GROUP NEAK HARDIN, CALHOUN COUNTY. 



129 



iitely east of the center of the mouud and partially covered by the 

 stone pile was a decayed skeleton lying at length on its back, head to 

 the south. ' 



There are a number of groups on the western side of the couuty in 

 the vicinity of Hamburg, most of which have been explored ; one, how- 

 ever, appears to have been overlooked. This is located on the NW. ^ 

 Sec. 1, T. 10 S., li. 3 W., on the crest of a ridge some 200 feet or more 

 above the river level, and consists of six mounds. 



The dimensions of these are as follows : No. 1, diameters 01 by 23 feet; 

 height, 4 feet. No. 2, diameters, 50 by 34 feet; height, 5 feet. No. 3, 

 diameters, (iO by 37 feet; height, 6 feet. No. 4, diameter, 25 feet; height, 

 4 feet. No. 5, diameters, 60 by 35 feet ; height, 6 feet. No. 6, diame- 

 ters, 57 by 30 feet; height, 3 feet. 



In No. 4 nothing was observed of interest except a small flre-bed on 

 the natural surface of the ridge under the center of the mound. There 

 were no indications of burials. 



The construction and contents of No. 5 were as follows : A layer of 

 vegetable mold 3 inches thick ; then 2 feet of clay surface soil very hard 

 and difficult to work; under this, conforming to the shape of the mound 

 and resting on the surface of the ridge, was a layer of earth about 9 

 feet in diameter. This covered a mass of burnt clay 5 feet long, 3 feet 

 wide, and 18 inches thick, which had been burned to a brick red and 

 was in fragments. At the south end was a small heap of ashes which 

 had probably been raked ofl' the Are beds, and in the same locality 

 but at the depth of 18 inches, was a skeleton resting at full length 

 face up, in or under a small fire-bed. Judging fi'om the indications, 

 clay had been placed over the middle part of the body on which a fire 

 had been kindled. As the bones were not charred it is probable the 

 flesh had not been removed before bmial. In the northern part, at the 

 depth of 3 feet, was another badly decayed skeleton. 



Mixed in the tire bed were a number of charred human bones; parts 

 of two skeletons, apparently intrusive burials, were found in the upper 

 layer. 



Another group situated a short distance north of Hardin on the NE. 

 4 Sec. 27, T. 10 S., R. 2 W., stands on the margin of a bluff, about 200 

 feet above the Illinois river. Directly in front of the mounds the blufl' 

 breaks down perpendicularly for about 40 feet. 



The dimensions are as follows : 



12 ETH- 



