164 



MOUND EXPLORATIONS. 



station of the U. S. Coast Survey. This is one of a line of circular 

 mounds scattered irregiUarly along the crest of this ridge, as shown in 

 the accompanying diagram (Pig. 86). These range in size from 15 to 



50 feet in diameter at the 



til o ^ 







base and from 2 to 6 feet 

 high. The entire ridge is 

 now covered with scatter- 

 ing large red and white 

 oaks and dense thicliets. 



The following circular 

 mounds, numbering fiom 

 the south end of the line, 

 were opened : 



No. 1, 30 feet base, 3 feet 

 high, in which were found 

 only fi'agmentsof rude pot- 

 tery. 



No. 2, very small; noth- 

 ing found in it. 



No. 3, diameter 35 feet, 

 height 5 feet. In the cen- 

 tral part of this was a box- 

 shaped stone coffin, or cist, 

 2 feet wide and 7 feet long. 

 This was covered by stono 

 slabs, as usual, and thea 

 with enough rougher ones 

 to form a heap over it. 

 Over this was hard earth 

 which filled the interstices 

 as though it had been a 

 mortar when placed there. 

 Over all was a foot or more 

 of yellowish earth similar 

 to that forming the ridge. 

 In the coffin was the skel- 

 eton of an adult, lying hori- 

 zontally on the back, but 

 too nuich decayed for re- 

 moval. No stone imple- 

 ments or other articles of 

 any kind were with it. 

 No. 4, a trifle smaller than No. 3, was opened by running a trench 

 from the eastern side. For a distance of 15 or 16 feet only ordinary 

 earth was encountered, with which the whole mound to the depth of 2 

 feet appeared to be covered ; then a layer of rough stones, charcoal, 



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