126 



MOUND EXPLORATIONS. 



Undemeatli the inouml were two excavations in the original soil,. 

 the one marked a being but 2 J feet long, 2 feet wide, and 18 inches deep. 

 In this were the bones of a single skeleton, but in sach coiifusion as to 

 make it evident they were buried after the flesh had been removed. 

 The other excavation, 6, 7 feet longby 2i wide and 2 J feet deep, contained 

 a single male skeleton lying at fidl length, face up and head south. The 

 bottom of the grave under this skeleton was covered with decayed 

 vegetable matter to the depth of 2 or 3 inches. 



Several relics were found in this tumulus, all with the skeletons. 

 These were as follows: Two arrow points, a banner stone (134776); a 

 broken pot (134772) with the -skeleton in grave &; a stone celt (134775), 

 a shell, a lot of bone beads (134770); a piece of lead ore (134773); and a 

 grooved stone axe (134771). 



The next group examined, consisting of twenty mounds, is in the 

 northwest quarter of Sec. 2, T. 9 S., K. 2 W., located along the narrow 

 crest of a ridge rising from 125 to 300 feet above the Illinois river. 

 The distance from 1 to 20 (at the opposite ends of the line), following 

 the bend, is above three-sevenths of a mile. The following table gives 

 the courses and distances of the mounds from one another, measuring 

 from center to center, and the size of each : 



:S"o. 1 stands on the southern end of the ridge, occupying the full 

 width of the top, which is here about 125 feet above the river. The 

 structure, positions of skeletons, etc., are shown in Fig. 64, in which 

 are presented vertical sections both of the length and width. 



