THOMAS. I ALABAMA. 285 



noted for the iminber of worked aud partially worked flint implements 

 which have been found .scattered over it. As the stone from which 

 they are manufactured is found at this place, this will doubtless 

 account for their abundance here. 



MADISON COUNTY. 



Near Whitesburg, on the north bank of the Tennessee river, is a long, 

 narrow shell heap, between 400 and 500 yards in length and abont ;> or 

 i feet high ; at present it is only a few yards in width, but was probably 

 wider in former times, as a x)ortion on the river side appears to have 

 been carried away by the freshets. 



The residents of the place say that many skeletons, stone implements, 

 and pottery vessels have been washed out of it. Three badly decayed 

 skeletons were found at one point about 18 inches below the surface; 

 near by were ashes aud some broken stones, as though marking the 

 site of a temporary rtreplace or camp Are. A thick layer of shells cov- 

 ered these skeletons. Another skeleton was discovered at Ihe depth 

 of 3 feet, and near it ashes and broken stones, as in the other case; a 

 third lay only 6 or 8 inches below the surface; a fourth near the river 

 had been partly washed away ; a broken pot stood by the side of it. 



Numerous pieces of pottery, arrowheads, stone imiilemeuts, aiul a 

 copper bead were scattered among the nnissel shells. Not only has 

 this bank been disturbed by floods, but at one time large buildings 

 stood on it, which were carried away by high water. 



The fact that a iiortion of the shells forming this heap bear the marks 

 of fire suggested the thought that they had been heated by the Indians 

 to comi>el them to open. A great number of sjilit, water-worn st(mes 

 were scattered through the bank to the depth of 3 feet, sometimes 

 loosely and without order, but frequently in such relation as to indicate 

 an intentional arrangement: in this case they were accompanied by 

 ashes, as though marking the places where fires had been built for 

 cooking purposes. 



MARSHALL COUNTY. 



About 1 mile west of Guntersvilleis a cave known as Tlanipton cave. 

 Its floor is covered to the depth of 4 feet with fragments of human 

 bones, earth, ashes, and broken stones. This fiagmentary condition of 

 the deposits is chiefly due to the fact that they have been repeatedly 

 turned over by treasure-hunters. Much of this deposit has been hauled 

 away in sacks for fertilizing the land. The number of dead deposited 

 here must have been very great, for, uothwithstanding so much has 

 been removed, there is yet a depth of -L feet, chiefly of broken human 

 lioiies. A tine specimen of the copper, spool-shajjed ornament sup- 

 posed to have been worn in the ear was obtained here by Mr. James 

 P. "Whitman, who kindly presented it to the bureau. 



