50 MOUND EXPLORATIONS. 



soft mortar, which filled the spaces, aud the burning done afterward. 

 Scattered through the mass were lumps of clay appaj'ently molded iu 

 the hands, which the fire had converted into rude bricks. The bottom 

 of this layer corresponded with the original surface of the ground. 

 Further excavation to the depth of '2 or 3 feet revealed a circular pit iu 

 the original soil (marked 1 in the figure) about 6 feet in diameter, the 

 bottom of which was covered an inch deep with fine chocolate-colored 

 dust. The strangest fact regarding this jjit is that, although the inter- 

 mediate filling between the Ifoot depth at the bottom and the layer 

 above (the bottom of the mound jiroper) was similar in appearance to the 

 ordinary soil of the ridge, yet the under portion of it lemained arched 

 over the 1-foot space beneath. It was probably hardened by the fierce 

 fire above. 



Eleven paces west of this mound, situate I on the brow of the bluff, 

 is No. 4, only 12 feet in diameter and i feet high. This mound, like 

 the others, was built up chiefly of very hard material resembling mor- 

 tar. In it was a single skeleton lying on its right side; placed in the 

 form of a circle on the left hip were 140 shell beads. The left arm lay 

 extended along the upper side; the knees were drawn up at right 

 angles to the body. Although now so dry and hard, the mortar at 

 some former time had made its way into and filled the skull and fitted 

 neatly around the bones which were all well preserved and had not 

 been disturbed since they were first i)laced there. Around the neck 

 were 12 shell beads and 5 small perforated sea shells. 



On the lower, broadened portion of the ridge, in its eastern exten- 

 sion, as before remarked, is a row of ten small cu'cular mounds, which 

 vary in lieiglit from 2 to 4 feet and in diameter from 19 to 32 feet. In 

 addition to these there are also here two elongate mounds or embank- 

 ments in a line with each other, their nearer ends being about 3 paces 

 apart. The longest of these is 192 feet in length, the other 45 feet. 

 Two of the circular ones were opened, in both of which were found 

 some indications of their having been used for burial purposes, but iu 

 one only were any bones obtained. No relics of anj' kind were discov- 

 • ered. From the larger ones which had been previously opened a num- 

 ber of stone and copper implements were obtained. 



A sbort distance to the iiorthwest of the foregoing group are traces 

 of many circular mounds, some long earthworks, and effigy mounds. 

 In fact nearly the whole area of the valley of Prairie du Chien town- 

 ship appears to have been once literally dotted over with ancient 

 works. Many of these are efiigy mounds representing deer, bears, 

 rabbits, etc., apparently in droves, sometimes with and sometimes 

 without other works intermingled. But in all cases the effigies are 

 heading southwest, trending with the general course of the river in 

 this section. 



At the upper end of the prairie are a number of effigy mounds and 

 long works as yet but little injured, wliile others in the fields are 



