THOMAS. I 



SOURIS RIVER MOUNDS. 37 



tlie original surface. They appeared to liave been originally placed in 

 a sitting posture in a circle facing one another. The bones bore no 

 signs of decay. The decayed remains of timbers were found just above 

 them. Five catlinite pipes of tlie tubular variety, a polished sandstone 

 tablet engraved on one side with the rude figure of a turtle, and two 

 snuill clay cups about the size of an ordinary finger bowl, accompanied 

 the skeletons. The pottery has an incised spiral ornamentation extend- 

 ing all around the bowl and a corrugated rim. The composition is a 

 mixture of clay with fine sand or pulverized gi'auite. Quite a fresh 

 piece of bark, apparently bearing the marks of a steel knife along 

 one edge, was also found accompanying these remains. 



In front of the residence of Mr. Amos Snyder and near the junction 

 of the North Antler with the Souris there is a mound 3J feet high. 

 This, not having been previously disturbed, was examined by Mr. liey- 

 nolds. He found the mound composed throughout of the uppermost 

 prairie soil, very compact and hard, and the remains of a single skele- 

 ton on the original surface of the ground. The bones, which were 

 extremely well preserved, were disarticulated and piled together, as 

 though interred after having been denuded of the flesh, and the cranium 

 placed on top. Fragments of bufialo bones and pottery, similar in type 

 to that above described, except that some of it was ornamented with 

 straight parallel incisions, were found mingled among the earth. Also, 

 three fine specimens of arrow heads of a light grayish flint and a por- 

 tion of some polished implement of bone, ornamented with straight 

 incised lines which appear to have been produced with a sharp steel 

 knife. 



Another mound, 4 feet high, about 50 rods westward from the last, 

 was opened the same day. A trench 3 feet wide was cut through it to 

 the original surfixce, but no burial remains were found. Many broken 

 buffalo bones, and pieces of pottery similar in description to those 

 found in the other mounds, were intermingled in the earth throughout. 

 A cross trench was abandoned for lack of time. 



Other mounds similar to these in appearance were seen on the oppo- 

 site or right bank of the Souris river on the Eumball farm, 3 miles 

 from Sourisford post-office. One situated near the dwelling is 3 feet 

 high and 30 feet in diameter. It appeared to be composed, like those 

 just described, of the soil of the surrounding land. Not far from the 

 dwelling were also four oblong mounds, similar in form to that shown 

 in Fig. 1. One of them measured 225 feet long and 24 feet broad. 

 Their height is scarcely more than 1 foot above the surrounding level. 



While at Grand Forks, North Dakota, it was learned from Prof. 

 Henry jMoutgomery that elongate, conical, and connected mounds, 

 resembling these in character, and containing specimens of the types 

 found in the mounds of this region, exist in Benson, Ramsey, and Walsh 

 counties. North Dakota. 



