THOMAS.] 



WEST VIRGINIA. 



415 



from 2 to 3 feet liij^h and, as usual with tlie walls of iiu'losiiics, quite 

 steep on the inside and sloping on the outside. At the south, facing 

 mound No. .'$, is a well-defined gateway. Touching it on the outside 

 at the southeast is a circular excavation (/*) 95 by 75 feet in diametei' 

 and 5 feet deep in the center. 



In the center of the inclosure is a conical mound (No. 2) .JO feet in 

 diameter and 3 feet high. A shaft was sunk in the center of this down 

 to and below the natural surface. Only hard-baked earth was found and 

 at tlie base a few bones, some of which were human. 



Mound No. 3, which faces the soutliern gateway of tlu- inclosure, is 

 conical in form, 25 feet in diameter, and 3 feet high. This was oi>eued 

 by cutting a broad trench through it down to the natural surface, show- 

 ing it to be a gray material, probably earth mixed with ashes and, near 







ee toO' 



IJ 



Fig. 291. — Enlarged plan of mound Xo. 1, and inclosure «, Kanawha county, West "Virginia. 



the bottom, well baked by fire. On this part, which covered the frag- 

 ments of two human skeletons, were aslies, coals, and firebrands. 

 The remains of the skeletons were lying extended on the natural sur- 

 face, and with them were a lance head, a few fragments of pottery, and 

 some stone chips. 



Inclosure B, according to Col. Norris, situated about 600 feet south- 

 west of A, is of the same size and form as the latter, but is so nearly 

 obliterated by the plow that only a few faint traces remain. It seems 

 to have had an inside ditch and a gateway ojiening toward the north- 

 west, opposite which stands mound No. 4 of the plat. It is proper to 

 state, however, that Mr. Middleton failed to find sufficient traces of 

 this inclosure to justify giving it exact form on his plat. 



Mound No. 1, locally known as the "Oriel mound," is midway be- 



