ABORIGINAL SITES ON TENNESSEE RIVER. 303 
in this remnant, as it served as a kind of bulwark to stay the rush of water in 
times of freshets, and as the mound probably had been of the domiciliary class 
it is unlikely much would have been gained from digging it, even had it been 
intact. 
Beginning immediately at the lower, or down-river, side of the mound, is a 
great, level space about one-half mile in length, broadening as the island expands 
from its pointed extremity, and having over the surface, here and there, frag- 
ments of flint or of coarse, shell-tempered pottery. Judging from its appearance, 
all this area has been an aboriginal dwelling-site presumably containing scattered 
burials which doubtless were more condensed in several low rises and ridges, 
none probably more than one foot in height, to be seen at intervals over the 
field. 
Unfortunately, all this site was planted in grass, though we obtained the 
privilege to dig through two spaces in it, one 50 feet by 60 feet enclosing a small 
rise, and another 50 feet square which included part of a ridge, both being but 
a short distance from the mound. 
In the rise were eighteen burials," of which thirteen were of adults, one of 
an adolescent, and five of infants or of older children. Of the adult burials 
eleven were of the flexed variety, one was extended on the back, one was a dis- 
turbance. The adolescent lay at full length on the back. 
These burials were grouped toward the center of the rise and lay from near 
the surface to a depth of nearly 6 feet, this latter measurement being of a grave 
extending 8 inches into undisturbed sand. In other parts of the rise, however, 
made-ground, which in places had at its base 4 or 5 inches of broken musselshells 
and loamy sand, of which latter material the made-ground was mainly composed, 
had a depth of more than 6 feet. 
It seemed to us, however, that the deposit in this place was not entirely due 
to aboriginal occupancy, as thin layers were present in the lower part of it which, 
being of pure sand, might have been deposited by the river in high water, while 
that part of the site, though occupied, was lower than it is at present. However, 
we could not definitely determine this matter. 
The burials in the rise apparently had been made in shallow graves at various 
periods in the growth of the site, as above some of these graves was undisturbed 
soil of considerable depth. 
We shall now describe each burial from the rise that presented any feature 
of interest, including all with which artifacts were found. 
Burial No. 1, partly flexed to the right, having at the head a fairly symmetrical 
bottle with wide mouth, undecorated and of inferior ware. 
Burial No. 4, at full length on the back, the arms and forearms alongside 
the trunk. Crossing the right forearm, the cutting edge inward, was a beautiful 
ceremonial axe of indurated shale, 6.9 inches in length, having a countersunk 
1 Burial No. 5 included a child and an infant. 
