THoMAs.i THE TENNESSEE DISTRICT. 579 



earthworks is found at tlie foot of a bluff wliich rises 50 feet above the 

 bottom hinds of the Tennessee river. There is in this instance, how- 

 ever, only a single line of wall with the bastions iH'ojecting' to the front. 

 In the construction of the walls these works bear a remarkable resem- 

 blance to those of "Aztalan" in Jefferson county, Wisconsin. The work 

 in Vanderbnrg county, Indiana, in the group known as "the Angel 

 mounds," heretofore described, evidently belongs to this type and was 

 probably built by the same people. 



"Covered ways," orpassages, protected l)y embankments leading down 

 to an adjacent stream or siting, are found in some of the inclosures of 

 Tennessee, and open gateways through the walls, as well as raised 

 passageways over them, afford the common means of entrance. 



A few inclosures in Kentucky may be noticed as being within the 

 limits of this district. In Fayette county, on a slight hill nea- Xortli 

 Elkhorn creek, is a circular inclosure, consisting of a ditch from which 

 the earth was thrown up to form an embankment. Near this is another 

 work of similar construction, but diflering slightly from the usual type. 

 The circular platform defined by the ditch is on a level with the top of 

 the outside wall, and seems to liave been raised above the natural surfVice 

 of the ridge. A raised pathway on a level with the platform interrupts 

 the ditch on the northwest side. In a hollow between the two last- 

 mentioned works is a shallow ditch inclosing an area of about 82 feet 

 in diameter. An inclosure in the form of an irregular polygon, 

 resembling closely those in western New York, is mentioned in Collins's 

 History of Kentucky as existing in this county. In Montgomery 

 county, in what is denominated the "Old Fort Woods," there are three 

 circular inclosures, each having the inner space excavated. 



Pyramidal mounds, with which are classed all rectangular and trun- 

 cated tumuli, are to be found in most of the inclosures, the usual ar- 

 rangement being as follows: A large truncated mound around which is 

 a space clear of other remains, while scattered through other portions 

 of the inclosed area are smaller conical mounds, stone graves, hut 

 rings, and sometimes pits or excavations. Tliere are occasionally two 

 or three mounds of a larger size in each group or system of earthworks, 

 but there is, as before stated, almost always one that exceeds all the 

 others in its dimensions, and that often contains beds of ashes and 

 hearths of hard-burned earth, indicating that it had been used as a 

 residence site rather than as a burial mound. Isolated groups of 

 mounds, or groups not connected with embankments or any system of 

 works, are of frequent occurrence. A group of this kind, containing 

 between 10 and 50 mounds, is noticed near the mouth of Lost creek, 

 opposite Wabash island, in Union county, Kentucky. Three such 

 groups occur near Uniontowu, in the same county. Some of the latter 

 were burial mounds ; others were without human remains, but contained 



