168 



CERTAIN SAND MOUNDS OF 



HUMAN REMAINS. 



As during our first visit, human remains were found in anatomical order in the 

 large mound, no case of the bunched burial being discovered. Including the skele- 

 tons found during our previous visit, somewhat over fifty were noted throughout 

 the mound, lying from a depth of 10 feet to within a short distance of the surface. 

 No crania were saved. Indeed, so great was the pressure of the sand and of the 

 material from the shell-heaps, which lay between and above the sand strata, that 

 even long bones were crushed, and one cranium had suffered so greatly that the 

 opposite sides were in contact, giving it somewhat the shape of a tureen. 



IMPLEMENTS, ORNAMENTS, ETC: 



Superficially, was a beautifully wrought arrow head. Two fragments of projec- 

 tile points were met with during the excavation. 



Occasionally, with the bodies were small beads of shell, and with several a few 

 tubular beads of the same material, one inch in length and over. 



Five feet from the surface, unassociated, was a portion of a ceremonial object 



or gorget. The material was limestone ; 

 „„ length about 2*5 inches; breadth 2 



inches. On one side it presented a flat 

 surface, on the other a convex one. It 

 was perforated longitudinally (Fig. 35). 

 In the northern slope, in the shell- 

 heap debris surrounding the sandy por- 

 tion of the mound, 4 feet from the sur- 

 face, lay the skeleton of a man, pre- 

 sumably a person of rank. Great quan- 

 tities of small shell beads lay along the 

 forearms from wrist to elbow. With them 

 were occasional beads of a polished rock, 

 which Dr. E. Goldsmith has pronounced 

 Catlinite. At either wrist was a miniature example of the double-bladed axe in 

 stone, variously termed gorgets, ceremonials or banner stones. Between the blades 

 was the usual perforation for suspension. These little gems were each l - 3 inches 

 in length, with respective maximum breadth of blade of '8 and *9 of an inch (Figs. 

 36 and 37). 



On the breast of the same skeleton with many beads of Catlinite and of 

 shell, including some of the latter material tubular in form and over one inch in 

 length, and discoidal beads of shell having a diameter of '7 of an inch, was a 

 double-bladed axe of stone shown in Fig. 38. 



Near the neck of the skeleton, with beads in great profusion, were the dis- 

 integrated remains of a small stone ceremonial. With them lay a pendent orna- 



Fig. 35. 



Gorget of limestone, Thornhill Lake. 

 (Full size.) 



