422 ARCHEOLOGICAL INVESTIGATIONS—II [ETH. ANN. 44 
To sum up: It seems that a platform of clay was erected to a 
height of about 20 inches. Although there were none of the usual 
indications that people had ever lived on it, the pit or barbecue 
hole at the old center, under the grave, points to such occupancy. Per- 
haps the first deep hole found was also a fire pit, although it con- 
tained no ashes or burned earth. Then the site was abandoned until 
after these holes were filled with silt that washed in, a little at a 
time. After that, the central burial was made, and the building of 
the first mound was begun over this grave. As the work progressed. 
other bodies or skeletons were placed here and there, either directly 
on the ground as it was at the time or in shallow holes dug to receive 
them. Finally,the “ buckshot” mound was completed. At some sub- 
sequent time the two intrusive burial pits were dug in the top of 
this mound, bodies placed in them, and when these graves were filled 
up the mound was added to until it reached its present dimensions. 
Any indication as to the time that elapsed from the inception of 
the work to its completion, or as to the length of time between 
successive burials, or between the successive periods of building, or 
the date of any part of this work, is entirely lacking. 
Mounp 5.—This mound, 300 feet east of Mound 4, is circular in 
outline, 31% feet high and 70 feet in diameter. It is almost flat on 
top, and may be either a platform or domiciliary mound, or an 
unfinished burial mound. As it is surrounded by low ground which 
is boggy much of the time, and is built up of sticky black earth, no 
examination was attempted. Nothing less resistant than stone could 
retain its shape or substance if buried under such conditions. 
Mounp 6.—In point of cubic contents this is the largest mound 
observed or reported in the Red River Valley, and is perhaps the 
largest in the State. The outline conveys the impression that the 
structure had a pentagonal or hexagonal base, but this must not be 
taken as a fact. Owing to surface erosion, to farming operations for 
many years, and to the “creep” mentioned in the description of 
Mound 2, the form of Mound 6 has undergone extensive alteration. 
No doubt it was what is usually called a “square” mound, though 
this term must not be accepted literally. It merely means that a 
structure thus named has four approximately straight sides; seldom 
are any two of the sides of the same length or any two angles equal. 
The lines of the survey were run from one prominent salient to the 
next, and so continued around to the starting point; they do not 
take into account the large amount of earth which has drifted from 
the mound into the field beyond the limits so marked. It is shown 
in Plates 68, c, and 69, b. 
The present height is 13 feet, and it was never much, if any, 
greater; there is a gentle slope from the summit to the margin on 
every side, but this was given to it by the builders and does not result 
