346 CERTAIN ABORIGINAL REMAINS OF THE NW. FLORIDA COAST. 



showed that no cranial compression had been practised. Burials were first met 

 with in the eastern margin, but. later, were encountered throughout the mound. In 

 the eastern part of the mound, after a number of single burials had been met with, 

 a layer of bones was encountered extending in, toward the center, a considerable 

 distance. This deposit, which was counted as a single burial, had with it much sand 

 dyed with hematite. 



In the western part of the mound, about midway between the margin and the 

 center, began a thin layer of oyster-shells on which la}^ several burials. Two burials 

 lay with oyster-shells, locally. Two others had ''celts" nearby, while with two 

 more were a few small shell beads. 



Unassociated, was a nodule of chert, the shape of a finger slightl}^ bent and 

 about its length, with double its diameter. At one end is a certain amount of chip- 

 ping, seemingly preliminary to making a cutting tool. There were also in the 

 mound an arrowhead of chert and a ball of lime rock about 1 inch in diameter. 



Earthenware was represented in the mound by a few sherds of markedly 

 inferior ware, some having a slight admixture of sand in the clay. In the way of 

 decoration sherds bore the small check stamp, a rude punctate marking and. in one 

 case, a pinched design. A small, undecorated bowl, with a hole knocked through 

 the bottom, fell Avith caved sand. 



Mounds near Horseshoe Point, Lafayette County. 



These mounds, in thick hammock, on property of the East Coast Lumber Com- 

 pany, lie near the edge of the marsh, somewluit to the north of Horseshoe Point. 

 A visitor would find it to his advantage to follow a road about two miles in a north- 

 easterly direction from the landing. 



The principal mounds, three in number, lie in sight of one another and are near 

 considerable shell deposits. A large fresh-water pond is nearby and a natural water- 

 way to the Gulf, doubtless available for canoes, ends in sight of the mounds, which 

 are surrounded now, as no doubt the}' were in former times, by hammock-trees, 

 including tall palmettoes and magnolias. 



The mound nearest the Gulf was built on the end of a shell-heap, a part of the 

 mound extending over to the general level beyond. Its outline was circular : its 

 diameter, 40 feet ; its height above the shell-heap, 6 feet. A great trench had been 

 dug from the SE. margin to the center. The remainder of the mound was practi- 

 cally demolished by us. 



A number of burials wei'e met with at various points in the mound. No 

 flattening was apparent on the skulls, which, however, were not in a condition to 

 save. 



Mainly from the western side and from near the center, comparatively near the 

 surface, were ten vessels of inferior ware, all found singly. None of these bore 

 incised decoration, save one, which had two encircling lines. One sherd, however, 

 of the few found in the mound, was of excellent ware and bore a carefully incised 

 conventionalized bird's wintr. 



