CERTAIN ABORIGINAL MOUNDS OF THE GEORGIA COAST. 81 



In the mound near the South-end Settlement we note the absence of a great 

 central pit and the presence of cremation at but one point; also that the great 

 majority of burials were flexed on the right side and headed in a southerly direction, 

 quite in keeping with the usual custom. All urn-burials of uncremated remains, 

 with but one exception, were of adults, coinciding with the custom as practised on 

 Sapelo Island. On the other hand, the reader will recall that infants alone were 

 thus buried at Creighton Island, and will see further on the urn-burial of infants 

 at Ossabaw Island. 



St. Catherine's Island, Liberty County. Mound near Middle Settlement. 



In a large field formerly under cultivation, but at present covered with scrub 

 and timber of small size, about one-half mile in a southwesterly direction from the 

 Middle Settlement, is a mound which has been ploughed over in former times and 

 has been dug into to a considerable extent. Its height is 5 feet ; the diameter of its 

 base, 54 feet. It was trenched in various directions, and portions of the center 

 were dug out without result. It was composed of yellowish-brown sand, unstratified, 

 and may have been used for domiciliary purposes. 



St. Catherine's Island, Liberty County. Mound in King's New Ground Field- 



This mound, or what remained of it after years of cultivation, lay in a field 

 within sight of the ocean, about one mile and three-quarters in a southeasterly 

 direction from the main landing at St. Catherine's Island. Numerous low shell 

 deposits were in the vicinity, though on the surface of the mound were scattered 

 oyster shells only. 



The mound had a height of 22 inches above the general level, which altitude 

 agreed with observations taken at the completion of a cross-section. 



Beginning far out in the level ground, trenches were run in, in all directions, 

 until evidence of disturbance in the sand was met with. The usual great outlying 

 pits, filled with rich, black loam, were present, but containing no burials, so far as 

 our excavations went. 



Through a point taken as the center of the mound proper, a straight line was 

 drawn extending 51 feet to the northwest and 45 feet to the southeast. Connecting 

 these two terminal points an irregular semi-circumference was taken, having a maxi- 

 mum distance from the center of 57 feet, as shown in diagram (Fig. 51), which 

 included, it is believed, all the outlying pits and burials belonging to the southern 

 and western half of the mound. This portion was carefully dug through to a 

 depth at times of over 6 feet. The eastern and northern parts of the mound were 

 not investigated. Throughout portions of the mound ran a black band from 6 

 inches to 1 foot in thickness, whose upper surface, as a rule, agreed with the general 

 level of the field. But this band was sometimes absent over undisturbed sand, 

 while, on the other hand, it often seemed thicker and darker over pits and graves. 

 We have no solution to offer for this. 



