24 CERTAIN ABORIGINAL MOUNDS OF THE GEORGIA COAST. 



a band of sand about 3 inches thick running about 1 foot below the level of the 

 surrounding territory. 



Human remains were encountered at eleven points. In each case but one, 

 where incineration had been practised, burials were in anatomical order, flexed and 

 lying on the right side or on the left side with no uniformity of direction. Several 

 marginal burials were considerably below the blackened stratum, to which reference 

 has been made, and in each case the stratum was disturbed, showing the burials to 

 have been made subsequent to the extinction of the fires. 



Several burials in the mound showed partial disturbance, and at these points 

 the sand was less solid than elsewhere, probably through removal of trees when the 

 mound was cleared for cultivation. 



With the interments were no artifacts whatever. Loose in the sand were four 

 or five sherds, undecorated or with the usual square or diamond-shaped stamp. 

 The only other object of human origin, present in that portion of the mound 

 excavated by us, was an arrowhead of quartz. This, so far as our experience ex- 

 tends, is the southernmost occurrence of this material in use for a lance-head or for 

 a projectile point. 



Mounds near " The Thicket," McIntosh County. 



About 5 miles by land, or about 12 by water, in a northeasterly direction from 

 the town of Darien, is a settlement on Peace Creek, having no general name, either 

 locally or on the chart, but, with the exception of certain homes of colored people, 

 it is composed of various estates, each having a name of its own, such as •" The 

 Forest," " The Thicket," etc. As the boat landing is situated on the estate 

 known as "The Thicket," we shall, for convenience, give that name to the entire 

 settlement, 



About three-quarters of a mile in a westerly direction from the landing at 

 "The Thicket," on the property of Mr. Mansfield, of Darien, are three mounds 

 about one-quarter of a mile apart. All are symmetrical and vary in height from 5 

 to 7 feet. Two of these mounds were investigated, though not demolished. Their 

 diameters of base are about 40 and 50 feet respectively. They are composed of 

 yellow sand unstratified, and having that raw look indicative of absence of organic 

 matter. The smaller mound yielded absolutely nothing, with the exception of a 

 flexed skeleton near the surface at the margin, which we took to be intrusive, and 

 some charred bones with several small shell beads, two or three inches below the 

 surface. 



The larger mound was not excavated in our presence though experienced 

 persons were in charge. Fragmentary human remains were reported as present at 

 two points and these also we take to have been intrusive. With the exception of 

 a few small bits of earthenware and one arrowhead loose in the sand in the larger 

 mound, no artifacts were met with. 



