webb] ARCHAEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF NORRIS BASIN 215 



historic times. This is very noticeable in the change in the manner 

 of house construction, as reported by Schneider in 1783. 



Brother Martin Schneider, a Moravian missionary, was sent on a 

 mission to the Over Hill Cherokee, December 1783. Upon his return, 

 he wrote a "report of his journey to the Upper Cherokee Towns." 

 This report was included in his "Diary", which was found in the 

 Moravian Archives at Bethlehem, Pa. The full report is included 

 in Williams, Early Travels in the Tennessee Country. After visiting 

 Tommotly, Kahite, and returning to Sitiko, Brother Martin says : 



Their dwelling houses are blocked up of narrow logs about 7 feet high at 

 the Roof, 14 feet long and 10 feet broad, and are well plastered. They have no 

 windows, the door is very small, and the chimney is fixed on the outside. 

 Every family has, besides the dwelling house, still a smaller Hothouse. This 

 has but a very small opening to creep into it and this is their Abode in cold 

 Weather ; after the Fire which is made in the Middle is burnt down, the coals 

 are covered with Ashes. Their Couches of Cane fixed round about are their 

 Sleeping Places, which they scarce ever leave before nine o'clock in the morn- 

 ing. Then they make again Fire for the whole Day and at Night they make 

 another. The Old People having but little and their children, till they are 10 

 years olds, no Cloathes at all, they could not hold it out in cold weather 

 without such Houses. 



In the Midst of every Town is, as it were, a round Tower of earth about 20 

 feet high almost like a Heap where Coals are burnt, on which is a little House, 

 but which have been mostly burnt down in the last week. Here the first Chief 

 climbs up every Morning at the Time of the Work in the Field, and calls the 

 People with a loud voice together; these must come with their Indian-Corn 

 Hoes, and go together in proper order to Work and tho' every Family has its 

 own Field, yet they begin fellowshiply on one End, and continue so one after 

 the other till they have finished all. 



Concerning the above mentioned Town House I must still mention, that the 

 Chief in Times of War gets up in the Evening when every one must tell him 

 what he had done that Day, what News he has heard, and what he intends to 

 do the next day. 30 



Hawkins, who visited the Cherokee Town of Tellico on Little Ten- 

 nessee Eiver about 1798, states that he saw the town house in the 

 midst of the old village. At that time the village had been deserted 

 and the town house was falling in ruins. It was observed by him, 

 however, that the house had been erected on a mound 12 feet high. 31 



Explorations of Cyrus Thomas on Little Tennessee River 



Since so many remains of town houses were found in the mounds 

 of the Norris Basin, one can not but be impressed with the striking 

 parallel between these actual finds on Clinch and Powell Kivers and 

 the description given by Timberlake of the Town House of the Over 

 Hill Cherokees on Little Tennessee River in 1762. Since Timberlake 



*> Williams, 1928, p. 261. 

 ^Hawkins, 1916, p. 112. 



