64 CERTAIN SAND MOUNDS OF 



In the pine woods, three-quarters of a mile to the north, is a sand mound in 

 the form of a truncated cone. Its height is 9 feet, its circumference 450 feet. It 

 is unstratified and is composed entirely of white sand, with the exception of 

 pockets of shell, mostly Unionidcs, found along the base, and of a shell ridge in the 

 center having a height of 4 feet. 



A trench 9 feet in breadth and 35 feet in length was dug along the base 

 through the center of the mound. During the entire excavation, with the excep- 

 tion of one superficial burial, neither human remains, pottery nor implements of 

 any sort were found, though small bits of charcoal were abundant. 



Thursby Mound, Volusia County. 



This mound was visited by us during the winter of 1892 and 1893. It lies on 

 the east bank of the St. John's one-half mile north of Lake Beresford, immediately 

 opposite the shell bluff of Huntoon Island. But 50 yards from the water it is hid- 

 den from view by oaks and palmettoes, while on it grow giant live oaks, one 12 feet 

 3 inches in circumference 5 feet from the base. A causeway of shell connects it 

 with a shell ridge bordering the river. It is the property of Mrs. L. P. Thursby, 

 of Blue Spring, favorably known in connection with antiquarian research in Florida 

 since the time of Professor Wyman. Permission was readily granted to investigate 

 the Thursby mound and the large shell deposits bordering the famous Blue Spring 

 some miles farther south. 



The mound is very symmetrical. Its height above the surrounding level is 11 

 feet, its circumference 300 feet, its form the usual truncated cone. 



On the northern side was started an excavation 9 feet from the margin and at 

 that point vertically 3 feet from the base. Its width at the start was 8 feet, diverg- 

 ing to 13 feet and converging to 9 feet at the end, at which point the trench was 14 

 feet in depth. Throughout its course, a distance of 25 - 5 feet, it followed the base. 

 The mound lies upon a deposit of shell which extends beyond it on the south and 

 west, but is not traceable toward the swamp on the northern side. Upon this shell 

 deposit, around the mound, a layer of dark colored sand had formed to a thickness 

 of 3 feet, thus encroaching upon the height of the mound which, from the summit 

 plateau to the base of shell, upon which were bones, has a vertical height of 14 feet, 

 as shown by the excavation. This shell base, it is worthy of remark, did not 

 have an ascending slope, as is the case at Tick Island, at Bluffton and at Ginn's 

 Grove, but seemed to be perfect^ level. 



Upon the base lay about inches of dark brown sand, differing greatly from 

 the pure white sand above. At a distance of 22 feet from the margin of the base 

 of the mound and 8 feet from the surface began a second layer of shell, with 4 to 5 

 inches of brown sand on top, and having 3 feet of white sand betw r een it and the 

 layer of brown sand lying upon .the shell base. The second layer of shell upon 

 which burials were made in the brown sand extended but 6 feet towards the center, 

 where all traces of it were lost. 



