AN ERIE INDIAN VILLAGE AND BURIAL SITE 



477 



and on the east side to the dedivity that formed the bank of the 

 eastern hillside. This bank ran at nearly right angles to the knoll 

 proper, the whole eastern slope forming an arm that sloped down 

 to the level just above the creek. On the southern bank of this 

 arm were refuse dumps. The east arm was post holed at 

 intervals of a rod, 220 holes being dug. Hardly a sign of occu- 

 pancy was found except near or along the level. There was no 

 " occupied soil " or " Indian dirt," the soil being in general a stiff 

 clay mixed wdth sand and gravel and much more compact than the 

 top soil on the level. 



An examination of the surface of the village site led to the dis- 

 covery of a circular earth belt, a part of which was cut off by 'the 



Fig I \^iew of cliffs at northeastern end of the village site. Every year as the frost 

 and water wear down the shale the earth above slides down into the lake exposing pits 

 and relics. A recent landslide is shown at X in the picture. 



lake bank. On either side of this earth ring were pits and occupied 

 soil. The signification of this belt is discussed hereinafter under 

 the title " Simificance of some of the data." 



Diminution of the village plot by the encroachment of the lake 



It is highly probable that most of the village site has been lost by 

 the encroachment of the lake, which eating down the shale cliffs 

 caused land slides [text fig. i]. Certain it is that land is lost in this 



