536 MOUND EXPLORATIONS. 



as the valley of the Yellowstoue. Yet there are broad areas withiu 

 these bounds where neither eiiigies uor elongate mounds have as yet 

 been discovered. 



The use of these elongate embankments is a mystery yet remaining 

 to be satisfactorily solved. That they were not intended as burial 

 places is proved by excavations, the tindiug of human remains in them 

 being of very rare occurrence, and these, in some, if not most instances, 

 beiug evidently intrusive or subsequent burials. Rev. S. D. Peet 

 expresses the opinion that they were chiefly used as game drives. He 

 thinks it jjossible that a wooden or brush screeu of some kind extended 

 along the top as a means of forcing the animals in the desired direc- 

 tion, while hunters hidden behind the earthen ridges could shoot into 

 the herd as it passed along withiu the lines. However, the necessity 

 in such arrangement for the embankment is not obvious. 



A somewhat unique variety of this class of mounds occurs along the 

 Souris river in southern Manitoba and the adjoining portion of North 

 Dakota. These, some of which are shown in Figs. 1 and 2, differ from 

 the ordinary elongate tumuli only in the fact that they have a mound- 

 like enlargement at each end. The only example given by Lapham is 

 found on his PI. 13. As these terminal expansions do not appear to 

 have been intended for burial ])urposes they may be considered as in- 

 termediate forms between the preceding tyi)e and that which follows. 



LINES OF CONXECTED MOUNDS. 



Another class of works which appears to be peculiar to this district 

 consists of series or rows of low, conical mounds connected by low, 

 wall-like embankments. Examples of this class may be seen in Lap- 

 ham's PI. 48, and in some of the figures of the preceding Field Report, 

 relating to Crawford county, Wisconsin. The walls of Fort Aztalan ' 

 are composed chiefly of connected series of this type, a fact worthy of 

 special notice, as it justifies us in attributing this remarkable groui) of 

 works to the authors of the elongate and efiigy mounds. The intimate 

 relation between tlie elongate and efiigy mounds convinces everyone 

 that the two classes are attributable to the same people. The transi- 

 tion from the simple, elongate form to the connected series is too evi- 

 dent to he overlooked. 



Excavations have been made in quite a number of these connected 

 tumuli by the Bureau agents, but generally without any other result 

 than finding them to be simple heaps of dirt with occasional indications 

 of fire. In one opened by Lapham at Aztalan were found the remains 

 of two skeletons which he supposed had been buried in a sitting pos- 

 ture, though it is quite as likely they were bundled. In the mounds of 

 this fort were burnt clay and charred grass, from which it seems prob- 

 able that they were dwelling sites. In fact the only reasonable sugges- 



' Antiii. Wis., PI. :i4. 



