306 CERTAIN ABORIGINAL REMAINS OF THE NW. FLORIDA COAST. 



Mound near the Mound Field, Wakulla County. 



The mound, very symmetrical, was in hammock Land on the border of cultiva- 

 ted ground known throughout the region as the Mound Field. The mound was 

 about two miles in NE. direction from the landing on Spring creek, on property 

 belonging to Mr. N. R. Walker, the owner of the Spring creek mound. 



The mound had a height of about 9 feet above the surrounding level, though a 

 measurement taken when the mound was in process of demolition, from the summit 

 plateau to undisturbed sand at the base, gave an altitude of about 11 feet. 



The outline of the base was circular, with a diameter of 61 feet. Across the 

 the summit plateau was 15 feet. A graded way about 15 feet wide joined the 

 mound on the west, making the slope less steep on that side than on the others. 

 The length of the causeway before union with the margin of the mound was 18 feet. 



There had been but little previous digging in the mound which, with the 

 exception of a small portion under two great trees, was thoroughly leveled by us. 



Burials were found in twenty one places only, all in the eastern half of the 

 mound, and included the bunch, the single skull, and, on several occasions, two 

 skulls lying side by side. All these burials but two were near the surface, and all 

 were so badly decayed that no determination as to cranial Battening was possible. 

 Two, from near the base, consisted of a bit of femur in one place and two decaying 

 long-bones in another. As the mound throughout was composed of dark, rich, 

 loamy sand and the undisturbed sand beneath was dark brown, we feared, in the 

 early stages of the digging, that we might have passed over graves beneath the base, 

 so few burials were met with. The comparative absence of burials in the body of 

 the mound, however, and the fragmentary condition of those which were found, 

 added to the fact that a great area of the base was dug through to sand unmistak- 

 ably undisturbed, convinced us that burials were not being passed over. We believe 

 that such burials as may not have been found in the mound and in graves below it, 

 had disappeared through decay. 



With the exception of a bit of femur which lay near a vessel of earthenware, 

 perhaps belonging to a pottery de^Dosit, no artifacts were found with the dead. 



Four "celts " lay near the surface, singly, as did a lancehead of chert. There 

 were also in the mound : a large, flat pebble used for smoothing ; another flat pebble 

 roughly chipped on two sides ; mica in several places ; and, together, a smoothing 

 stone, a bit of sandstone and two rough chert arrowheads or knives. 



Beginning in the eastern margin and extending to the center of the mound, 

 along the base and just above it, was the usual deposit of earthenware. 



In this deposit, fifty-eight vessels, all perforate but two or three, were noted, 

 though many others, broken and scattered, must have escaped us. These vessels 

 may be divided into five classes. 



1. — Pots and bowls of ordinary form, mostly of moderate size or small, undeco- 

 rated, the majority- found broken or falling into bits on removal. This class 

 outnumbered all the rest. 



2. — Vessels of ordinary shape, with incised or punctate decoration, a small class 



