THOMAS.] 



TENNESSEE. 



393 



the top, the roots of which ran down to the skeletons. It was com- 

 posed throughout, except about the skeletons at the bottom, of hard 

 red clay, without any indications of stratification. Nothing of interest 

 was discovered until the bottom was reached, where nine skeletons were 

 found lyiilg on the original surfiice of the ground, surrounded by dark 

 colored earth. These were disposed as shown in Fig. 272. No. 1 

 lying at full length with the head south, and close by, parallel with it, 

 but with the head north, was No. 2. On the same level were seven 

 others, all lying close side by side, with heads north and in a line. All 

 were badly decayed. No relics were found with any but No. 1, imme- 

 diately under the skull and jaw bones of which were two copper brace- 

 lets, an engraved stone, 

 a small drilled fossil, 

 a copper bead, a bone 

 implement, and some 

 small pieces of polished 

 wood. The earth about 

 the skeletons was wet 

 and the pieces of wood 

 soft and colored green 

 by contact with the 

 copper bracelets. The 

 bracelets had been 

 rolled in something, 

 probably bark, which 

 crumbled away when 

 they were taken out. 

 The engraved stone 

 lay partially under the 

 back part of the skull 

 and was struck by the 

 steel i)rod used in prob- 

 ing. This stone is shown in Fig. 27.'5. The engraved characters ou it 

 are beyond question letters of the Cherokee alphabet said to have been 

 invented by George Guess (or Sequoyah), a half-breed Cherokee, about 

 1821. 



MOt'Nn ON A HKIH CLIFF. 



Fig. 



-Horizontal section, Bat creek mound, No, r!, Loudon 

 conntv, Tennessee. 



On top of a high cliff overlooking the river, on the opposite side and 

 a little above the Tipton group above mentioned, ou the laiul of Mrs. 

 Blankenship, is a mound 30 feet in diameter and 5 feet high, which 

 at the time of exploration was covered with small trees. At the depth 

 of 1 foot the top of a stone wall was encountered, which was shown by 

 farther excavation to be an irregularly circular vault about 10 feet in 

 diameter, which rested on the original surface of the ground. The red 

 clay which lilled this vault or small indosure was covered by a layer 

 of flat stones. At the bottom were six skeletons lying extended on 



