Tuomas.] MOUNDS IN BURKE COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA. he 
The basin-shaped fire-bed, No. 9, reminds us very strongly of the so- 
called altars of the Ohio mounds, and may possibly assist us in arriving 
at a correct conclusion concerning these puzzling structures. 
A mound opened by Dr. J. M. Spainhour in Burke County, some 
years ago, presents some variations, though, so far as the posture and 
relative positions of the skeletons are concerned, reminding us of those 
in Caldwell County. The following extract is from the article contain- 
ing the description :! 
Digging down I struck a stone about 18 inches below the surface, which was 
found to be 18 inches long and 16 inches wide and from 2 to 3 inches in thichness, the 
corners rounded. It rested on solid earth and had been smoothed on top. 
I then made an excavation in the south of the mound, and soon struck another 
stone, which upon examination proved to be in front of the remains of a human 
skeleton in a sitting posture; the bones of the fingers of the right hand had been rest- 
ing on the stone. Near the hand was a small stone about 5 inches long, resembling 
a tomahawk or Indian hatchet. Upon a further examination many of the bones 
were found, though in a very decomposed condition, and upon exposure to the air 
they soon crumbled to pieces. The heads of the bones, a considerable portion of the 
skull, jaw-bones, teeth, neck-bones, and the vertebre were in their proper places. 
Though the weight of the earth above them had driven them down, yet the frame 
was perfect, and the bones of the head were slightly inclined toward the east. Around 
the neck were found coarse beads that seemed to be of some substance resembling 
chalk. 
A small lump of red paint, about the size of an egg, was found near the right side 
of this skeleton. From my knowledge of anatomy, the sutures of the skull would 
indicate the subject to have been twenty-five or twenty-eight years of age. The top 
of the skull was about 12 inches below the mark of the plow. . 
I made a further excavation in the west part of this mound and found another 
skeleton similar to the first, in a sitting posture, facing the last. A stone was on 
the right, on which the right hand had been resting, and on this was a tomahawk 
which had been about 7 inches in length, broken into two pieces, and much better 
finished than the first. Beads were also on the neck of this one, but were much smaller 
and of finer quality than those on the neck of the first; the material, however, seemed 
to be the same. A much larger amount of paint was found by the side of this than 
the first. The bones indicated a person of larger frame and I think of about fifty 
years of age. Everything about this one had the appearance of superiority over the 
first. The top of the skull was about 6 inches below the mark of the plow. 
I continued the examination, and after diligent search found nothing at the north 
part of the mound, but on reaching the east side found another skeleton, in the same 
posture as the others, facing the west. On the right side of this was a stone on which 
the right hand had been resting, and on the stone was also a tomahawk about 8 
inches in length, broken into three pieces, much smoother and of finer material than 
the others. Beads were also found on the neck of this, but much smaller and finer 
than on those of the others, as well as a large amount of paint. The bones would in- 
dicate a person of forty years of age. The top of the skull had been moyed by the 
plow. 
There was no appearance of hair discovered ; besides, the principal bones were 
almost entirely decomposed, and crumbled when handled. 
A complete exploration of this mound, the dimensions of which are not 
given, would possibly have shown that the skeletons were arranged 


‘Smithsonian Report, 1871, pp. 404, 405. 
