356 



MOUND EXPLORATIONS. 



Fl(i. 235. 



-Scctiiin of grave No. 1. near Kingsi>uit, 

 Tennessi^e. 



ridge which borders the creek on the east. One of these is compara- 

 tively small, and can be entered only by a narrow, perpendicular descent 

 of 10 feet. Here and there are places where the floor is covered with 

 loose earth mixed with charcoal and ashes. During a rather liasty 

 exaniinatiou the exjilorei' found in this debris a broken stone gorget, a 

 spearliead, and some shell beads, but no indications of burial. 



COCKK OOXINTY. 



But one mound in this county was examined. This is on N'incent 

 island, Pigeon river, and is about 200 feet long and varies from 4 to 6 



feet in height; it was formerly 

 about 50 feet wide, but a long 

 strip off one side has been washed 

 away by the ri\er. The general 

 appearance is that of a refuse 

 heap. 



Although the entire mound was 

 removed, no skeletons or signs of burial were discovered ; but near the 

 center iind close to bottom was a somewhat singular collection contain- 

 ing the following articles: Thirty-three celts, mostly polished; frag- 

 ments of pottery and of soap- 

 stone vessels; four arrowheads; 

 four stone gorgets; two discoidal 

 stones; one broken i;lay pipe; 

 two grooved stone axes; one 

 stone iiestle; four stone ham- 

 mers; two large pitted stones; 

 one unfinished stone tube; a steel-blade case knife of a peculiar pat- 

 tern, and one porcelain (?) bead. 



The presence of the knife and bead in this collection is difiicult to 

 account for, unless we sujij^ose the whole to be a comparatively modern 

 deposit, which is probably the fact. 



THE RAMSKY iMOUND. 



On the north bank of French Broad river, immediately opposite the 

 Franklin Railroad station, on the land of Mr. A. Kamsey, are the remains 

 of a once large and imi)Osing tumulus known as the Eamsey mound. 

 It is mentioned by Haywood, who remarks in regard to it as follows: 



There i.s a inounfl ou the Fiencli Broad river,! mile above the mouth of Nola- 

 chiicky, on the east .side of the French Broad, 30 feet high. There is an acre of 

 ground on the top.' 



At present only a small part of it remains, tlie rest having 1)ceu 

 washed away by the river, which has gradually encroached upon it. 

 Mr. Eamsey, who has resided on the fiirm for fifty-five years, says the 

 mound once extended to what is tiow the center of the river, a distance 

 of 250 feet, and was 20 feet high, if not more. The exact dimensions 



-Section ol' yia\ e No. 3, near KiDfisport, 

 Tennessee. 



1 Nat. and Aborig. Hint. Tenn., 1823. p. 146. 



