54 CERTAIN ABORIGINAL MOUNDS OF THE GEORGIA COAST. 



southern half of the mound was dug away leaving a cross-section E. and W. No 

 pits, outlying or in the body of the mound, were met with. A short distance in 

 from the margin, a black band 6 to 10 inches in thickness was noticed extending 

 through the part investigated by us, at the level of the surrounding territory. 

 Apparently there had been considerable general disturbance beneath this. band but 

 as the sand of the mound resembled that of the surrounding territory, any exact 

 line of demarcation was difficult to determine. No oyster shells in quantity were 

 present, though the usual fire-places and pockets of charcoal sometimes contained a 

 few scattering shells. 



Human remains were encountered 45 times, at all depths, and extending in 

 from the margin. Bones, in the last stage of decay, at times hardly indicated the 

 form of burial. Occasionally burial of skeletons was indicated, while again, isolated 

 skulls or skulls with a few other bones were met with. With some burials were 

 masses of hematite in powder, sometimes extending the entire length of the skeleton. 

 With one were three pebbles, all showing use as smoothing stones. Near human 

 remains was a chert lance-head and with another interment was an undecorated 

 bowl, broken by caving sand. A pebble and certain fresh-water mussel, and clam- 

 shells la}* near an interment. 



Seven pockets of calcined bones, some including fragments entirely unaffected 

 by fire, were met with. Centrally in the mound, 7 feet from the surface, with no 

 pit apparent, was a layer of calcined and uncremated human bones, about 6 inches 

 thick. With it were a graceful barbed arrowhead and a flat mass of gneissic rock 

 about 4.5 inches by 2.5 inches with two parallel longitudinal grooves, probably 

 made by sharpening pointed implements or by grinding shell beads into shape. 



A considerable number of vessels, all imperforate, so far as. could be determined, 

 and undecorated or with an ordinary check stamp, were present in the portion of 

 the mound investigated by us. 



Just beneath the surface was a pot with checked stamp decoration, a rounded 

 base and a somewhat cylindrical body — a common cooking vessel. Its height, and 

 its maximum diameter, which was at its mouth, were 11.75 inches. In common 

 with all the stamped pots encountered in this mound, its body was covered with 

 soot showing its use to have been but a secondary one. It contained the 

 calcined remains of not more than one individual and was surmounted by a con- 

 siderable number of small and large fragments belonging to an undecorated bowl. 

 It fell into pieces upon removal from the sand. 



Eighteen feet east of the center, just beneath the surface and about one foot 

 apart, were two interments in vessels, in all respects similar to the one just described. 



Near these was an inverted, undecorated pot somewhat resembling in shape a 

 reversed cone with rounded apex. It covered a few fragments of calcined human 

 bones deposited on the sand. Approximate measurements: height, 7.75 inches; 

 maximum diameter and width of mouth, 10.5 inches. 



Closely associated with the foregoing bowl was an inverted, checked stamped 

 vessel similar to those first described, covering calcined remains lying on the sand. 



