OF THE BUREAU OF ETHNOLOGY. XLI 
After the presentation of much evidence, some of which, 
the product of recent explorations, is equally surprising and 
convincing, the general conclusions of the paper are submitted 
as follows: 
First. That different sections were occupied by different 
mound building tribes, which, though belonging to much the 
same stage in the scale of culture, differed in most instances 
in habits and customs to a sufficient extent to mark, by their 
modes of burial, construction of their mounds, and their works 
of art, the boundaries of the respective areas occupied. 
Second. That each tribe adopted several different modes of 
burial, depending, in all probability, to some extent upon the 
social condition, position, and occupation of the deceased. 
Third. That the custom of removing the flesh before the 
final burial prevailed very extensively among the mound 
builders of the northern sections, the bones of the common 
people being often gathered together and cast in promiscuous 
heaps, over which mounds were built. 
Fourth. That usually some kind of religious ceremony was 
performed at the burial, in which fire played a prominent part; 
but, notwithstanding the very common belief, there is no evi- 
dence whatever that human sacrifice was practiced. 
Fifth. That there is nothing found in the mode of construct- 
ing these mounds, nor in the vestiges of art they contain, to 
indicate that their builders had reached a higher culture status 
than that attained by some of the Indian tribes found occupy- 
ing the country at the time of the first arrival of Europeans. 
Sixth. That the custom of erecting mounds over the dead 
continued to be practiced in several localities in post-Colum- 
bian times. 
Seventh. That the character and condition of the ancient 
monuments and the relative uniformity in the culture status 
of the different tribes, shown by the works and the remains of 
art found in them, indicate that the mound building age could 
not have continued in this part of the continent longer than a 
thousand years, and hence that its commencement probably 
does not antedate the fifth or sixth century. 
