THOMAS.) 



WEST VIRGINIA. 



439 



botli ancient and modern, are found, the uppermost tier being a foot 

 below the present surface. Half a mile above this is a field in which 

 were three small niDunds, two of which are now leveled. The surface 

 for 3 or 4 acres in extent is literally covered with potsherds, shells, and 

 fragments of stone implements. A quartz pipe with bowl formed and 

 stem hole partially perforated was found here. The maker seems to 

 have given up his job of boring it out after the outside had been brought 

 to the desired form. 



Midway between Guy an dotte and Huntington are traces of an inclo- 

 sure and hamlet site on a bottom high above the greatest floods. It was 

 evidently long occupied, as a great number of relics have been found 

 here. J<early all of it has disappeared by the caving in of the banks. 



About 1 mile west of Barboursville, on a hill nearly 500 feet above the 

 Guyandotte, overlooking that stream for a long distance and oft'ering a 

 fine position for defense, is a group of mounds (Fig. 303) very modern 

 in appearance; it is stated, however, that large timber covered them 

 when the country was first settled by whites. The old war trail passes 

 immediately south of the group, and there is a fine spring on the slope 

 of the bluff north. The soil around is a compact yellow clay. 



The following table gives their dimensions: 



MOUNDS. 



No. 



Form. 



Irregular . 

 Obloug ... 



...do 



...do 



...do 



Crescent. - 

 Oblong ... 

 Circular . . 

 Oblong ... 

 ...do 



Remarks. 



Feet. 



Excavated in part. 

 Excavated. 

 Not excavated. 

 Excavated. 



Do. 



Do. 



Do. 



Do. 



Do. 

 Not excavated. 



The trenches were run along the natural surface. All disclosed a 

 heap of yellow clay similar to that around the mounds, and nearly all 

 reached at one or more places in the oblong mounds the unmistakable 

 core of older circular ones. At G feet from the edge of No. 7, ujion 

 the natural surface, were two skeletons in a reclining position on the 

 side of the conical central core. At the center of this core was a par- 

 tially decayed skeleton prostrate in, or rather under, a layer of char- 



