THOMAS.] WEST VIRGINIA. 417 



carefully spread a floor mainly of elm bark (6), the inner side up. Upon 

 this was spread a layer of fine white ashes, clear of charcoal, resem- 

 bling those of hickory bark, probabably 6 inches thick originally, 

 though now not over an inch. On this the body was placed and cov- 

 ered with similar bark. Ten other skeletons, all buried in the same 

 manner, were found at this point, arranged five on each side in a semi- 

 circle with the feet turned toward, but not quite touching, the one just 

 mentioned. Owing to the crushed and decayed condition of the bones, 

 it was impossible to decide iTOsitively as to the size and position. It is 

 believed that all were adults of medium size and placed extended on 

 their backs in bark wrappings. With each skeleton on the eastern 

 side of the center, was a fine, apparently new or unused, lance head 

 and by the side of the northern one of these five a fish dart, three 

 arrow heads, and some decayed mussel shells. Although careful 

 search was made, nothing was found with the five on the western 

 side. With the centi-al one, in addition to what has been mentioned, 

 were six shell beads, and a flint lance head similar to those on the east- 

 ern side though larger. Near it was a hollow, conical mass or vault of 

 very hard earth (d) nearly 4 feet high and fully 5 feet in diameter, the 

 inner edge of which was in a line with and nearly touching the heads 

 of the skeleton. This vault was partially filled with rotten wood, bark, 

 human and other bones and a dark substance, apparently decayed mat- 

 ter of some kind. It was so loose as to be easily scratched out with 

 the hands or a garden rake. The natural surface under this had been 

 scooped out in basin shape to the depth of 2 feet and a breadth of 5 

 feet. In the central part of this were two circular holes each 16 inches 

 in diameter, 4 feet deep and 6 inches from one another in an east and 

 west line. They were lined with a kind of bluish clay and partly filled 

 with water. About 3 feet down was a cross communication between 

 them as shown in the figure, large enough to thrust the arm through ; 

 the hole to the east was about 4 inches deeper than the other. A flint 

 spear head was found in each hole. Similar pairs of holes, ranging in 

 depth from 2 to 3 feet and in diameter from 8 to 12 inches, were found 

 beside the heads of each of the ten surrounding skeletons. 



Col. Norris and Mr. Thurston, of Charleston, who assisted in exca- 

 vating this mound, are of opinion that these 11 persons were buried at 

 one time, possibly after the flesh had decayed from the bones in other 

 depositories, or perhaps in the flesh after a battle, and that the central 

 one was a person 'of importance. They seem to have been buried as 

 above described in a timber-walled structure at least 16 feet in diame- 

 ter, 6 or 8 feet high at the eaves, and conically roofed. The small cen- 

 tral clay vault was probably a burial vault similar to those found in 

 North Carolina mounds. It is worthy of notice in this connection that 

 the mound in Sullivan county, Tennessee, figured on a preceding page, 

 contained one central vault and eleven surrounding ones. 

 12 ETH 27 



