42 CERTAIN SAND MOUNDS OF 



of teeth unassociated with the jaw; the presence of sheet copper with aboriginal 

 designs; the admixture of pulverized hematite with the sand in places, and the 

 burial of objects of value, unassociated with human remains, as if through respect 

 for the dead in general, would seem to connect the builders of this mound with the 

 race that heaped up Mt. Royal. 



On the other hand, the total absence of polished hatchets and the presence of 

 curious effigies and forms in pottery are a departure, so far as our investigations 

 indicate, from the customs of those who built Mt. Royal. 



Low Sand Mounds Neae Volusia, Volusia County. 



The small town of Volusia lies on the right hand bank of the St. John's about 

 8 miles above Lake George. Shell deposits line the river's bank, while the Dillard 

 grove in the rear is situated upon great ridges and heaps of shell. In woods about 

 400 yards northeast of the town was a group of low sand mounds probably five in 

 number. The country is somewhat uneven in character and various knolls might 

 readily be mistaken as of artificial origin. The mounds lay near together and 

 were unstratified, consisting of the same brown sand as the surrounding territory. 



The mound of the greatest altitude had a height of 3 feet 3 inches ; the low- 

 est was but 1 foot 9 inches in height. 



These mounds were partially excavated during July, 1892, by Charles and 

 Barney Dillard of Volusia, this being the only occasion when work was done upon 

 any mounds included in this report otherwise than in our immediate presence. 

 From the mounds on this occasion were taken many fragments of large vessels 

 which we have examined and found to be of coarse yellow clay, made by means of 

 the coil by which, it will be remembered, a vessel of pottery was constructed much 

 after the manner of a straw hat. These fragments were apparently all of vessels 

 having perforations in the bottom, intentionally made previous to baking. Red 

 pigment had been used for purposes of decoration. The pottery was otherwise 

 unornamented. How much pottery was broken through imperfect methods of 

 excavation we are unable to state. Two large fragments (Plate XII, figs. 1 and 

 2) and a vessel in perfect condition (Plates XIII and XIV) are now at the Peabody 

 Museum. The shading in the illustrations indicates the painted decoration. The 

 unbroken vessel has a height of 15"5 inches, its breadth is 19 inches, the aperture 

 is 10 inches in diameter ; while the perforation at the base, made previous to bak- 

 ing, has a diameter of 3'5 inches. This urn-shaped vase is characterized by Pro- 

 fessor Putnam as " an entirely new form of utensil for archaeologists to puzzle 

 over." 1 Another large pot, now in the Wagner Free Institute, Philadelphia, has a 

 height of 10*25 inches, a maximum diameter of 15*5 inches with a diameter of 9*5 

 inches across the aperture. Through the base is a perforation made previous to 

 baking, having a diameter of 2 - 5 inches. The ornamentation of this vessel con- 

 sists of bands laid on with red pigment. One encircles the upper margin. From 



1 Eeport of Peabody Museum, 1892, p. 6. 



