ANTIQUITIES OF THE OUACHITA VALLEY. 83 
20 by 25 yards, where the skeletons had been found before our coming. Burials 
also were met with between the mound and this area, as well as a short distance 
farther east. In addition, several burials were encountered in a few very restricted 
areas near together, almost at the eastern end of the field. | 
The burials lay (with the exception of those in a pit to which we shall refer 
later) none deeper than 32 inches and some at a depth considerably less than that; 
but none was immediately below the surface, and there was no evidence that the 
plow had been in contact with any burial, 
Boytt's Field is on comparatively high ground, which is seldom submerged, 
and the part of the field in which the burials were encountered is higher than most 
parts of the remainder of the field. 
Fifty-five burials were discovered by us, not taking into account a considerable 
number of human bones which had been widely scattered by the aborigines in dig- 
ging successive graves. It was impossible for us to determine how many individuals 
were represented by these disturbed bones, but probably eight or ten would be a 
fair estimate. When parts of a skeleton had been disturbed, but all the bones had 
not been scattered, the burial is described as an aboriginal disturbance. 
The forms of burial were as follows: 
At full length on the back,  . š | EAR | | . 45 
Lying partly flexed on the right side, . ' ' à ; | 2 
Lying partly flexed on the left side? — . i я А ; — 8 
Aboriginal disturbances, — . | А i я А А 5 
The pit to which reference has been made was 4 feet deep and extended 2 feet 
below the dark surface soil. The maximum diameter of the pit was 3.5 feet, so 
near as we could determine. Three skeletons had been disturbed in its making. 
Throughout the pit, here and there, were fragments of musselshells, some 
bearing traces of fire; charcoal; vertebra and fragments of larger human bones, 
which showed no marks of fire. In addition, throughout the pit were scattered 
fragments of human bones, some calcined and some only charred. These fragments 
were distinctly not a deposit such as one sometimes finds forming a layer of cal- 
cined bones when cremation has been practised as a form of aboriginal burial. 
The condition of the bones found in Boytt's Field varied greatly. Іп one 
locality but few were saved ; in other places the condition of the bones was better. 
There was no orientation as to the heads of the skeletons. 
Burial No. 36, an adult, lying at full length on the back, had the skull turned 
from the skeleton, in a way to show detachment at the time of interment. In 
addition, the mandible was missing. 
A number of skulls and many other bones of the skeletons from this cemetery 
were sent to the United States National Museum. 
With the exception of earthenware vessels, but few artifacts were discovered 
in the Boytt's Field Cemetery, and curiously enough, no objects of any sort lay 
with burials of children. | | E 
! In two cases the forearms were bent against the upper arms. mme | 
2 In ae instance the left arm was raised, with the forearm across the top of the head. 
