334 CERTAIN ABORIGINAL REMAINS OF THE ALABAMA RIVER. 



Then the mound was surrounded at a height of 7 feet from the base, where 

 the section was 62 feet in diameter, and excavation along that level was begun. 

 The first burial was met with 4.5 feet from the start, or about 5 feet outside the 

 margin of the summit plateau, but not until we had gone considerably nearer to 

 the plateau were burials in any number encountered. 



It became evident from this and from the digging which preceded it, that the 

 mound, which was made of small layers and considerable masses of sand with 

 strata of clay blackened by fire and admixture of midden refuse, had been dwelt 

 upon and then increased in height and diameter a number of times, and that, during 

 the various periods of occupation of the mound, burials had been made by digging 

 down from the surface of what happened to be the summit plateau at the time of 

 the burial. For instance, burials were present, dug down from the level of the 

 summit plateau as it was at the time of our investigation, while other burials lay 

 considerably deeper in pits, which could be traced only as far as unbroken strata 

 three or four feet above. Well in, toward the center was a grave 10 feet from the 

 surface, but only 4 feet 2 inches beneath unbroken strata. 



Our excavation, therefore, was concave in shape, the deepest portion being at 

 the center of the mound. It is possible some burials were missed by us, but we 

 believe them to have been few indeed. 



SKELETONS. 



Owing to a considerable number of burials in a comparatively restricted area 

 there were, as may well be imagined, many aboriginal disturbances by digging of 

 other graves. 



Without considering such scattered bones, 111 skeletons were met with, all in 

 anatomical order, some flexed to the right, some to the left. Others were partly 

 flexed, that is to say, the trunks lay upon the back with the legs drawn up against 

 the thighs and turned to the right or to the left. 



Skeleton No. 102, adult, lay with the trunk on the back, the head pressed for- 

 ward on the chest, upper arms along the body and forearms across the trunk. The 

 legs were drawn up to the thighs, the knees to the thorax. The feet were turned 

 inward toward each other, the toes meeting below the pelvis. 



As this skeleton presented certain features of interest as to form of interment 

 and was in much better condition than most others in the mound, it was decided to 

 make an effort to save it intact. The clay, except that immediately under the 

 bones, was dug away until the skeleton lay a couple of feet above the general level 

 of that part of the excavation. 



Next, the skeleton and the bed of supporting clay were saturated with glue 

 and a slow fire was built around to aid in drying. This fire was kept up about 

 six hours. 



Then the skeleton and the mass beneath were allowed twenty-four hours for 

 additional solidification, a platform having been built above to keep off dew and rain. 



The next step was to sever the skeleton with about one foot of partially dried 



