154 CERTAIN ABORIGINAL MOUNDS, COAST OF SOUTH CAROLINA. 



On the base of the mound and mainly to the north and east of the center 

 (marked C on the ground plan) was a quadrilateral enclosure made by walls of 

 clay, the northeast corner being 1 foot 7 inches, the northwest corner 7 feet 3 

 inches, the southeast corner 5 feet and the southwest corner 9 feet from the surface, 

 respectively. 



The enclosure was not exactly square, the sides varying slightly in length and 

 the corners being rounded. Had it been quadrangular, the northern wall would 

 have been 40 feet 2 inches in length; the southern, 41 feet 9 inches; the eastern 

 wall, 35 feet 7 inches; the western wall, 36 feet 9 inches. The four walls in direc- 

 tion followed closely the cardinal points of the compass, the variation ranging between 

 2° and 4.5°. This orientation, however, was probably not intentional, as the 

 eastern wall fronted, and was almost parallel to, the river, which at this point 

 runs nearly north and south. 



There were no windows. The entrance shown on the plan (Fig. 2) and 

 marked X on the half-tone reproduction from a photograph (Fig. 3), was in the east 

 wall near the southeastern corner. The width of the entrance was 4 feet 6 inches. 



A partition of clay, the height of the wall and of similar structure, extended in- 

 ward 5 feet 5 inches from the northern margin of the entrance. To the south of the 

 entrance was a curious little three-sided compartment 5 feet wide at the entrance 

 and 6 feet 3 inches in length, formed by the erection of a partition of clay and por- 

 tions of the southern and eastern walls, including the southeastern corner. From 

 the western wall were two parallel partitions of clay extending inward 4 feet 2 

 inches. These partitions practically enclosed the central 8 feet of the wall. Their 

 use is problematic. They bore no marks of fire. During the excavation was found 

 among the oyster-shells which covered the enclosure, a description of which will be 

 given later, a cylindrical empty space, evidently the mold of a post, 8 inches in 

 diameter and 6 feet in length, approximately. Starting from it on one side a layer 

 of clay from 2 to 3 inches in thickness extended a number of feet. This layer con- 

 tained, so far as we could determine, no holes showing former presence of supports, 

 and it would hardly seem likely that such an area of clay could stand supported by 

 a single post. For this reason and also from the fact that the clay did not lie upon 

 the floor of the former structure but from 1 to 2 feet above in the shell, we cannot 

 see how this layer could have been a partition, and are unable to suggest an expla- 

 nation of its presence. Several other layers, unassociated with molds of posts, were 

 met with in the shell within the enclosure. 



The walls closely approximated 4 feet 3 inches in height. In thickness they 

 varied from 2 to 3 inches, increasing to 4 or 5 inches at the top where a stringer had 

 been enclosed. The wall had been supported by upright posts, which had been, in 

 certain cases at least, covered with bark, as was plainly shown by the impression 

 left in the clay. These uprights varied in diameter from 3.5 to 6 inches and pro- 

 jected 6 to 8 inches above the top of the wall. Some left molds in the clayey sand 

 above the shell, indicating considerable enlargement around the top. We are unable 

 to suggest a cause for this as no indication of anything extending from them was 



