CERTAIN ABORIGINAL REMAINS OF THE ALABAMA RIVER. 297 



The mound, which was dug down with the kind permission of Mr. M. L. 

 Stabler, of Peach Tree, Ala., had a height of 4 feet ; a basal diameter of 38 feet. 

 A small hole had previously been dug into the center of the mound which was of 

 sand with slight admixture of clay. 



Human remains, very badly decayed, were met with at seven points and were 

 represented by a skull here, a skull with a single long bone there, and the like. 

 Once the crowns of teeth alone remained. 



With one burial was a beautifully wrought celt, probably of greenstone, 9.7 

 inches in length, measuring across its evenly ground blade 2.5 inches, gracefully 

 tapering at the other end to a rounded point .4 of an inch in diameter. 



Near another burial, one on the other, were two small, rude, undecorated 

 gorgets of shell, roughly circular. 



Several arrowheads were loose in the earth. 



Mound near Burford's Landing, Wilcox County. 



Our thanks are due to Mr. W. P. Murphy, of Rockwest, P. 0., for permission 

 to investigate this mound, which is situated in woods which apparently have grown 

 on ground previously cleared, about 1.5 miles in a southerly direction from Burford's 

 Landing. The height of the mound was 6 feet 8 inches ; across the base it was 58 

 feet. The only previous examination apparent was a small, shallow hole near the 

 summit. 



A large trench made by us showed the mound to be of sand. With the 

 exception of fragments of decaying bones, several arrowheads and two rough 

 knives of stone, nothing was met with. 



Mound on Burford's Plantation, Wilcox County. 



This plantation is on the left-hand side of the river going up, about one-half 

 mile below Holly Ferry. The mound is about one mile W. S. W. from the landing, 

 in the heart of a swamp. It had been much trampled by cattle and consequently 

 spread out and reduced in height, which, at the time of the investigation, was 3 

 feet. The diameter of base was about 45 feet. It was thoroughly investigated 

 with the cordial permission of Mr. W. P. Burford, of Rockwest P. 0., Ala., and 

 proved to be of rich clayey sand. 



At several points were decayed remains of parts of skeletons. Two arrow- 

 points lay loose in the sand. 



Mounds near Matthews' Landing, Wilcox County (4). 



About 1.5 miles in a southwesterly direction from the landing, in a ploughed 

 field, about 100 yards from the river, was a mound much ploughed down and irregular 

 in shape. Two great depressions nearby showed whence the material was derived. 



The present height of the mound is 5 feet 4 inches ; the major and minor axes 

 of its base are 120 feet and 70 feet, respectively. 



38 JOURN. A. N. S. PHILA., VOL. XL 



