at this stage were also somewhat circular 
but smaller and ranged from 2 to 4 feet in diameter. Some of the 
smaller fires appeared to have burned for a comparatively short 
time. None of these fires appears to have been used for cooking, 
with the exception of the great central clay altar. 
CEREMONIES AT THE 30-INCH STAGE 
When the further erection of mound A had been started and the 
mound had reached a height of 30 inches another series of cere- 
monies occurred; but these ceremonies were quite different from those 
of any of the previous stages. Five feet northeast of the center of 
the top of the mound at the 30-inch stage a great fire had been 
kindled. When this had burned down to a bed of glowing embers, 
clay had again been brought from elsewhere; but instead of being 
used as a fire-bed or altar, as formerly, it was now carefully spread 
out like a blanket over this great bed of glowing embers, smothering 
it into a bed of ashes and charcoal. This blanket of clay was 5 by 444 
feet in diameter and 11% inches in thickness. 
