260 ABORIGINAL SITES ON TENNESSEE RIVER. 
without success and with but little encouragement as the midden soil was of 
inconsiderable depth. 
DWELLING-SITE ON Mason ISLAND, LIMESTONE COUNTY, ALABAMA. 
About 200 yards below the upper end of Mason Island, which is about four 
miles long, on property of Mr. J. Greer Mason, of Athens, Ala., is a landing 
where, on the border of a cultivated field near the river, is an aboriginal dwelling- 
site of small proportions, marked by the presence of shells on the surface. 
At the upper end of this site is a slight rise of irregular outline, about 60 feet 
by 75 feet in extent, containing much shell, loosely packed, however, and com- 
paratively easy to dig. The maximum depth of the shells and midden soil 
was about 3.5 feet. 
This rise was almost completely dug through by us, yielding fifty-two burials, 
of which twenty-two were of infants or of older children. The adult and adoles- 
cent burials, with one exception, the skeleton of an adult extended on the back, 
were all in some form of flexion, wherever it was possible to determine. There 
had been, however, much disturbance caused by intersecting burials. No 
interments were found at a depth greater than 38 inches, except in the case of 
a grave which will be described in due course. Undisturbed alluvial soil was 
reached about 3.5 feet down. 
The description of all burials accompanied by мА ол is given in detail. 
Burial No. 3, a disturbance. At the feet was a barrel-shaped object of 
limestone, sometimes called an anvil-stone, 3.4 inches in height and 3.5 inches 
in maximum diameter. This particular stone, however, can hardly have been 
used where blows were struck, as the symmetrical depression at each end is 
smooth, in fact almost polished. 
Burial No. 4, adolescent, the bones somewhat disturbed. At the pelvis, 
together, were: a celt of indurated shale, 2.4 inches in length; a pebble about 
5 inches long, resembling a celt in shape; a pebble circular in outline; a com- 
monplace pipe of earthenware, having a band of notches encircling the opening. 
Burial No. 5, a disturbance. Near the skull was an undecorated pot having 
two loop-handles. 
Burial No. 6, partly flexed on the right. Standing in front of the thorax 
(the burial, of course, lying on its side) were a bowl and a bottle without decora- ` 
tion, and a pot having a very rude, cross-hatched, incised design around the 
neck. The skull of this burial, which lay at a depth of 2 feet, was saved. 
Burial No. 8, partly flexed on the left, 32 inches down. Near the skull, 
which was saved, was a small bowl having had as an ornament an effigy of a 
head projecting vertically. 
Burial No. 9, partly flexed to the right. Near the skull were an undecorated 
bottle having a flat, projecting base; an undecorated pot having two loop-handles; 
another pot also with handles, lavine a rude line and punctate decoration on 
the body. 
