THOMAS.) 



TENNESSEE. 



369 



feet toward the iioitli. The reiuainder of the mouud, which was com- 

 posed throughout of yellow sand, except a little black earth about 

 each skeleton, being cleared away, five other uninclosed skeletons were 

 unearthed, which were found in the positions showTi in Fig. 244. A 

 few arrowheads, two polished celts, and some flint chips were found at 

 different points in the mound, but none were with any of the skeletons. 



It was learned from Mr. 

 McMurray that mound 

 No. 4 was partially ex- 

 plored several years ago, 

 and that several stone 

 graves, such as tnose in 

 No. 2, were found in it. 

 This was probably by 

 Eev. E. O. Dunning, on 

 behalf of the Peabody 

 Museum. Similar graves 

 occur in considerable 

 numbers in the field 

 about the mounds, espe- 

 cially in the vicinity of 

 No. 3 ; the side stones in 

 many cases being visi- 

 ble above the surface. 

 These are indicated by 

 the dotted line about 3 

 on the plat (Fig. 243). Several were explored but nothing found in 

 them, except decaying skeletons. 



Mound No. 3 stood on the lirst bottom, in a beautiful level meadow, 

 about 250 feet from the river. Its form was an ellipse, measuring 150 

 by 122 feet, the longer axis being east and west; height 12 feet, but 

 considerably reduced by the plow. A thorough excavation showed its 

 composition, mode of consti'uction, and contents to be as follows: The 



Fig. 244 — Diagram of McMurray niouud. No. 2. 



Fig. 245. — Section of McMurray moimd. No. :i. 



top pin-tion, to the depth of 5 feet (except a circular space in the center), 

 consisted of dark, sandy soil, mixed with pieces of broken pottery, flint 

 chippings, and charcoal. This layer, which was beneath the slight 

 outer covering of recent vegetable mold, did not extend down the 

 curve of the mound toward the base, but was horizontal on the under 

 side, as shown at b, Fig. 245, which represents a section of the mound. 

 12 ETH 24 



