82 Transactions Tennessee Academy of Science. 



Haywood's History, and as shown by traces of their work of ex- 

 ploration. This large mound proved to be a house or temple 

 mound not used for burial. One of the smaller mounds proved 

 to be probably the richest mound ever explored in the United 

 States. It contained one hundred and twenty-five graves. Many 

 of these graves yielded remains of great scientific interest, shed- 

 ding much new light on the habits and thoughts of the aborigines. 

 Some of the bodies buried therein bore insignia of high rank. 

 One man especially must have been of the highest rank. He was 

 buried with four exquisite gorgets on his person. These gorgets 

 were not only of the most elaborate workmanship, but one of 

 them showed decided Aztec influences. The elaborate and much 

 bedecked human figure (holding in one hand the severed human 

 head of an enemy, and in the other a peculiar instrument partak- 

 ing both of the nature of a sword and a war club), engraved 

 thereon being almost an exact counterpart of many similar figures 

 shown in the Aztec codices and on many of the sculptured stones 

 of the Aztecs. 



I show herewith one of the many beautiful cliffs on my be- 

 loved Cumberland River. This cliff is about one mile from Car- 

 thage. At the point touched by arrow-head, opening on a narrow 

 ledge on the edge of a vertical precipice, at least seventy-five feet 

 high, is the small entrance to a most remarkable burial cavern. 

 This entrance is so low and narrow that it is necessary to crawl 

 in. The opening had once been entirely closed with stones, which 

 are yet around the interior of the entrance. This narrow en- 

 trance is on the extreme verge of the precipice, where a careless 

 step would send one to instant death. It opens up into a spacious 

 burial cavern about twelve feet wide and eight feet high and 

 forty feet long. The rock floor has a layer of about six inches of 

 earth. This earth contains the remains of innumerable human 

 bones. On natural ledges of rock around the sides of the cavern 

 were still found many human bones. Tradition says that when 

 this cavern was first opened there was found a considerable 

 amount of pottery and beads. When I explored it these had all 

 been removed. 



At the rear of the cave I found a .small opening, near the roof, 

 which I was able to reach with some difficulty. It was just large 

 enoimh to enalde inc (o crawl tliniuijli il. 1 loi)iii<'- this miijht lead 



