418 



MOUND EXPLORATIONS. 



The next five mounds in order (PI. xxvil) are circular, with dimen- 

 sions as follows: 



The last (No. 8), known locally as the Wilson mound, is within the 

 inclosure marked C. It was partially opened many years ago, and 

 human bones, with several celts and lance heads, were found at the 

 bottom, near the center. It is now used as a burial ground. 



The inclosure (C) is now about obliterated; from the statements of 

 liarties familiar with it, it was nearly square, inclosing about 20 acres, 

 the walls 5 or 6 feet high, and had an interior ditch. 



Mound 9, which stands a short di.stance to the southwest of No. S, is 

 one of the oblong tumuli found in this region — diameters 7.5 and iO feet 

 and height 5 feet. A trench was dug through it, but nothing found of 

 interest. 



The wall of the ancient fort at Spring Hill (see PI. xxvii), shown on 

 an enlarged scale in Fig. 293, has been greatly reduced in height and 

 partly obliterated by long cultivation. It is the only inclosure of tlie 

 entire group located on a hill; is in a position allowing easy defense and 

 supplied with living water. These facts and its large size render it 

 probable that it was a place to which the inhabitants of the extensive 

 village retired in times of danger. It is flanked on each side by a deep 

 ravine and, on the northwest, fronts on a steep bluff fully 100 feet 

 above the level of the valley. The form is somewhat that of a semi- 

 circle, the curved line being on the nearly level land above, while the 

 straight line joining the ends of the curve is a few feet over the edge or 

 break of the bluft". There was formerly, it is said, a ditch around the 

 outside of the southern portion of the curve on the higher level area, 

 but no trace of it now remains. Tlie wall is nowhere 2 feet high or 19 

 feet in breadth. As near as can now be determined, the length of this 

 circular portion from gate to gate is 2,14:4 feet. 



The straight front wall from gate to gate is 1,132 feet long and in no 

 place more than a foot high. There is necessarily a ditch on the inside 

 where the wall is on the slope, as indicated in the sections shown in the 

 figure. The area is somewhat more than 20 acres. There was appar- 

 ently a gateway or entrance at each angle, the eastern one (which can 

 not be clearly traced) being 136 feet wide, the western 123 feet. Near 

 each gateway, inside, is a mound, Nos. 10 and 11. These were formerly 

 of about the same shape and size, each being 8 or 9 feet high. No. 11 

 is now 35 by 40 feet at the base and 4 i'eet high. In the center, 3 feet 

 below the surface, was a vault 8 feet long and 3 feet wide. In the bot- 



