CERTAIN SAND MOUNDS OF THE OCKLAWAHA RIVER, FLORIDA. 521 



On the property of Mr. R. D. MacDonald, about one-half mile farther to the 

 east, was an unsymmetrical mound of yellow sand, 7.5 feet high and 71 feet through 

 the base. This mound was not demolished. A certain amount of investigation 

 yielded nothing. 



Still farther on, about one-half mile in the same direction, was a beautiful 

 little mound 4 feet in height with a diameter of base of 68 feet. It was built on 

 the edge of a small lake which bordered a portion of its margin, while the remain- 

 der was surrounded by a trench about 24 feet wide and 1 foot in depth, which, in 

 the wet season, made an island of the mound. 



It was totally demolished, the task being a very difficult one owing to the 

 presence of great quantities of scrub palmetto roots. 



The mound was unstratified. Its material was coarse white sand. The usual 

 charcoal was not noticed. A few sherds, undecorated save one which showed marks 

 of red pigment, were scattered through the sand as were a few flakes of chert and 

 a fragmentary lance head. 



Almost centrally situated in the mound, at three separate points, each about 

 18 inches from the surface, were fragmentary human remains, while a small exca- 

 vation made by a previous visitor showed fragments of human bones in the sand. 



This mound illustrates the amount of work at times undertaken by the abori- 

 gines to make a limited number of interments. 



We can form no conclusion as to the five mounds nearest the landing. They 

 may have been erected for domiciliary purposes, but it is worthy of remark that no 

 village site refuse was found upon them. But, for that matter, we have never in 

 Florida found any marks of habitation upon any mound which, through absence of 

 human remains and products of aboriginal industry, we have been inclined to 

 assign to the domiciliary class. 



Mound near Silver Springs, Marion County. 



This mound, about one mile in an easterly direction from Silver Springs, had 

 a height of 4 feet 2 inches, with a base diameter of 50 feet. A trench surrounding 

 it, from which its material had been taken, gave an appearance of considerably 

 greater altitude to the mound. 



The mound had undergone much previous exploration. A trench had been 

 dug on one side from the margin to the center, and the upper central portion had 

 been excavated to a depth of about 2 feet. 



The mound was totally demolished, being dug through, as is our habit, at a 

 level considerably below that of the surrounding territory. Its material was yellow 

 sand without stratification, but with the usual intermingling of particles of char- 

 coal. In various parts of the mound, especially on the base, were small pockets of 

 sand showing marks of fire. 



Burials were of the bunched variety, but human remains, when found, were 



