340 ABORIGINAL SITES ON TENNESSEE RIVER. 
Unfortunately, the base of the mound was not determined, as holes sunk 
below the level of the river quickly filled with water, though it was discovered 
that layers of clay reddened by heat and other evidence of the use of fire were 
present somewhat below water-level. However, as no burials were encountered 
at a depth greater than 3 feet, except a stone grave which will be described in 
due course, it is to be hoped that no feature of special importance has been 
omitted from our investigation of this interesting mound. 
About 3 feet below the highest part of the elevation and, of course, corre- 
spondingly less under the slope, was clay reddened by heat. This red clay 
was not in a continuous layer, though it covered most of the area where it was 
found, but seemed to have been spread in various deposits ranging in maximum 
thickness between 2 or 3 and 16 inches, the last being very exceptional. 
Between these deposits of reddened clay, some of which were much more 
extensive than others, were spaces of limited extent but sufficient to prevent 
the deposits from forming a continuous layer. In areas where burials were 
not present, however, and yet red clay was found, this clay was scattered over 
the surface and not arranged in heaps. 
At about the same level, immediately beneath the deposits of burnt clay, 
sometimes individually, sometimes in groups, were burials, charred, burnt, or 
caleined, as the case might be. In spaces between the deposits of clay also 
were a few burials unaffected by fire, while some, partly covered, showed the 
effect of heat only where the clay had rested upon them. Moreover, several 
burials were found on the upper surface of the burnt clay. These burials, 
however, were only parts of skeletons—single skulls in two instances—which 
seemed to have been left over, as it were, then gathered and placed on the clay 
after it had been distributed above the other burials. That the clay was still 
hot when these fragmentary burials were placed upon it, was clearly shown by 
their under surfaces, which were burnt; their upper parts, be it said, showed 
no trace of fire. 
The degree of heat-action exhibited by the bones seemed proportionate to 
the thickness of the reddened clay resting upon them, some being only charred, 
others much burnt, while many were calcined. 
Most of the burials lay in anatomical order, though the bones were often 
in small fragments. A few of the burials, however, were only parts of skeletons 
which probably had been carried out as such from the dead-house and interred 
with entire skeletons the bones of which were still held together by ligaments. 
Below such burials as were beneath the clay was a layer of black material, 
carbonized by heat, an inch or two in thickness. This material was the remains 
of matting, fabric, and other organic matter evident in the carbonized material, 
which probably constituted the lower part of the wrappings of the burials that 
had escaped the fiercer heat above, and also may have included matting placed 
ceremonially on the ground to receive the burials. 
A measurement selected at random in the course of the excavation was as 
