344 MOUND EXPLORATIONS. 



No. 0, a communal grave containing 25 skeletons in two tiers, buried 

 without any apparent regularity as to direction or relative position. 

 Thirteen of the 25 were flatheads, that is, with the head artificially com- 

 pressed in front. Scattered throughout this grave, between and above 

 the skeletons, were polished celts, discoidal stones, shells, pieces of 

 mica, galena, fragments of pottery, and one whole pot. Around the 

 necks and wrists of some of the skeletons were also shell beads. There 

 were a great many bones in this grave, and possibly more than 25 

 skeletons, but this was the number of skulls observed. 



No. 8, an irregular layer of waterworn bowlders, about 4 feet square. 

 On the top was a bed of charcoal, about 3 inches deep, on and i^artially 

 imbedded in which were three skeletons, but showing no indications 

 of having been biu-ned. Scattered over these skeletons were discoidal 

 stones, one saucer, shells (one of which is eugraved), pipes, shell beads, 

 and pieces of pottery. 



No. 9, a grave containing three skeletons lying horizontally on their 

 backs, two with their heads east and the one between them with the 

 head west. They lay close together, and were unaccompanied by 

 implements or ornaments. 



No. 10, horizontal, on the right side, head north, with stone imple- 

 ments in front of the fiice. 



No. 11, doubled up, top of the head south, shell beads around the 

 neck, and celts at the feet. 



No. 12, a grave containing seventeen skeletons, seven of which had 

 compressed heads; two of the number, children. Two of the adult 

 heads were resting on engraved shells. In this grave were f(nir pots 

 and two food cups, the handle of one of the latter representing an 

 owl's head, that of the other an eagle's head. One of the small pots 

 was inside a larger one. Scattered among the skeletons were also 

 shell beads, polished celts, discoidal stones, paint, etc. 



THE SHERRII, MOUND. 



This is a small mound, 38 feet in diameter and 5 feet high, located on 

 the farm of Sion J. Sherril, 3i miles east of Lenoir. It was composed 

 of yellow clay and coarse yellow sand. Nothing else except a very 

 small quantity of charcoal was observed. 



BURKE AND WILKES COUNTIES. 



A conical mound 320 feet in circumference and 7 feet high, situated 

 on the farm of Mrs. J. E. Collet, in the northern part of Biu-ke county, 

 was explored, but aside fi-om the yellow sand and yellow clay of which 

 it was chiefly composed, nothing was found in it except some remnants 

 of charred straw and cane. These were scattered in small quantities 

 through the mound. 



