452 



MOUND EXPLORATIONS. 



must belong with them. The relative positions are correctly indicated 

 in the figure. The distances from center to center are as follows: 



From 1 to 2 

 From 2 to 3 

 From 3 to 4 

 From 4 to 5 



Feet. 

 120 

 120 

 155 

 180 



From 1 to 5 

 From 1 to G 

 From 6 to 7 

 From 7 to S 



Feet. 

 255 

 485 

 365 

 800 



Lying S. 20° W. from 1 is a large mound, about half a mile distant, 

 in plain view. S. 50° E. about one-third of a mile is another, uot visi- 

 ble by reason of a low intervening ridge. About 1 mile S. 30° E. was 

 formerly an iuclosure, now entirely destroyed. Nothing definite could 

 be ascertained regarding its size or .shape. It had been locally known 

 as the Indian fort, and was on a hill overlooking the group. There is 

 a good spring within 150 yards of 8, and another 200 yards southwest 

 of 1. From 1 to the nearest \)ouit ou Straight creek is half a mile in a 

 northwest direction. The descent from the mounds to the creek is 

 about 500 feet and very steep. A luimber of relics were found in 1 

 some years since. It has never been opened to the bottom. A small 

 cache of very fine, large, leaf-shaped kiiives of Flint Eidge stone was 

 exposed by the plow near by. 



STONE GUAVE.S. 



On nearly every pi'ominent' hill in the neighborhood of Ripley are 

 stone graves, some small, apparently the burying places of a single in- 

 dividual, others large enough to contain a number. Nearly all of these 

 graves have been disturbed by the persons on whose farms they are 

 situated, either through curiosity or to utilize the stone. Very few 

 have ever yielded any relics, and then only a celt or a few arrowheads. 

 Over twenty different places were vi.sited where it was claimed the 

 graves were undisturbed before any were found intact. 



Four miles east of Ripley, on a hill 500 feet high, overlooking the 

 valley of Eagle creek and commanding an extensive view in every 

 direction, were two that had never been opened. 



The first was inclosed by a circle of large, flat limestone slabs set on 

 edge, and measui'cd 15 feet in diameter. The slabs fitted closely or 

 slightly overlapped, and the space thus inclosed was on the same level 

 as the siuTounding surface; it was filled mostly with stones similar to 

 those around the edge, with only enough dirt to fill the spaces between. 

 The mass of earth and stone was removed to a depth of 15 inches, 

 when large, fiat rocks, lyiiig horizontally, were reached. One of these 

 being removed disclosed the yellow clay subsoil beneath. This was dug 

 into about 2 feet, to make sure it was in place. There was nothing 

 to show that the edges of the slabs had been dressed, yet they fitted 

 so closely that only very small cracks were between them at any place 

 and formed a floor over the whole space inclosed. Lying directly upon 

 this rock floor, with head east, was an extended skeleton badly broken 



