328 CERTAIN ABORIGINAL REMAINS OF THE ALABAMA RIVER, 



be un decorated. One of these shows distinct lamination, that overlapping of the 

 metal in places through rude hammering processes, which we look for in aboriginal 

 copper. 



One breast-piece. 2.8 inches by 8 inches, has a row of marginal indentations 

 and on one side punched decoration which a heavy deposit of carbonate rendered 

 almost indistinguishable when found. This deposit, however, yielded to dilute 

 acid. The plate was submitted to Professor Putnam, who writes as follows : 



"The copper band was just received and studied by Willoughby and myself. 

 The following are our conclusions : 



" The band is very likely from an officer's belt or perhaps helmet. The small 

 holes about the edge indicate that it was fastened thoroughly to some object for 

 which it was made. The design is that of a spread eagle with a lion on each side 

 facing the eagle. The design was made by a series of punchings with a metal tool 

 (thus - - - ). It is not in drawn lines like our native work. 



" The design is European and of the heraldic character. I believe you will find 

 some such design on 16th and 17th century objects. 



" Is it not likely that some Indians got this and other European things in the 

 mound, from some of the early soldiers or settlers, that this piece was punched in 

 the center and worn by an Indian ? " 



Of the remaining two pieces, one, 2.2 inches by 6 inches, has for decoration 

 indentations around the margin and transverse rows of indentations. The other, 

 1.1 inches by 3.2 inches, greatly carbonated, is seemingly without ornamentation. 

 A small fragment of cord still remains in the two perforations. 



Upon most of these ornaments fragments of coarse vegetable fibre adhere. 



In addition to these was a piece of sheet copper with the two longer sides 

 straight and parallel, and the other two curving outward. Its length is 5.5 inches ; 

 its breadth, 3.5 inches. About .75 of an inch apart, longitudinally, are two raised 

 bosses and apparently other decoration near the margin. The piece is badly carbo- 

 nated and broken. On the side which lay nearest the skeleton still remain rem- 

 nants of a comparatively fine fabric, doubtless belonging to a garment. On the out- 

 side a coarse, woven vegetable fabric still remains, which probably enveloped the 

 entire skeleton. 



Disc. — On the skull of a child, 8 feet 7 inches from the surface, with diminu- 

 tive shell beads, was a sheet copper disc, .8 inch in diameter, decorated on one side 

 with three concentric circles. 



In the second part of our " Certain Sand Mounds of the St. Johns River, 

 Florida" 1 we included a monograph on aboriginal copper as viewed from a chemical 

 standpoint. Our conclusions, we believe, have been universally accepted. As 

 certain of our readers, unfamiliar with the question, may not have access to the 

 work referred to, we venture upon a brief resume of our conclusions and the way ' 

 they were arrived at, 



Native copper, that is metallic copper found in nature, is of great purity, as 

 pure as, or purer than, can be produced by any smelting processes of the present time. 

 In addition, there is no reliable record of the discovery of lead in native copper. 

 1 Journ. Acad. Nat. Sci., Vol. X. 



