THOMAS] VOGEL GROUP. 143 



next examined. These are similar in size and form to those above 

 mentioned, each being about 25 feet in diameter and 3 feet high. In 

 one two empty stone graves without covering or bottom were found. 

 They were about 10 inches below the surface, one of them 2 feet 3 

 inches long by 2 feet wide and 16 inches deep. In the other was a 

 single stone grave 2 feet 5 inches long, 20 inches wide, and 15 inches 

 deep. This, like the others, was empty. In the third nothing was dis- 

 covered but some flat stones. 



That these graves formerly contained human bones can not be 

 doubted, but whether they were removed by explorers of modern 

 times or not could not be determined. Though of such small size, it 

 does not follow that they were used as depositories of children only, as 

 it is not uncommon to find in the stone graves of southern Illinois 

 adult skeletons crowded into as small a space as indicated by the 

 measurements above given. 



THE VOGEL GROUP. 



This group, consisting of eleven mounds, is situated on the farm of 

 Mr. Henry Vogel, about 3 miles from the following, both groups being 

 in the Mississippi bottom near Fountain blutt'. The relation of these 

 mounds to each other is shown in Fig. 72. 



The largest of the group, No. 1, is 12 feet high and 190 feet long by 

 130 wide. A trench 15 feet long and i feet wide, through the central 

 portion, was carried down 12 feet, to the original surface. Considerable 

 broken pottery and also a number of animal bones, most of them split 

 and broken, were found between 8 and 11 feet from the toj). At the 

 depth of 11 feet was a bed of ashes mixed with earth and charcoal. In 

 this fragments of pottery and bones were more abundant than elsewhere. 



The surrounding land, which is subject to frequent overflows, is com- 

 posed of a black waxy soil to the depth of 2 feet, and below this of sand. 

 The mound was built entirely of this stiff waxy soil; at the depth of 12 

 feet the sand was reached. A wild-cherry tree 6 feet 3 inches in cir- 

 cumference, stands on the east end. On No. 2, which is 200 feet in cir- 

 cumference and 4 feet high, there is a walnut stump 9 feet 6 inches 

 in circumference. 



No. 3, about 150 feet southwest of No. 1, is 4 feet high and 120 feet 

 long by 75 in width. 



No. i is 250 feet in circumference and 6 feet high. In this a trench 

 22 feet long was dug through the center. For most of the length it 

 was carried down to a depth of 9 feet, or 3 feet below the original sur- 

 face of the groixnd. Human bones in considerable numbers were found 

 at various depths from 6 inches down to 6 feet. Below this no human 

 bones were observed, but at the depth of 9 feet some animal bones were 

 obtained. As many as 12 skeletons were unearthed, but only 1 whole 

 skull was obtained. 



