454 MOUND EXPLORATIONS. 



slabs arouDd it, some of wliicli were perpendicular, but most of them 

 variously inclined. The space within, measuring 19 feet across, was 

 ou a level with the surrounding surface of the ground. Beginning 

 at the south edge, at first only dirt and small broken stones in about 

 equal parts, were found ; the yellow subsoil was 14 inches below the 

 top, and the position of the broken stones showed they had been 

 thrown in directly upon it. Six feet from the south side was a row of 

 large slabs, the tops being above the ground and the bottom edges 

 sunk into the yellow clay. Before these were disturbed the earth 

 around them was removed and the stones and dirt within the entire 

 circle thrown out, when it was seen that the slabs were arranged in the 

 form of an ellipse 13 by 9^ feet, with the longer axis east and west. 

 All the slabs of the south half of this ellipse sloped inwardly and over- 

 lapped, the western edge of every one being placed over the eastern 

 edge of the next one. On the north side they were so displaced by the 

 roots of some trees that the arrangement could not be made out; pre- 

 sumably it was the same as on the opposite side. Two feet within this 

 ellipse (on the south side) was another row of large slabs reaching 

 fi'om end to end in nearly a straight line, with the tops leaning inward; 

 on the north side were similar slabs, but the roots had moved them 

 about so that it was impossible to say whether they corresponded with 

 the others or not. Finally there were two rows within these just men- 

 tioned, with the tops leaning outward (away from the center) on each 

 side; this trough-like inclosure was 11 by 2 feet. Several large stones 

 were lying on or partly across this, their position showing they had 

 been laid over the top as boards are placed over a coftin. Within this 

 box was a number of fragments of badly decayed bones. Enough were 

 found to prove that at least one skeleton had been interred, extended 

 with head to the east, and that it had been the frame of a strongly- 

 built person of medium height. In addition to these there were found 

 here some pieces of the bones of a very young child. The femora were 

 lying in the proper position relative to each other, but so close that 

 the heads were in contact. All the space within the larger ellipse was 

 paved with flat stones lying ou the subsoil, as in the first grave, though 

 they were somewhat smaller in this one. No traces of bones were found 

 outside of the box. 



The accompanying Fig. 312 {A denoting the ground plan and B a 

 vertical section north and south) is an attempt to represent as nearly 

 as possible this unusual burial place. The letters a, b, and e indicate 

 the same thing both in the plan and section. The outer circle (a «) is 

 19 feet in diameter, composed of upright stone slabs; b b is the ellipse, 

 the diameters being 13 and 9J feet. The stone slabs forming this ring 

 lean inwards, as shown in the section. The roof shaped, elliptical 

 passage (c c) was composed of two series of stone slabs leaning toward 

 each other and meeting at the top; d d denote the surface soil and e e 

 the clay subsoil on which the paving stones rest. 



