CERTAIN ABORIGINAL MOUNDS, COAST OF SOUTH CAROLINA. 159 



Next, over the mass of oyster-shells, was piled the clayey sand of the surround- 

 ing territory, mainly in thin horizontal layers of various shades of white, brown, 

 yellow (D). These layers were surmounted by what we took to be the layer of occu- 

 pation (E) from 3 to 5 inches in thickness, consisting of clayey sand rendered black 

 by action of fire and by admixture of charcoal. The mound, now about 8 feet 3 

 inches in height, presumably having been occupied for a period, was enlarged by 

 piling oyster-shells (F) around its margin for a considerable distance out, though 

 not to the margin of the final mound. Then the new mound was brought up to the 

 level of the original one by the addition of layers of clayey sand (H). This added 

 portion, with the plateau of the first mound, had served as a place of abode, as a 

 layer of occupation (I), merging with the similar layer (E) on the plateau of. the 

 original mound, was plainly discernible. The plateau thus enlarged, so far as the 

 investigation went, was covered with a layer of red clay devoid of sand (K) from 3 

 to 5 inches in thickness. Above this stratum of clay came the remainder of the 

 mound as found by us (L) consisting of less distinct strata of clayey sand, another 

 band of red clay (M), not so clearly marked, of about, the same thickness as the 

 other, and about 2 feet above it, and about 1 foot higher, signs of occupation in places 

 (N) consisting of the usual particles of charcoal and occasional small pockets of 

 oyster-shells, with nearly 3 feet of less distinctly stratified clayey sand superimposed. 



Immediately under the lower stratum of red clay were a number of circular 

 spaces from 6 to 11. inches in diameter and about 3 feet in depth, distinctly cutting 

 the layers through which they passed and filled with sand of a single shade. 

 In some cases the layer of red clay above them was intact ; in others fragments of 

 the layer had fallen into, and lay on the top of, the sand filling the space. It was, 

 therefore, evident that the posts or stakes had disappeared, probably through decay 

 before the imposition of the red clay layer. These post-holes were present not alone 

 on the mound originally piled over the wall, but were found in the added portion (H). 



In spite of an earnest endeavor on our part to show all these post-holes on a 

 ground-plan we were unable to do so ; their exact recognition being extremely 

 difficult. That these posts had no connection with the clay wall beneath was dis- 

 tinctly shown by the fact that unbroken strata in every case lay between the bases 

 of the holes and the level of the summit of the wall. 



Beginning at the second layer of occupation, which, as we have stated, consisted 

 of traces of fire and occasional small pockets of oyster-shells, a number of post-holes 

 of somewhat greater diameter than those just described extended down about 3 feet 

 terminating above, but never coming in contact with, the lower layer of red clay. 

 They also were filled with sand, but were not nearly so numerous as the others and 

 were not plotted by us. They evidently had no connection with any of the spaces 

 beneath, and doubtless at one time held supports during another period of occupation. 



We have then various distinct periods of occupation as follows : that of the 

 clay wall on the original surface ; that of the original mound ; that of the original 

 mound with its enlargement on which was a perishable structure of some sort sup- 



