﻿AN 
  ERIE 
  INDIAN 
  VILLAGE 
  AND 
  BURIAL 
  SITE 
  479 
  

  

  Every 
  pit, 
  pocket 
  or 
  post 
  hole 
  was 
  charted, 
  the 
  varying 
  character 
  

   of 
  the 
  soil 
  and 
  the 
  manner 
  of 
  its 
  disturbance 
  was 
  noted 
  and 
  it 
  is 
  

   possible 
  for 
  any 
  one 
  familiar 
  with 
  our 
  methods 
  to 
  take 
  a 
  specimen 
  

   from 
  the 
  collection 
  and 
  after 
  examining 
  its 
  number 
  and 
  referring 
  

   to 
  the 
  records, 
  point 
  out 
  on 
  the 
  map 
  or 
  on 
  the 
  actual 
  site 
  itself 
  

   exactly 
  where 
  that 
  object 
  was 
  found. 
  

  

  To 
  insure 
  accuracy 
  in 
  field 
  records, 
  three 
  of 
  a 
  different 
  kind 
  

   were 
  made, 
  so 
  that 
  any 
  circumstance 
  omitted 
  in 
  one 
  might 
  be 
  found 
  

   in 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  others. 
  The 
  first 
  record 
  was 
  made 
  in 
  a 
  ". 
  trench 
  book 
  " 
  

   and 
  written 
  as 
  the 
  actual 
  work 
  progressed; 
  the 
  second 
  record 
  was 
  

   made 
  on 
  data 
  slips 
  and 
  supplemented 
  the 
  trench 
  book 
  in 
  the 
  matter 
  

   of 
  measurements, 
  locations, 
  positions 
  etc. 
  of 
  trenches, 
  pits 
  and 
  

   objects, 
  and 
  added 
  the 
  details 
  of 
  the 
  particular 
  thing 
  described 
  

   on 
  the 
  slip 
  ; 
  the 
  third 
  was 
  a 
  survey 
  record, 
  in 
  which 
  every 
  pit, 
  

   grave 
  or 
  trench 
  cutting 
  was 
  charted 
  to 
  a 
  degree 
  of 
  mathematical 
  

   exactness. 
  All 
  these 
  records 
  are 
  supplemented 
  by 
  drawings, 
  dia- 
  

   grams, 
  maps 
  and 
  photographs. 
  

  

  Method 
  of 
  excavating 
  graves 
  

  

  The 
  burial 
  section 
  was 
  staked 
  out 
  in 
  the 
  same 
  manner 
  as 
  the 
  

   village 
  section. 
  The 
  workmen 
  in 
  excavating 
  removed 
  the 
  disturbed 
  

   top 
  soil 
  for 
  a 
  distance 
  of 
  3 
  feet 
  leaving 
  a 
  working 
  space 
  of 
  3 
  feet 
  

   by 
  16. 
  Excavations 
  were 
  continue:! 
  until 
  signs 
  of 
  deeper 
  disturb- 
  

   ance 
  appeared. 
  These 
  " 
  signs 
  " 
  were 
  foreign 
  substances 
  in 
  the 
  

   regular 
  strata, 
  such 
  as 
  fire-burned 
  stone, 
  flint 
  chips, 
  charcoal 
  and 
  

   lumps 
  of 
  clay. 
  Earth 
  of 
  the 
  character 
  here 
  found 
  once 
  disturbed 
  is 
  

   never 
  as 
  compact 
  again 
  as 
  originally 
  and 
  even 
  if 
  there 
  were 
  no 
  

   intruding 
  substances 
  in 
  the 
  sand 
  its 
  very 
  looseness 
  as 
  distinguished 
  

   from 
  the 
  rather 
  compact 
  sand 
  surrounding 
  it 
  was 
  a 
  sign 
  of 
  its 
  

   disturbance. 
  The 
  top 
  soil 
  over 
  the 
  grave 
  was 
  removed 
  and 
  its 
  out- 
  

   line 
  ascertained. 
  The 
  superincumbent 
  earth 
  was 
  removed 
  for 
  a 
  

   foot, 
  and 
  a 
  depth 
  of 
  6 
  inches 
  below 
  explored 
  for 
  signs 
  of 
  the 
  

   grave 
  bottom, 
  and 
  if 
  not 
  found 
  the 
  earth 
  for 
  another 
  6 
  inches 
  was 
  

   shoveled 
  out 
  with 
  great 
  care, 
  the 
  shovel 
  scooping 
  up 
  the 
  earth 
  

   rather 
  than 
  spading 
  into 
  it. 
  The 
  trowel 
  was 
  used 
  again 
  to 
  dig 
  

   clown 
  and 
  the 
  process 
  repeated 
  until 
  the 
  skull 
  or 
  pottery 
  vessel 
  top 
  

   was 
  reached. 
  The 
  soil 
  was 
  then 
  removed 
  carefully 
  with 
  trowels. 
  

   The 
  skeleton 
  and 
  grave 
  bottom 
  were 
  cleaned 
  with 
  fine 
  pointing 
  

   trowels 
  and 
  finally 
  swept 
  with 
  a 
  brush, 
  care 
  being 
  taken 
  not 
  to 
  

   move 
  any 
  bone 
  or 
  other 
  object 
  in 
  the 
  grave. 
  A 
  diagram 
  of 
  the 
  

   grave 
  and 
  its 
  contents 
  was 
  made, 
  the 
  exact 
  position 
  of 
  these 
  objects 
  

  

  