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ABORIGINAL SITES ON TENNESSEE RIVER. 393 
MOUND AND SITE ON THE ELDRIDGE PLACE, JAMES COUNTY. 
Going about one-half mile by the road which leads from Eldridge Landing 
to the nearby hills, one passes the remnant of a mound in sight on the right 
of the road, in a eultivated field forming part of the property of Mr. J. F. Eldridge, 
resident on the place. This small elevation had a height of 2.5 feet, a diameter 
of about 50 feet. Midden-debris and fragments of human bones lay on its sur- 
face. 
On digging out most of the central part of this mound it became apparent 
there had been much previous disturbance. Scattered bones, including several 
skulls, were found, with the bones being two celts, one given to Mr. Eldridge, 
and one of diabase, 5 inches in length, fairly well made though the cutting edge 
is not squarely conferred. There were also encountered in the mound six skele- 
tons, the deepest 28 inches down, three of children, and three of adults, all 
closely flexed on the right, heading respectively S., 3. by W., ESE. On the 
surface of the mound lay a graceful, triangular arrowhead of flint. 
On this property, in the level ground, Mr. Eldridge informed us, there had 
been plowed up recently a human effigy of stone, about 1.5 foot in height, which 
a tenant had taken to Chattanooga and was, at that time, in that city endeavoring 
to turn the find to advantage by displaying it in a room to the public, with a 
charge for admission. 
The Eldridge place enjoys the distinction of being the only one on Tennessee 
river in eastern Tennessee where groups of stone graves of the typical box- 
grave variety were encountered by us, though, as will be recalled, a single box- 
grave was found by us at the Bennett Place. 
Over various fields on the Eldridge place were scattered sparsely evidence 
of aboriginal occupancy, including several arrowheads of flint and one of quartz. 
A short distance from the mound already described, debris of this kind could 
be seen and much prodding with steel rods was attempted, but the ground 
being naturally hard, and dry in addition, little effective work could be done. 
However, one stone grave, 7 inches from the surface, which had in part been 
plowed away, was found. The grave, 20 inches by 16 inches by 9 inches deep, 
had a flooring of slabs (as had all the stone graves seen by us at this place), and 
contained the skeleton of a child closely flexed on the right. About 300 yards 
ENE. from the mound, in a field of wheat, at the foot of the hills, slabs of lime- 
stone, of which material were all the slabs found here, lay on the surface. We 
were informed that a number of stone graves had been plowed into at this place, 
the contents of some of which had been examined. We were also informed, 
though the tidings were not of an encouraging nature, that in all the graves 
opened on the property, nothing had been found other than bones. 
Three stone graves were found here by the use of the rod. 
Burial No. 1. The slabs of this grave had been displaced and the bones in 
the main removed. 
40 JOURN. A. N. 8. PHILA., VOL. XVI. 
