504 PREHISTORIC VILLAGES IN TENNESSEE [eTH. ANN, 41 
Cacue Pits 
In like manner another cache pit, 27, with similar contents, was 
dug and filled. This one was 20 inches in diameter and 5 feet in 
depth. Over this pit the platform, A, B, C, D, of black loam was 
raised. This was covered with a layer of clay brought from else- 
where. The platform was built up to a height of about 17 inches 
above the surface of the floor. It was used as a fire bed. 
Another similar cache pit was found at 18, near the doorway on 
the eastern side. It was 14 inches in diameter and 4 feet in depth 
and filled with the same character of black soil as the other pits in 
this circle. No recognizable trace of original contents could be found. 
This last pit had no clay cover. 
That pits X and 27 were receptacles for sacred objects or sacrifices 
connected with the building of this edifice, and not intended for 
domestic storage pits, is proved by the fact that they had coverings 
of clay upon which fire had been long continued, and these fire- 
hardened covers were never afterwards removed. They showed no 
signs of disturbance such as would have been necessary to get at 
the contents of domestic cache pits underneath. It will be interest- 
ing to compare these pit caches with the somewhat similar ones of 
the later Omahas, reproduced in Figure 131. 
At 7, Figure 123, on the site of the future southern earth rim of 
this temple, a ceremonial fire was built and continued long enough 
to form a deep layer of pure white ashes. This fire was not for 
domestic purposes. It contained no fragments of animal bones or 
pottery. After these elaborate rites had been completed the level, 
hard-packed, earthen floor was covered with a layer of clay brought 
from elsewhere. This layer of clay was then smoothed and hard 
packed and also still further hardened by fires being built upon it. 
After this hardening process a space about 3 feet in width and extend- 
ing from R& to S and another space at 9, about 3 by 4% feet, were 
covered with a coating of a black, hard, glossy substance, ranging 
from one-fourth to three-eighths of an inch in thickness. This sub- 
stance was clay mixed with some very black material which took a 
beautiful black glossy finish, somewhat resembling the appearance of 
polished black iron stovepipe. This coating once extended over 
much of the space in the center of the temple and was later worn 
away by use. It still retained a considerable amount of luster when 
uncovered but faded on exposure to the air. It must have presented 
a very pleasing and appropriate appearance. That this floor was 
put down before the walls of the temple were raised is proved by the 
fact that it was found extending underneath the wall from R to S. 
There is some shght indication that an earthen platform or ban- 
quette, raised about 9 inches above the floor, extended partially 
around the room next to the wall; the evidence, however, is not 
conclusive. 
