148 



MUUNU EXPLORATIONS. 



ALEXANDKK COUNTY. 

 WOUKS ON male's PLACK. 



About half a luik' below tlie littl(( village of Mill Creek, Uuion county 

 (but just across the county line), a long lidge extending southeast ter- 

 minates in the low ground in the angle at the junction of Cooper with 

 Mill creek. On the top of this ridge, at its lower terminus, are two or 

 three low mounds and many stone graves, some of whieh had been pre- 

 viously opened and pottery, beads, and other articles taken from them. 

 These appear to be in the midst of, or rather on, an immense refuse 





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Fig. 76. — Mounds on Hale's place. Jackson conntv, Illinois. 



heap; in fact, the whole top of the ridge ai)pears to be covered to a 

 depth of from 3 to C feet with an accumulation of flint chips, broken 

 deer bones, broken pottery, mussel .shells, etc. Charcoal, burned lime- 

 stone, and other evidences of Are are plentifully scattered throughout 

 the mass. The locality would probably be better described as a 

 "kitchen heap," averaging i or 5 feet in depth and covering several 

 acres. 



The works and the grounds are shown in the annexed diagram (Fig. 

 76). The line a a running across the ridge marks the boundary line at 



