426 



MOUND EXPLORATIONS. 



upon tlie left side, head west. About it were the remains of black wal- 

 nut bark, in Avhich it had been buried. The skull showed very jilainly 

 the flattening of the front. Below this nothing of interest was observed 

 nor any change of material, except some small deposits of ashes evi- 

 dently carried in with diit until the depth of 12 feet was reached, 

 where the fragments of a black walnut log were found; judging by the 

 very distinct cast, tliis log must have been 12 inches in diameter and 

 several feet in length, as it was traced into the wall of the shaft. 



At the depth of 14 

 feet a rather large hu- 

 man skeleton was found, 

 which was in a ])artially 

 uxiright position with 

 the back against a hard 

 day wall. Around it 

 were the remains of the 

 bark wrapping in which 

 it had been inclosed. 

 All the bones werebadly 

 decayed, except those of 

 the left wrist, which had 

 been preserved by two 

 heavy copper bi'acelets. 

 Here was a commingled 

 mass of rotten timber, 

 decayed bark, and loose, dark earth. It was apparent from the indi- 

 cations that the shaft had entered a large vault, the timber-covered 

 roof of which had given away to the heavy pressiue above and tumbled 

 in, thus accounting for the depression in the top of the mound. 



Nineteen feet Itom the top the bottom of 

 this debris was reached, where, in the remains 

 of a bark coffin, a skeleton, measuring 74 feet 

 in length and 19 inches across the shoulders, 

 was discovered. It lay on the bottom of the 

 vault stretched horizontally on the back, head 

 east, arms by the sides. Each wrist was en- 

 circled by six heavy cop])er bracelets, similar 

 to that shown in Fig. 20!), which represents one 

 of the twelve. A fragment of the bark wraj) 

 ping preserved by contact with the copper 

 shows that it was black walnut bark. A piece of dressed skin, which 

 bad probably formed part of the inner wrapi)ing, was also preserved 

 by the copper. From the clay with which this was connected we may 

 possibly infer that the body was lirst wrapi)ed in a dressed skin, this 

 plastered over with a coating of clay (it seemed to be clay and ashes 

 mixed), and this surrounded by the bark. Upon the breast was a cop- 

 per gorget, shown in Fig. 300; length, 3i inches; greatest width, 3^ 



. 299. — Copper bracelet ironi luouiid No. 21, Kau.i^v li; 

 AVest Virginia. 



■ounty, 



P'iG. 3UU. — Copper gorget, Moimd 

 No. 21, Kanawha county, W.Va. 



