290 ABORIGINAL SITES ON TENNESSEE RIVER. 
there was a regular stone box-grave found in Alabama, a State from which no 
stone graves of any kind had been reported by others, hitherto. 
THE RODEN MOUNDS, MARSHALL COUNTY, ALABAMA. 
About 3.5 miles above Guntersville, but on the opposite side of the river, 
is the property of Mr. Benjamin Roden, who lives upon it, widely known as the 
Henry Bottom Place, it being mainly bottom-land bordering the river and 
having formerly belonged for many years to à family named Henry. 
About one-quarter mile in a straight line NW. from the landing on this 
place, in sight from the river-bank, on the low slope of the first line of hills rising 
above the alluvial land were six mounds, within a few yards of one another but 
not in line, one somewhat elongated and resembling a ridge. These mounds 
had all been under cultivation except the two highest (A and B) which a cause- 
way two or three yards in length connected though two others (C and D), we 
were informed, had been plowed over but a short period and at the time of our 
arrival at the place they were covered with small trees and underbrush. The 
remaining two mounds formed part of the field in which they were and regularly 
shared in its cultivation. 
Mr. Roden, who lives on the property, informed us there was no history of 
the finding of aboriginal artifacts on the place, though masses of galena had 
been plowed from some of the mounds. 
Investigation showed that the mounds were composed of rich, dark midden 
loam and of raw clay taken from the underlying soil, in places. Presumably 
the mounds were built when the site was covered with midden loam (which 
through wash, is not the case at present), and those carrying material took it, 
some from the surface, some from the underlying clay after having denuded 
the surface in spots. Thus, as a result, parts of a mound, as stated, were of one 
material, parts of another. 
Individual “dumps” were not apparent as a rule, bands of workers pre- 
sumably, as a general thing, having gone to one spot for material collectively 
and deposited it in the same way. 
In all the Roden mounds, very generally the burials were mere traces of 
bones, sometimes only fragments of skulls. 
MOUND A. 
This symmetrical mound, a blunt cone 50 feet in diameter of base, 9 feet 
6 inches in height according to our measurement (the surface around it was very 
irregular, making exact figures impossible), but proving to be 10.5 feet from the 
summit to the base, first was investigated by us by the aid of a central excavation 
14 feet square, to undisturbed, underlying soil, light in shade, and then was 
completely dug down. 
Altogether sixty-four burials, some represented only by fragments and by 
