THOMAS.] GEORGIA. 301 



original surface of the ground ^yas 8oinewliat liigber than that around 

 it to the north and ea«t as it now appears. Tlie level at the southwest, 

 which is 3 feet higher than the northwest corner, is probably very near 

 that of the original surface of the ground. Assuming this as the base, 

 and taking the average of the heights of the top, tlic true elevation is 

 found to be 61 feet. The length of tlie slope a little north of the south- 

 west corner, whi(;h is very steep, forming an angle of 45 degrees, is 86 

 feet; this gives.within a few inches the same result as the preceding 

 calculation. The slope here is considerably steeper than at any other 

 point and indicates that the body of the mound is largely composed of 

 clay, a question which could easily be determined by digging ; but per- 

 mission to do this has not as yet been obtained. The longest diameter, 

 including the roadway {a to h, PI. XVI), is 380 feet; the diameter at 

 right angles to this (from c to d) is 330 feet, and the area of the base a 

 little less than 3 acres. The lengths of the sides of the top, which is 

 somewhat quadrilateral, are as follows: From A' (northwest corner) to I 

 (southwest corner), 180 feet; from I to m, 170 feet; from m to », 176 

 feet; and from w to A', 164 feet; the offset at jj from the line connecting 

 m and n is about 15 feet. The area of th(^ top is, therefore, about seven- 

 tenths of an acre. Tlie length of the roadway along the slope from c 

 to h, Fig. 183), is 205 feet, the width varying from 37 to 56 feet; the 

 height at its upper terminus (/>, Fig. 183) above the base is a few inches 

 over 40 feet. There is at the upper terminus a level space which formed 

 the uppermost of the terraces into which this roadway was originally 

 divided, of ^hich some indications yet remain. 



From these dimensions it is easy to calculate witli approximate cer- 

 tainty the cubical contents of the mound, which we find to be, including 

 the roadway, about 4,300,000 cubic feet, or 159,200 cubic yards. It 

 therefore exceeds slightly in volume the entire wall of Fort Ancient, in 

 Ohio,' and exceeds Col. Wliittlesey's calculation by about 42,000 cubic 

 yards. 



The ramp, or straight, steep roadway on the east, terminating at d 

 (Fig. 183), is not very apparent at present, though it is evident that 

 the slope here has been lengthened intentionally, and that an addition 

 has been made to this side for some definite purpose; but it must have 

 been too steep for any other purpose than descent. Possibly it was an 

 earlier roadway than that on the south, which was abandoned and 

 partially removed when the latter was built. 



Mound c. — Altliough this mound is described by Col. Whittlesey as 

 somewhat square, with aroadwayon the east side, Ifind theoutline to be 

 more rounded and but slight indications of the eastward extension. 

 The circumference of the base is 375 feet, and the average diameter of 

 the nearly flat top exactly 60 feet; the height, measured from the sur- 

 rounding surface of the ground, is about 18 feet, but the true height 



' Science, vol. 8, 1886, p. 540. 



