TROMAS.I STOXE GKAVES. 891 



Sometimes one or more of the six faces are wanting-; occasionally the 

 bottom consists of a layer of waterworn bowlders; sometimes the top 

 is not a single layer, but other pieces are laid over the joints, and some- 

 times they are placed shingle fashion. They vary in length from l-t 

 inches to 8 feet, and in width from 9 inches to 3 feet. It is not an 

 iiniisnal thing' to And a mound containing a number of these cists 

 arranged in two, three, or more tiers. As a general rule those not in 

 mounds are near the surface of the ground, and in some instances even 

 projecting above it. It is probable that no one who has examined them 

 has fiiiled to note their strong resemblance to the European mode of 

 burial. l']ven Dr. Joseph Jones, who attributes them to some "ancient 

 race," was forcibly reminded of this resemblance, as he remarks: "In 

 looking at the rnde, stone coflflns of Tennessee, I have again and again 

 been impressed with the ide<i thatm some former age this ancient race 

 must have come in contact with ICuropeans and derived this mode of 

 burial from them.'' ' 



After a somewhat lengthy review of the various modes of burial 

 practiced by the aborigines of America he arrives at the following 

 conclusion: "We have now carefully examined at the modes of burial 

 practiced by the American aborigines, in extenso, and it is evident that 

 the ancient race of Tennessee is distinguished from all others by their 

 l)eculiar method of iuterment in rude, stone cofdns. Whilst the custom 

 of burying the dead in the sitting posture was almost universal with 

 the various trilies and nations of North and South America, the :incient 

 inhabitants of Tennessee and Kentucky buried most commonly in long, 

 stone graves, with the bodyrestingat length, as amongcivilized nations 

 of the present day in Enrojie and America.''-' 



Since the publication of Dr. Jones's paper much additional informa- 

 tion in regard to these graves has been obtained, and the area in which 

 they occur has been greatly extended, l)ut the result has been, as will 

 be seen in the sequel, rather to c<uihrm than to dispiove the opinion 

 here expressed. Graves of the same character have been observed in 

 northern (xeorgia, in the lower portions of eastern Tennessee, in the 

 valley of the Delaware river, at various points in Ohio and in southern 

 Illinois. Yet. strange as it may seem, all these places were at one 

 time or another occupied by the same people who formerly dwelt in the 

 ("nndierland valley, or by closely allied tribes. 



It appears from these facts that this is an ethnic characteristic, though 

 depending upon the presence of the proper materials. Our next step 

 is to prove that the same mode of burial was adopted by one or more 

 of the Indian tribes of historic times. 



Dr. Jones, although believing in the great antiquity of these works, 

 was, as already noticed, so strongly impi'essed with the resemblance to 

 the European mode of burial that he exjiresses the belief that "in 

 some former age this ancient race must have come in contact with 



' Aboriginal RemainB, Tenn., pp. 35; Sm. Cont., Vol. x.xii. '^ rbid., p. 34. 



