THOMAS.] THE RICE LAKE MOUNDS. 97 



seemed to be tbe decayed vegetable material of the original surface of 

 the ground. A skeleton was discovered southeast of the centei", only 

 3 inches below the surface, bundled. Fragments of a skull were found 

 near the center at the depth of 2 feet. Here there were evidences that 

 a grave had been dug in the mound after it had been completed, and a 

 body buried in bark wrappings, but all save these fragments of the 

 skull had comjiletely decayed. A third was at the same depth. Four 

 feet east of the center was another at the depth of 3 feet, but the skull 

 in this case was wanting from the bundle. In the apex of the central 

 core, in which a cut had been made for its reception, was a fifth at a 

 depth of 3 J feet from the top and 6 inches in the core. No skeletons 

 were found in the lower part of the mound, though at two points the 

 earth was similar in character to that which results from decayed bodies 

 and probably marked burial places. At the bottom of the mound, 

 south of the center, was the only relic obtained, a copper drill or spin- 

 dle, similar to that shown in Fig. 34; this is 7i inches long, a little over 

 one-fourth of an inch square, and pointed at each end. When found it 

 was upright. 



Mound 12, situated west of No. S, in a thicket, measured 32 feet 

 in diameter and 3 J in height. The upper layer consisted of loose sandy 

 loam, like the surrounding surface. Theremainder, of sand and clay, very 

 hard, rested on the original surface of the ground. Under this was a 

 pit, length 7 feet, width at one end 4 feet, at the other 5^, depth 2 feet, 

 its walls perpendicular and bottom flat. Three bundled skeletons, the 

 only ones found in the mound, were in this pit. With one wei'e a few 

 copper beads. 



Mound 14, standing 120 feet from the lake shore, measured but 26 feet 

 in diameter and a little over 3 feet in height. The construction was 

 similar to that of No. 8; first a layer of sandy loam, 1 foot thick, then 

 the core, 2 feet thick; but in this case there was, immediately below 

 tbe second layer, a stratum of charcoal 4 inches thick, covering an area 

 6 feet in diameter, and immediately below it a layer of burned earth 3 

 inches thick and covering the same area. Underneath this, on the 

 original surface, were the remains of three bundled skeletons partially 

 burned. The remains of two logs, which had been nearly consumed by 

 fire, could be traced in the layer of burned earth. They must have been 

 about 6 feet long and 4 or 5 inches in diameter. They were parallel, 

 within a foot of each other, and had evidently been laid on the earth 

 covering the skeletons, but there were no indications of a wooden vault. 

 The evidence seemed conclusive that the fire had been kindled here 

 after the skeletons and logs were in place. The first skeleton was in 

 the center under the two burned logs, and the indications were that it 

 had been wrapped in birch baik, parts of which, although both wrap- 

 pings and bones were charred, were obtained. The other two skeletons 

 were north and west of this central one, and one of them showed but 

 little of the effects of the fire, while the other was' nearly consumed. 

 12 ETH 7 



