SOME ABORIGINAL SITES ON MISSISSIPPI RIVER. 101 
SITE AT AVENUE, PHILLIPS COUNTY, ARK. 
At the settlement of Avenue is a plantation belonging to Mr. R. B. Goalder, 
who resides at Avenue. 
On this plantation, in full view from the road, is а much-spread mound on 
which are a frame building and a number of out-houses. This mound, no doubt, 
was the domiciliary high place of the site.’ 
About one-quarter mile in a SSW. direction from this mound, still on the prop- 
erty of Mr. Goalder, is a ridge about 120 feet by 240 feet, and from 2 to 6 feet in 
height, depending on that part of the surrounding area (which is far from level) 
whence the altitude is taken. 
Here and there on the surface of this ridge, which we were told - been 
under cultivation aboüt six years, bits of flint pshblés, fragments of pottery, burnt 
clay, and particles of human bone were observed. 
A few yards westerly from this ridge is another, about 125 feet by 95 feet and 
approximately З feet in height, which had. almost contiguous another ridge 85 feet 
by 70 feet and about 2 feet in height. These two ridges are on a plantation belong- 
ing to Mr. A. Martin of Henrico, Ark., and are said to have been under cultivation 
for two seasons only. At the time of our visit trunks of trees were still standing 
in the field in which these ridges were. On the larger of these two ridges were a 
few fragments of human bones and indications of aboriginal occupancy in the past, 
but the smaller site had no superficial debris. 
Three days, with seven men to dig, were spent by us in the investigation of 
the three ridges mentioned, which were composed of clay so tenacious that the 
sounding-rod was of little avail and trial-holes only were of service. 
Burials and artifacts were encountered in the two larger ridges only, the burials 
being sixty-two in number, all in graves extending from the surface down, none to 
a depth greater than 2 feet. Some burials already had been disturbed by cultiva- 
tion, and it was evident that in a few years more the pM would have destroyed 
the majority of them. 
The burials were as follows: 
Adults at full length on the back, 3 
Adults partly flexed on the right side, 9 
Adults partly flexed on the left side, 2 
Adult closely flexed on the left side, 1 
Adult extended on the back to the knees, with the legs closely flexed on the 
thighs, 1 | 
A lone skull, 1 
Recent disturbances, of considerable extent, 3 
Infants or children, 3 
Bunched burials, 39 
The bunched burials, in layers or piles of bones, sometimes without skulls, 
sometimes with a number of them, were not determined as to the exact number of 
51 JOURN. А. N. 8. PHILA,, VOL. XIV. 
