THOJus.) TENNESSEE. 405 



(lutline, 49 by 39 feet, the longer axis north and south, and a litth' over 

 7 feet high. A broad trench carried through it, down to the original 

 soil, showed its constru(;tion to be as follows: 



First, atop layer 12 inches thick of soil similar to that of the surface 

 about the mound; next a layer, 18 inches thick, of red clay mixed with 

 gravel; and lastly, a central core, 5 feet thick, of dark, rich-lookiug 

 earth, with much charcoal scattered through it. This core, which was 

 conical and rounded, was but 17 feet in diameter. It contained nothing 

 of interest except a single stone grave, built of steatite slabs. This 

 was at one side of the center, iiartly in the central mass and partly 

 in the clay. It was 4 feet long, 2 wide, and 1 deep. In it lay a single 

 adult skeleton, folded, with head south. Although there was a top 

 covering of steatite slabs, the cist was filled with earth and the bones 

 were far gone into decay. A lire had been kindled on tlie top slabs; 

 this had left a small bed of ashes a foot in diameter and 2 inches 

 thick, in which were a few pieces of charred sticks and tlie partially 

 calcined bones of some small animals. The bones of the inclosed 

 skeleton showed no signs of lire. The mound, which has been plowed 

 over for a number of years, was formerly surrounded by a ditch, traces 

 of which are still visible; this appears to be unusual in this section. 



Mound No. 2, circular, 38 feet in diameter and S feet high, is situated 

 about one-fourth of a mile northeast of No. 1, on a high terrace. 



A trench through the central portion brought to light nothing of 

 mportance, except the fact that it was composed of dark-red earth 

 similar to that aronnd it. The bones of a human skeleton were found 

 at a depth of 3 feet. They were heaped together, in which position 

 they may have been buried, or else they were the remains of a body 

 that had been buried in a sitting or squatting jiosture. As the earth 

 was loose above them, it may have been an intrusive burial. There 

 were particles of charcoal scattered through the dirt. 



The chief interest in this mound arises from the fact that it appears to 

 have been a signal station. At least, it is a point well adapted to this 

 purpose, as it commands a fine view of the opening in the ridges some 

 6 miles to the northwest, through which the Hiawassee flows into the 

 Tennessee. Directly in front of this opening, in the mouth of the 

 Hiawassee, is a large island containing between 500 and 000 acres. On 

 the head of this is a large mound about 35 feet high. This latter 

 locality seems to have been a place of mucli importance to the people 

 who erected these structures, probably where they assembled for feast- 

 ing, cousultiition, or ceremony. A fire signal at No. 2 could easily be 

 seen from this i)lace. 



Two other mounds, on the farm of Mr. T. J. Watkins, in tlie same 

 part of the county, were examined, but presented nothing of interest. 

 They were both unstratifled, and composed throughout of red earth 

 like that on which they stand. One was circular, 32 feet in diameter 

 and 4 feet high ; the other oval, 40 by 20 feet, aud 5 feet high. 



