19g BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [bull. 118 



sites — Nos. 2, 6, 9, and 17. Plate 132, a, shows the square altar on 

 the primary floor of Mound No. 1, Site No. 2, Bowman farm. Four 

 9-inch circular basins were located in a clay platform raised 6 inches 

 above the floor. In plate 133, a, is shown what was probably the 

 most elaborate altar found in this survey. It was about 6 feet square 

 and had four circular basins, each 19 inches in diameter, located one 

 in each corner. This altar was on the secondary floor of Mound No. 

 2, Site No. 9, Harris farm. It shows seemingly intentional partial 

 destruction by its former users. Plate 133, &, is this same altar, but 

 shows the fire pit cleared of ashes. It was about 12 inches deep and 

 elliptical in form. Plate 132, £, shows the altar on the primary floor 

 of this same mound — No. 2, Site No. 9. It, too, is square, 44 inches 

 on the side and 2 inches higher than the floor level. It had only one 

 basin, a circle 23 inches in diameter and 4 inches deep. Plate 134, <z, 

 shows the altar in Mound No. 2 of the Harvey Hill site, No. 8. It is 

 here seen protruding from under the remains of the fallen struc- 

 ture. This altar was 2 inches higher than the floor and was 40 by 52 

 inches. It had only one basin, a circular one 18 inches in diameter 

 and 5 inches deep. When found, the basin was filled with white 

 ashes. The remainder of the surface was level and smooth. A por- 

 tion of one quadrant of this altar had been hammered into small frag- 

 ments before the building was burned and fell upon it. 



In plate 134, 5, is shown, for comparison, the altar on the primary 

 floor of Mound No. 1, Site No. 17. This altar, made of white clay 

 foreign to the immediate vicinity, is particularly described under Site 

 No. 17. It consisted of a square clay platform raised above a very 

 definite floor of dark-red clay. The basin in this altar was a modified 

 square with sharp-pointed corners and concave sides. It, too, had 

 been intentionally battered by its prehistoric users. While it rested 

 on a well-made floor, the structure pattern with which it was asso- 

 ciated, if there had, indeed, been a structure, was not found. It 

 cannot, therefore, with confidence be ascribed to either a "small-log" 

 or "large-log" town-house site. However, both types of construction 

 were found elsewhere on this site. In "large-log" town houses found 

 on this site circular fire basins were used, as shown in plate 135, b. 



Fire basins similar to that shown in plate 135, a, were used in 

 dwelling houses on Site No. 17. Since no positive proof was ob- 

 tained of a structure over the floor on which this square altar rested, 

 although such evidence was carefully sought, it may be reasonable 

 to assume that the floor was a yard or open arbor with little or no 

 roof material over it. From the conformation of this altar it seems 

 to have been constructed for the purpose of holding four logs at 

 right angles to each other, end to end, so that they could be burned 

 without rolling out of position. 



