84 CERTAIN SAND MOUNDS OF 



Ginn's Grove, Orange County. 



The burial mound at Ginn's Grove, known as Speer's Landing in the time of 

 Professor Wyman, lies on the left bank (going down) of a lagoon, in full view of the 

 river, about three miles from Sanford overland, or seven miles by water. It is built 

 upon a shell-heap, and shell-heaps and shell-fields lie adjacent, It has twice been 

 investigated hy us (January 28, 29, 30, 1892; January 22-27 inclusive, 1893). 

 Upon the first occasion, the mound was the property of Dr. A. C. Caldwell, of San- 

 ford ; upon the second, of J. N. Whitner, Esq., of the same place. To both these 

 gentlemen our thanks are tendered for cordial permission to investigate. 



The mound which has been superficially dug into by tourists and excursion 

 parties from Sanford, is oval in shape. Its circumference is 300 feet, that of the 

 summit plateau 140 feet. Its height is 10 feet measured from the northern side, 

 though a decided depression on the opposite or swamp side would make the height 

 somewhat greater. The shell-heap upon which it is built has an upward slope, so 

 that between the central portion of the summit plateau and the shell base there are 

 but 5'5 feet of sand. The mound is composed of two distinct layers of sand rising 

 at about the same angle, the stratum immediately above the shell being of pure 

 white sand absolutely free from shell, while the layer above the white is of brown- 

 ish sand with shells intermingled. Investigation of the subjacent shell-heap showed 

 it to be composed of the ordinary refuse of the shell deposits of the river. It 

 extends beyond the mound and was doubtless selected as a point of vantage for the 

 erection of the burial place. 



A trench was dug on the northern side, 22 feet horizontally from the margin 

 of the base, 14- 5 feet in length, 5 5 feet in breadth, with a maximum depth of 105 

 feet, and another on the eastern side beginning at the margin and extending along 

 the shell base 00 feet in length, 10 feet in breadth converging to 10 feet at the end. 

 Eight men were engaged upon the investigation which, through the white sand 

 layer, was carried on mainly with the trowel. 



HUMAN REMAINS. 



Remains, undoubtedly original burials, lay in the shell in one layer and in 

 the white sand immediately above. In nearly every case, the long bones lay 

 horizontally in connection with the cranium, though upon several occasions the 

 skeletons were in anatomical order. 



While aware that various forms of burial are sometimes met with in the same 

 mound, we are of the opinion that certain skeleton at length or flexed, with all the 

 bones of the body in anatomical order, may be the remains of those deceased within a 

 short period prior to the time selected for emptying the dead houses or pens. 

 Skeletons when deprived of flesh, hold together by means of the ligaments. We 

 have seen in Siam, in a walled inclosure, where the bodies of the poor were exposed 



