THOMAS] PENNSYLVANIA. . 495 



On the eastern side of this level, near the break of the ravine, and 

 dose to a never-failing' spring', stands the largest inonnd above the one 

 at McKee's rooks, nieasfiring '.) feet in heiglit by (50 feet in diameter. 

 Beginning on the eastern side, a 0-foot treneh was rnn in for o.") feet. 

 At 17 feet from the point of beginning ■was found a thin layer of (thar- 

 coal and burnt dirt, which at this point was between 3 and 4 feet from 

 the original surface. This, which seems to have resulted from burning- 

 weeds and trash that had sprung up when the building was temporarily 

 arrested at this stage, continued for 12 feet with an upward slope nearly 

 corresponding with that of the toj) of the mound, showing that tlie lat- 

 ter had been built from the center upward and outward, and not by a 

 succession of horizontal layers. This is further shown by the arrange- 

 ment of the dift'erent sorts of dirt used in its construction, which show 

 a central core or nucleus, with the successive deposits extending over 

 it from side to side. Underlying the bottom of the mound was a tough 

 gray clay, varying in thickness. On this the mound had been built up. 

 At the center a hole nu'asuriiig 3 feet aci-oss the top anil 2 feet across 

 the bottom had been dug down li feet into the original soil. In this 

 were fragments of human bones too soft to be preserved. They indi- 

 cated an adult of large size. The gray clay was unbroken over this 

 hole. Directly over this, above the clay and resting upon it, were i)or- 

 tions of another large skeleton, with which was found ])art of an 

 unburned clay tube or pipe. About 5 feet southwest of the las-f men- 

 tioned skeleton, and on the same level, were a few fragments of bones, 

 a copper gorget or breasti)late, some small pieces of a gorget made 

 apparently of stalagmite, and i)ieces of thin copper plate. The copper 

 gorget was rectangular in tbrm, 3 by 4^ inches in size, witli incurved 

 sides, and had two holes on the longer axi.j. It had been doubled over 

 along this axis until the opposite sides were in contact and then ham- 

 mered down flat. These, with some traces of charcoal and woody fiber, 

 were lying flat upon the gray clay, extending over a space 2 feet across. 

 The layer contained only traces of wood, as though the skeleton had 

 been covered or surrounded by thin slabs or bark, there being no indi- 

 catioii that logs or large pieces liad been used. T(j the large piece of 

 copper was adhering something like wood, which was rubbed off before 

 its nature could be determined, and some fragments of a leather or 

 buckskin string were preserved with it. On one of the smaller pieces 

 was some kind of fur. Four feet west of the center, a foot above the 

 bottom, were fragments of bones and skull. 



These four skeletons had either been buried in a sitting postuie or 

 doubled up on the side, or else only the bones had been interred. All 

 the fragments were lying confusedly together. It seems probable that 

 they were either buried in a sitting posture or doubled up. as the size 

 of the hole at the center of the mound and the space showing traces of 

 wood (where the copper was Unind) was more than would have been 

 necessary to allow the interment of the bones alone. 



