6 CERTAIN SAND MOUNDS OF 



The late Dr. Frederick D. Lente, in the March and April, 1877, issues of the 

 " Semi-Tropical," a magazine published at Jacksonville, Florida, contributed an 

 article entitled " The Mounds of Florida." This paper was subsequently printed 

 in pamphlet form. The author frankly admits that in no case did he succeed in 

 reaching the base of any mound, his explorations being limited to a visit with a 

 party of ladies to the mound on Dunn's Creek, and to excavations in one of the 

 two mounds on Murphy Island. In neither case did his researches take him over 

 ten miles from home. 



Beyond the cases cited, virtually no work has heretofore been done upon the 

 sand mounds of the river. In the Annual Report of the Bureau of Ethnology, 

 1883-84, page xxi, we read that in explorations recently made in Florida on 

 behalf of the Bureau, the results were almost wholly negative, except so far as 

 they tended to show that in Florida the mounds were chiefly domiciliary, and that 

 but few were built for burial purposes. ' The portions of the state where these 

 researches were made are not specified. It is quite evident, however, that the ter- 

 ritory bordering the St. John's was not included. 



Occasional tourists have from time to time made superficial examinations, 

 while the native " cracker " skimming the surface, has gathered at times a harvest 

 of beads or intrusive implements of metal. 



The sand mounds of the St. John's, then, in respect to original burials, were 

 found by us as left by their dusky builders. 



In the present report the mounds south of Palatka alone will be considered. 



The sand mounds of the river, while having a general resemblance, vary so in 

 detail that an accurate classification is impossible. Many are crowded with human 

 remains, while in others considerable excavations along the base failed to reveal an 

 indication of use for purposes of sepulture. Numerous mounds are variously 

 stratified with sand of different shades, from the surrounding territory, with shell, 

 with " muck " and with sand mingled with hematite in powder. Others again are 

 composed of one homogeneous material. Some have a sprinkling of shell ; in 

 others not a single Ampullaria or Paludina can be found. It is probable that cer- 

 tain mounds were used as look-out stations, and possibly all in later times served 

 for domiciliary purposes. In height and extent also there is a wide divergence. 

 The great mound at Tick Island has an altitude of over 17 feet, while the famous 

 Mt. Royal, with a circumference of 555 feet, is in area approached by no 

 mound on the river. On the other hand, small sand mounds not exceeding three 

 feet in height, are by no means uncommon. Almost without exception the shape 

 is a truncated cone, the summit plateau in some showing an area doubtless more 

 extensive than the original through the effects of the elements. 



Even the form of burial varies. Intrusive interments are in anatomical order 

 as are bodies originally buried in certain mounds ; while in others, the long bones, 

 denuded of flesh previous to burial, lie in a bundle with the crania ; and again, both 

 forms of interment are met with side by side and evidently contemporary. Still 



