THOMAS.) 



COURTOIS GROUP. 



Mound No. 6. Courtois sroup, Prairie du 

 Chien, Wis. 



No. C. Similar in size and form to No. 1 ; 4 feet high and composed 

 throughout of dark sandy loam, similar to the sirrroundiug surface soil. 

 The plan of this mound, showing the relative positions of the skeletons 

 and articles discovered, is given in Fig. 24. 



In the western side i 



at/), about 

 2 feet below the surface, was a 

 small deposit of Ircshwater shells, 

 but so far decayed that no speci- 

 mens were saved. At e a folded 

 adult skeleton was discovered, with 

 head south and face west; under 

 it lay a small stone perforator and 

 above it a small arrow head. The 

 bones were broken and very soft 

 and the skull was crushed flat; 

 from the indications it would seem 

 that they had been broken before ^"*- -* 

 burial. 



At A the original surface of the ridge had been excavated to the 

 depth of a foot and over an area about 12 feet in diameter. In this 

 layer were some or 7 adult skeletons, all folded, with the heads in 

 various directions, but all so soft and badly decayed that none of the 

 skulls could be saved. At </, near the eastern side, at the depth of 2 

 feet, was part of an iron knife Ijlade. 



Nos. 3, 7, 8, and 10 were fouiul to consist of dark loam throughout, 

 but furnished no specimens or any evidence of having been used as 

 burial places. 

 No. 16 is a very small and insignificant mound, scarcely exceeding 20 



feet in diameter and not more than a 

 foot in height, though it has evidently 

 been considerably worn down by the 

 plow. Nevertheless it is important as 

 presenting the characteristics of a 

 somewhat peculiar class of mounds 

 quite common in this State, but seldom 

 met witli elsewhere; for this reason 

 the figures and details are given more 

 fully than would otherwise be required. 

 Circular in form, as shown by the 

 plan given in Fig. 25, low, rounded, 

 but somewhat flatfish, it was con- 

 structed of material similar to the sur- 

 rounding soil, and of the same character throughout, without any indi- 

 cations whatever of stratification. A circular, basin-shaped excava- 

 tion had first been made in the ground to the gravel, in this case to the 

 depth ot :J feet. Tlie boundary of this excavated portion is indicated 

 by the dotted circle. 



12 ETH .') 



Fio 25.— Plan of monnd No. 16, Coartoi.s 

 group, Prairii' du Chien. Wis. 



