88 Sioux City Academy of Science and Letters. 



This gives a good idea of the structure of the whole, 

 as subsequent investigations revealed the same forma- 

 tion with small variation in other portions of the mound. 

 Beginning about nine inches from the top soil there are 

 alternate layers of clay, sand, charcoal, black soil, bones 

 and other refuse. The layers vary greatly, froin a mere 

 trace to a foot in thickness. The charcoal layers are not 

 continuous across the mound, but are in patches. In this 

 section nine patches of charcoal were found in a per- 

 pendicular line, indicating that they were thrown there 

 from some fire used elsewhere. In nearly all these 

 patches of charcoal, or near them, are to be found bones 

 of all kinds and sizes, from the small birds to the large 

 deer and buif alo. There is also a large quantity of fresh 

 water clam shells, many of which have marks indicating 

 that they have been in the fire. The greater bulk of the 

 mound is composed of clay taken from the neighboring 

 hills. 



All the tools, pottery and implements here described 

 were found solidly imbedded in the clay or charcoal. 

 Since the mound has been deserted by the builders, elm 

 trees measuring four feet in circumference have grown 

 out of the mound. This, together with the absence of all 

 skins and parts of their tools and weapons, which were 

 necessarily made of wood, is an indication of the length 

 of time that has elapsed since the mound was inhabited. 



Of tools and implements there seems to be no end. 

 They appear to be more numerous than the weapons and 

 instruments of war. 



If these Indians lived like their modern descendants, 

 the female portion of the tribe was permitted to perform 

 most of the labor that pertained to the camp and village 

 life. 



A stretch of the imagination might picture the fair 

 hand of some romantic Indian maiden using these bone 

 needles sewing skins for her father or lover on the war- 

 path against the hostile neighbors. It is to be feared, 

 however, that such was not the case. 



Bone was the principal article used in the manufac- 

 ture of these tools and implements. Some, however, 

 were made of stone and horn. The stone for the most 



