IgQ BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [bull. 118 



Site No. 22.— FREEL FAEM MOUND 



The William Freel farm lies on the west side of Clinch River 

 about 2 miles southeast of Scarboro, Anderson County, Tenn. 



The particular site referred to herein lies about 1,200 feet from 

 the Clinch River, in the bottom of a rather wide valley with ridges 

 to the east and west. The east ridge begins to rise abruptly about 

 300 feet from the mound, while the west ridge rises gradually to a 

 peak about 3,600 feet away. The mound lies on land which has 

 been in the possession of the Freel family for over 135 years, the 

 present owner being a member of the fourth generation to own and 

 cultivate this farm. The field surrounding the mound has long 

 been in cultivation, but the mound itself has never been disturbed. 

 The surface of the mound was covered with undergrowth and had 

 eight large trees growing on it; the largest, a white oak, measured 

 23 inches in diameter. The roots of the trees had penetrated the 

 entire mound. This root penetration of the mound was the cause, 

 in large measure, of the poor preservation of the skeletal remains 

 found. In most cases the skeletons were so poorly preserved as 

 to make it impossible to determine exactly the original placement 

 of the bodies. 



The mound was a circular earth mound 40 feet in diameter and 

 8 feet above the original ground surface at its midpoint. It was 

 built, in the main, of hard-packed yellow clay containing scattered 

 bits of charcoal. No other evidence of midden material appeared 

 and no potsherds were found. It was evidently erected from clean 

 clay brought on the site to cover bodies laid on the surface. The 

 original surface floor of this mound is shown in plate 126, a. There 

 was no evidence of grave excavation except in one central pit below 

 the original surface of forest floor, in the center of the mound. 

 This pit was 6 feet east and west by 5 feet north and south and 17 

 inches deep. Burial No. 17 had been placed in the pit and the 

 body covered with large stones. These stones were piled up to 

 form a flat circular pile, about 1 foot higher than the mound floor. 

 This circular pile, shown in plate 127, a, was 16 feet 4 inches in 

 diameter and constituted the outstanding feature of the mound. 

 Burial No. 17, and the covering stones, evidently constituted the 

 original increment in the construction of this site. The earth on 

 top of these stones may have been increased in depth from time to 

 time as other burials were added to the mound and covered over. 

 However, no stratification was discernible and no evidence of intru- 

 sion was to be seen. Care was taken to maintain vertical profiles 

 every 5 feet and to keep a clean floor in the trench going down to 

 the hardpan. Wall 2.6-6.6 shows no suggestion of stratification. All 



