368 



MOUND EXPLORATIONS. 



river, on the farm of Mr. Boyd McMurray, the others on the north side, 

 on the farm of Mr. Samuel McMurray. (No. 2, PI. xxv.) A plat of the 

 area, showing the relative positions of these mounds is given in Fig. 243. 

 The direction from the point a directly opposite the mouth of Abrahams 

 creek, to mound No. 1, on the Boyd McMurray farm, is S. 86° W. and 

 distance 1,450 feet ; from mound No. 1, to the point b, on the north bank 

 of the river, N. 53° W., 1,270 feet; from b to center of mound No. 2 on 

 the Samuel McMurray farm, N. 76° W., 745 feet; from No. 2 to No. 3, 

 N. 79° W., 520 feet; from No. 3 to No. 4, N. 79° W., 335 feet, the meas- 

 urements always being from center to center. Mound No. 1 is 288 feet 

 from the river bank; No. 2 is 173 feet; No. 3 is 258 feet; and No. 4 is 

 108 feet. 



Mound 1, circular in form, 4 feet high, and with an average diameter 

 of about 100 feet, was examined by cutting a broad trench through the 

 center from side to side and down to the original soil. No intlications 

 of burial were observed nor was anything of interest found, except a 

 large fire-bed. This was on the original surface of the ground exactly 



Fio. 243.— Plat of the McMurray luouDils, Bluunl county, Tennessee. 



at the center of the mound. It consisted of a layer of burnt clay 

 between 7 and 8 feet in diameter and from 4 to 6 inches thick, and was 

 covered with ashes; encircling the margin was a row of water- worn 

 stones. Over this bed was a layer of clay 1 foot in thickness; the 

 remainder of the mound was composed of dark loam like the surround- 

 ing soil. 



Mound No. 2, which is circular, measured 110 feet in diameter and afew 

 inches less than 5 feet in height. In excavating this. a trench was first 

 run in from the south side; before reaching the center a stone grave 

 or cist was found of the usual box shape. This contained an adult 

 skeleton, much decomposed. A trench was then carried in on the north 

 side, and at abotit the same distance from the edge was another 

 cist of the same character; also containing a single skeleton. At the 

 center, lay four uniuclosed skeletons in an extended position on the 

 original surface; two with their feet toward the south, the other two, 

 whose heads were nearly touching the heads of this pair, having their 



