540 PREHISTORIC VILLAGES IN TENNESSEE [ETH. ANN. 41 
the wigwam, at /, Figure 150, near the eastern wall. This vessel 
was upright and contained black earth mingled with some very small 
portions of a lumpy black substance. These were examined by Dr. 
W. E. Safford, economic botanist, Department of Agriculture. He 
reports these lumps “‘ Evidently of organic origin, which may possibly 
have been finely ground maize made into a kind of mush,” because 
this substance had the appearance of having run together as would 
a maize material of the character of mush. He thinks, if the original 
contents had been maize meal, and not mush, the remains would 
have been granular. This little vessel, about 4 inches in height, had 
been filled with this prepared maize material and placed upon the 
floor against the wall. The head shown on this vessel was missing. 
The vessel doubtless originally had such a head. A somewhat similar 
vessel, with a head, is shown 
in Figure 50, page 144, of 
Thruston’s “Antiquities of 
Tennessee.” This related 
vessel was found in the 
vicinity of the Gordon town. 
He does not give the exact 
site. Other slightly similar 
vessels from the related cul- 
tural region of southeastern 
Missouri and Arkansas are 
shown on Plates 20 and 
25 of the Twentieth Annual Report of the Bureau of American 
Ethnology. 
Fic. 153.—Restored unhandled pot from top of grave E 
Frre Bep at CENTER OF CIRCLE 
At the center of circle No. 79 was found an ancient fire bed which 
contained only a very few ashes. It was 3 feet in diameter and 
showed little signs of use. Apparently this wigwam was not built 
until a short time before the town was abandoned or the wigwam 
was, for some reason, deserted after it had been used only a short 
time. But it was occupied at least long enough for the three chil- 
dren, already described, to be born to the dwellers therein. 
EQuaLity IN ANCIENT LIFE 
A comparison of the ruins of house circle No. 79 with those of 
house circle No. 3 will bring out clearly the near equality in the 
material belongings of these ancient people. No. 3 was one of the 
most important in the town. There is no very great difference 
between No. 3 and No. 79. No. 3 is 38 feet in diameter and No. 79 is 
only 30 feet. No.3 had a fire bowl and No. 79 had only a plain fire 
bed. No.3 had a portion of its floor black and glossy, while that of 
No. 79 was hard-packed clay, like the remainder of the floor of No. 3. 
