220 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [bull. 118 



The description appears again to indicate town-house floors with 

 the usual fire basins one above another, suggesting several layers of 

 occupancy. Note should be taken that in none of these reports does 

 any mention of post molds appear. This is to be explained by the 

 fact that trenches were cut through to the center of the mounds, and 

 by such trenching most of the molds, if indeed any were present, 

 would have been in the outer portions of the mound and not thus 

 reached. In driving a trench through a mound by the method de- 

 scribed in Thomas' report, it is highly probable that if molds had 

 been crossed they would have been excavated without detection. In 

 black humus-filled sandy soil molds are poorly preserved, easily filled 

 with soft earth, and difficult to trace at best, even by one having 

 experience in such matters. 



Of the excavations of the town of Toqua, Thomas reports: 



Continuing our course down the Little Tennessee we come next to the Toco 

 mounds, partly on the lands of Mr. J. L. Johnson and Mr. Callaway, south of 

 the river and just above the mouth of Toco Creek and partly below the mouth 

 of the creek. These mounds are arranged in two groups, one consisting of five 

 mounds, situated above Toco Creek, and the other consisting of three mounds, 

 situated some distance below it. The upper one of these groups * * * cor- 

 responds with Toqua on Timberlake's map. * * * The lower group corre- 

 sponds with Tommotley of Timberlake's. 



Mound No. 1, which is known locally as the "Big Toco Mound", is an oval, 

 154 by 138 feet, the longer axis being east and west. Height at west end, 24 

 feet ; at east end, 18 feet ; top flat, but sloped toward the east, the descent at 

 this end being much more gradual than at the other. The flattened top was 

 94 feet ; greatest breadth, 78 feet. The north, west, and south slopes are very 

 steep. * * * 



This mound was built chiefly of the dark sandy soil around it, which con- 

 tinued uniform to the depth of 9 feet. Here a layer of hard yellow earth was 

 encountered which continued to the original surface of the ground. Running 

 through this upper layer of dark sandy soil were numerous streaks of thin 

 layers of yellow sand and also of burnt clay, the latter accompanied by coals 

 and ashes. These layers were found from within 2 feet of the top down to the 

 depth of 9 feet. It was noticeable that many of the skeletons, all of which 

 were discovered in this upper layer, though immediately surrounded by loose 

 earth, had directly over them a layer of thin burnt clay, usually broken up. 



A little northwest of the center of the mound, at the depth of 2 feet, com- 

 menced a series of hearths or fire beds of burnt clay, with layers of ashes 

 between them, placed one below another, much like those found in the large 

 Citico mound heretofore described. These alternate beds continued down to 

 the depth of 6 feet, increasing in diameter. There were no skeletons in this 

 series of fire beds. 



In several of the other layers of burnt clay (not the central series) were the 

 remains of burnt stakes which had been driven into the surface of the mound 

 when at these respective heights and the top portion burnt off, leaving unburnt 

 the part in the earth. In some cases these had rotted out, leaving only the 

 impressions of the wood and the bark; in others, where partially charred, the 

 remains were distinct. Some of these were observed within 3 feet of the 



