394 MOUND EXPLORATIONS. 



another layer of flat stones, wbicli covered the bottom of this vault. 

 Four of these lay with the heads north, and two, an adult and a child, 

 with heads east. Over this stone floor, previous to burial, had been 

 spread a tliiu layer of coals and ashes. 



One mile above the Tipton group mentioned, about 1 mile back from 

 the river, on high, level upland, was found another mound 54 feet in 

 diameter and 6 feet high. In the center of this mound, 2 feet below 

 the top, were the bones of two skeletons lying in a pile, most of them 

 broken and apparently buried after the flesh had been removed. A 

 little north of the center was a straight stone wall about 10 or 12 feet 



Fio. 273. — Eugraved atone from Eat creek mound No. '.i, Loudon county, TeDnessee. 



long, 2 feet high, and a foot or more in thickness. This was not on the 

 original surface of the ground, l)ut extended down from 2 to 4 feet 

 below the top. 



MOUNDS AT PAKK.S FKRRY (JACKSON's FKRRY ON THE PLAT). 



These are situated 10 miles east of Lenoir's at a crossingof the Little 

 Tennessee known as Parks ferry. The group (No. 15, PI. xxv) con- 

 sists of four mounds and five stone graves. Three of the former, which 

 may be numbered 1, 2, and 3, were on the second bottom. No. -t being 

 on a high terrace and in the forest. 



Mound 1 measured 44 feet in diameter and 7 in height. At the depth 

 of 18 inches, near the center, was a partially decayed skeleton in a sit- 

 ting posture, without the usual dark earth about it. Continuing the ex- 

 cavation, the explorer passed through a layer of rather dark, hard clay 

 to the depth of 4 feet, reaching a layer of sticky yellow clay about 3 

 inches thick. This, instead of conforming to the curve of the mound, 

 was horizontal, as though it had been at one time the top, but did 

 not reach the outer surface by about a foot and a lialf Below this, to 

 the natural surface of the ground, was a layer of lighter earth than the 

 clay above it. A little to the north of the center of the base was a 

 circular pit, 4 feet in diameter, which had been dug into the original 



