302 



MOUND EXPLOUATIONS. 



above the original surface was found, when it was excavated, to be 

 only 15 feet. 



In excavating this mound Mr. Eogan, who did this part of tlie work, 

 ran a trench G feet wide in from the soutli side, going through the hard 

 clay slope until he strmrk the inner circle, whence he continued widen- 

 ing until he had gone over the entire area within the surrounding slope, 

 carrying the excavation down at all points to the original surface. 



Continuing the excavation in this way until a complete exploration of 

 the mound had been made, the (construction was found to be as repre- 

 sented in Fig. 1 .S4, whicli shows a vertical section. The entire surround- 

 ing slope was of hard, tough, red clay, which could not have been 

 obtained nearer than half a mile; the cylindrical core, 00 feet in diam- 

 eter, and extending down to the original surface of the ground, was 

 composed of three horizontal layers, the bottom layer, No. 1, 10 feet 

 thick, of rich, dark, and rather loose loam; the next, No. 2, 4 feet 

 thick, beaten (or tramped) clay, so tough and hard that it was diffi- 

 cult to penetrate it even with a pick; and the uppermost. No. .3, of sand 

 and surface soil, between 1 and '2 feet thick. 



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Fia. 184. — Vortical ucctioc of uiouDd c, Etowah group. 



Nothing was found in the layer of clay. No. 2, except a rude clay 

 pij)(', some small shell beatis, a i>iece of mica, and a chunkee stone. 

 The burials were all in the lower layer (No. 1), of dark, rich loam, and 

 chiefly in stone cists or coHins of the usual box shape, formed of stone 

 slabs, and distributed horizontally, as shown in Fig. 185, which is a plan 

 of this lower bed. 



Grave «, a stone sejiulcher, 'Ih feet Avide, 8 feet long, aiid 2 feet deep, 

 was formed by placdng steatite slabs on edge at the sides and ends, and 

 others across the top. The bottom consisted simply of earth hardened 

 by tire. It contained X\w remains of a single skeleton, lying on its 

 back, with the head east. The frame was heavy and about 7 feet long. 

 The head rested on a thin copper plate ornamented with imiircssed 

 figures; but the skull was crushed and the plate injured by fallen 

 slabs. Under the copper were the remains of a skin of some kind, and 

 under this coarse matting, apparently of split cane. The skin and 

 matting were both so rotten that they could be secured only in •frag- 

 ments. At the left of the feet were two clay vessels, one a water bottle 

 and the other a very small vase. On the right of the feet were some 



