592 ■ MOUXD EXPLORATIOMS. 



remaius of leather aiefouud in such relation to the skeleton as to show 

 that the body had been wrapped in buckskin and this surrounded by 

 cane matting. 



The skeletons as a usual thing are found in a horizontal position, but 

 generally without any rule in regard to direction. Exceptional cases 

 occur in which all the bodies in a mound, or most of them, are placed 

 with the head in one direction or in a circle. For example, in a mound 

 of western Florida there were three groups of skeletons, from 7 to 14 

 in a group, those of each group forming a circle, the heads being toward 

 the center. This would indicate that the burial had taken place after 

 the flesh had been removed, or, in other words, that they were brought 

 here at a general burial from other depositories. Examples of bundled 

 skeletons sometimes occur, but these are confined pi'iucipally to the 

 Florida i)eninsula. One mound in which the burials were of this type 

 has been observed in Alabama. Burials in a sitting posture are com- 

 paratively rare, the only examples known being those mentioned by 

 Jones in his Antiquities of the Southern Indians. Burials in con- 

 fused masses or ossuaries are also comparatively rare. The somewhat 

 singularfact was noticed in Yazoo county, Mississippi, of extended and 

 bundled skeletons and round heads and compressed heads in the same 

 mound, which was of comparatively large size. Indications of lire are 

 found in a large portion of the burial mounds of this district. 



An ancient cemetery has been discovered here and there, but the 

 explorers have failed to give sufficient details by which to make com- 

 parisons with the graves of other sections. So far as observed they 

 are mostly in the vicinity of mounds; in some, undoubted indications of 

 contact with the whites have been found, showing them to be of com- 

 paratively recent date. 



BURIAL CAVES. 



Some burial caves iiave been discovered in northern Alabama. In 

 one of these the bodies appear to have been laid in wooden troughs and 

 covered with matting and these placed in crevices, of the rock. In the 

 same cave were several wooden bowls and trays. The floor of another 

 cave was covered to the depth of 4 feet with fragments of human bones, 

 earth, ashes, and stone chips. From this debris two or three spool- 

 shaped, copper ear ornaments were obtained. Around the middle of 

 oue of these was a ])orti(m of the string with wliich tliey were probably 

 wound when in use. 



IN('I.<).SCRE.S AND WALLS. 



Notwithstanding the fi'e(pient mention by the early writers of walled 

 villages in this district, the number of inclosures is much less in pro- 

 portion to the other works than in Ohio. Nor is there sufficient uui- 

 foi'mity to indicate any particular form as the prevailing type; yet we 

 can say confidently that there is nothing in the form or size of these 

 structures to indicate relation to those of the more northern districts. 



