SOME ABORIGINAL SITES ON RED RIVER. 487 
was devoted to the ceramic art—even some cooking vessels there showing careful 
modeling and profuse decoration, as will be seen later in this report. 
A really remarkable feature—indeed we may call it a unique one—in соппес- 
tion with some of the mounds of the Red river, Arkansas, region, is the great 
depth to which aboriginal grave-pits were carried, one reaching a maximum of 
15.5 feet. Burials are often found elsewhere at considerable depths in mounds, 
but in these cases the mounds have been built up above them, and when deep 
graves are found in dwelling-sites much of the depth is due to the accretion of 
material above the original surface of the grave. But in this southwestern Arkan- 
sas region grave-pits of great depth were dug (as for instance in the remarkable 
mound on the Haley Place), and undoubtedly with aboriginal appliances, since not in 
a single site in this section was any object found indicating contact with white people. 
In our season’s work along Red river thirteen skulls and some other skeletal 
remains were found in a condition to preserve—some in Louisiana, some in Arkan- 
sas. These skeletal remains have been sent as a gift to the United States National 
Museum, and Dr. Ales Hrdlička, in charge of the Division of Physical Anthropology 
of the Museum, kindly has prepared a paper on the most interesting of these 
remains, which will be found at the close of this report. 
All important objects found in our season’s work are displayed at the Academy 
of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia. 
Much of the pottery found was badly broken, but the more interesting pieces 
have been cemented together, sometimes with slight restoration. When such resto- 
ration has been made, however, it has been done with a material differing in shade 
from that of the ware, so that no confusion as to original parts may arise, 
All measurements given in this report are approximate, and all reductions in 
size in the illustrations are linear. 
Dr. M. G. Miller this season, as in all our previous archeological investigations, 
accompanied the expedition as anatomist and has lent assistance in putting this 
report through the press, as he has done in the case of all our previous reports. 
Mr. S. G. Weir, as assistant, and Capt. J. S. Raybon, commander of our 
steamer, aided the expedition in various ways. 
The thanks of the Academy are tendered Prof. F. A. Lucas for identification 
of bones of lower animals; Dr. H. A. Pilsbry and Mr. E. G. Vanatta for deter- 
mination of shells; Mr. F. J. Keeley for identification! of minerals and of rocks; 
Dr. H. F. Keller for chemical determinations; Miss H. N. Wardle for suggestions, 
and aid with the index; and Mr. F. W. Hodge for literary revision of the report. 
The Academy also wishes to express its warmest thanks to owners of prop- 
erties along Red river who, in the most courteous way, placed them at the disposal 
of the Academy for investigation, and who otherwise rendered the expedition every 
assistance that lay in their power. | 
t As sections from the specimens could not be furnished, Mr. Keeley was limited to the surface 
appearance for his determinations. 
