THOMAS.] 



OHIO. 



453 



b> the weight of the material above. Only a few fragments of the 

 skull could be obtained ; enough to show that it was a full half inch 

 in thickness. With the exception of a few vertebrie, the bones of the 

 body and u])per extremities were so decayed that they could not be 

 taken out or even uncovered sufficiently for examination, the tough, 

 sticky soil adhering to them so that, when removed from its place, it 

 brought fragments of the bone along with it. The femora were still 

 solid enough to allow the dirt to be 

 scraped away with a knife. They 

 measured 22i inches in length. 

 Lying against the spinal column of 

 the skeleton, just above the posi- 

 tion of the pelvic bones, was a 

 fragnu'ut, about 2 inches across, of 

 a human skull not over one-six- 

 teenth of an inch thick. Besides 

 many small decayed pieces of 

 bones, there were found one other 

 femur of a size to correspond with 

 those of the skeleton, and three 

 femora of ordinary size. These 

 last were lying close together. 

 Why an odd number should be 

 found is not plain. Close watch 

 was kept, but no x>ieces of another 

 were seen. The bones of the ex- 

 tended skeleton were in their 

 proper position; so it wouhl seem 

 that a body had been buried soon 

 after death, and at the same time 

 portions of the skeletons of others 

 who had 'died previously were 

 placed in tlie grave. No two of 

 the smaller femora were in a posi- 

 tion such as could have corre- 

 si)onded with a whole skeleton 

 placed in the grave. None of the 

 bones were near the sides of the 

 grave; the skeletou lay nearly across the center, and the other bones 

 were close to its left side. The confused heaping of the stones made it 

 impossible to discover their original method of arrangement; however, 

 it was apparent that they were not the parts of a box grave. Possibly 

 the remains had been covered with logs, and stones piled on the top of 

 these. The grave was on a perfectly level spot. 



Forty yards from this grave was another, on a gentle slope and at a 

 slightly lower level than the first. This also had a circle of limestone 



Fig. 311. — Group of mouuds, Bruwu county, Ohio. 



