CERTAIN SAND MOUNDS OF THE OCKLAWAHA RIVER, FLORIDA. 523 



apparent that incised figures were on the fragment, one probably representing a 

 deer, and that others had been on the missing portion, since incomplete figures were 

 at the broken margins at either side. A close inspection showed that a certain 

 amount of soot, gained doubtless during the entirety of the vessel while in use for 

 culinary purposes, still remained upon the fragment, and that the incised figures 

 were cut through this soot, or after the abandonment of the vessel for domestic use. 

 It is, therefore, evident either that the decoration is aboriginal, but made subsequent 

 to the vessel's final contact with the flames, or that our judgment as to undisturbed 

 sand, in the absence of stratification, is at fault, and that the fragment was a recent 

 addition to the mound, left by some previous investigator. It is shown diagram- 

 matically in Fig. 71. 



We have submitted this fragment to Professor Putnam and append the opinion 

 of this high authority. 



" Thanks for allowing me to see the fragment of pottery from the Florida 

 mound. It is a very interesting piece of incised work, and again shows the rude 

 character of the art of the people who buried their dead in the sand mounds of 

 Florida. 



" That the cutting is not recent I think is shown by the edges of the lines, 

 and also by the fact that in the lines forming the front leg and foot there are little 



Fig. 72. — Incised delineation of human figure. Shell-heap of Mulberry mound. (Full size.) 



particles of mica that seem to be cemented to the bottom of the incised lines. Now 

 this, it seems to me, could not have happened if the cutting were of recent date 

 and the bowl put into the mound only a short time ago. 



" There is every indication, to my mind, that the carving was made by the 

 people who buried their dead in that mound, and no indication of fraudulent work. 

 The whole thing is in keeping with what you have found before. 



" We took a piece of similar pottery from Florida and cut lines upon it of the 

 same character, and we found that in making a very slight line we cut into the 

 black interior of the pottery, and the edges were sharp. Whereas, the edges of 



