154 CERTAIN ABORIGINAL REMAINS OF THE NW. FLORIDA COAST. 



Fig. 40. — Sherd. Mound near Alligator Bayou. (Half size.) 



about two miles up the bayou. The mound was about 3 feet high and about 40 feet 

 in basal diameter. The ownership of the property is in dispute. 



The mound, which was totally 

 demolished by us. contained nine- 

 teen burials, single skulls Avith a 

 few long-bones, or long-bones with- 

 out skulls, or in two cases, two skulls 

 with long-bones. Above certain of 

 these burials was charcoal. 



AVith one burial was a shell 

 drinking cup. Another burial lay 

 near certain vessels of earthenware, 

 but as these vessels were a continu- 

 ation of a deposit beginning at a con- 

 siderable distance from the remains, 

 we do not believe the earthenware 

 had any direct connection with them. 

 An arrowhead of chert and two 

 rude imitations of spearheads in 

 mica were found, not in immediate association with the dead. 



The result of our investigation in this mound was the old story with which we 

 have become so familiar. In the extreme margin of the eastern part of the mound, 

 preceded by a deposit of miscellaneous sherds and continuing at intervals to the 

 center, were numerous vessels, broken and whole, undecorated in the main, some 

 having the small check stamp, others incised and punctate decoration. Three ves- 

 sels only had the complicated 

 stamp and that around the neck 

 alone. A complicated stamp deco- 

 ration on a sherd is shown in Fig. 

 41. 



All vessels, broken or whole, 

 as far as we could determine, had 

 the usual base-perforation and all 

 lay in masses of sand far darker 

 than the yellow sand of the rest 

 of the mound. 



We shall now describe in de- 

 tail the more interesting vessels 

 from the mound, some of which, 

 taken out in pieces, have been carefully cemented together. 



Vessel No. 1. — A vessel of about 3 pints capacity has a circular neck, flaring 

 into a square outline at the rim. The incised decoration, which is repeated on the 

 opposite side with but .slight variation, is shown in^Fig. 42. 



■***., 



Fig. 41. — Sherd. Mound near Fanning's Bayou. (Three-fourths size.] 



