CERTAIN SAND MOUNDS OF THE OCKLAWAHA RIVER, FLORIDA. 529 



territory, since, in nearly all the Florida mounds examined by us, some sort of 

 excavation seems to have been made previous to the erection of the mound proper. 

 The upper 3 feet was composed of yellow sand, beneath which was sand of a 

 dark color to a depth of 2 to 3 feet. Charcoal was abundant, and numerous fire- 

 places were encountered throughout the mound. Several pockets of sand colored 

 red with Hematite were at various depths. 



HUMAN REMAINS. 



Human remains were numerous. The usual bunched burial prevailed, with, 

 in addition, isolated bones scattered throughout the mound. None was in condition 

 to justify preservation. 



One foot from the surface, though of course originally at a considerably greater 

 depth, lay a skull in fragments, the shaft of a femur, a large part of a humerus, 

 and an os innominatum, entirely unaffected by fire, in immediate association with 

 fragments of charcoal and small portions of calcined bones, some unmistakably 

 human and others too small for identification. 



At various other points in the mound were fragments of human bones affected 

 by fire. 



STONE. 



Six polished "celts," as a rule unassociated, were found separately at from 3 

 to 6 feet from the surface. None exceeded 4 inches in length. 



At various depths in the mound, separately, were twelve arrow points, while 

 together, about 6 feet down, almost in contact with a fire place, were four arrow 

 heads. These sixteen projectile points, all of chert or of chert breccia, were in 

 each case in a more or less imperfect condition. We have noticed in many mounds 

 a strong aboriginal tendency to be rid of imperfect objects through mortuary 

 deposit and to discharge a duty with as little cost as possible. 



Separately, were three pendants of quartz, grooved for suspension, none over 

 two inches in length, one tapered to a point, somewhat resembling an arrow head. 



At at least half a dozen points in the mound, sometimes associated with human 

 remains and with other objects, were sheets of mica, some so large as 3.5 inches by 

 5 inches. One had the form of a circle with a diameter of 3.25 inches. 



A few chippings of chert were scattered throughout the mound. 



SHELL. 



At various points, always with human remains, were beads of shell, at times in 

 considerable numbers. Some were very minute, others nearly 1 inch in length. 



As a rule, separately and at all depths, were a number of ellipsoidal objects of 

 shell, imperforate, none over 1 inch in length. 



A considerable number of mussel shells were at one point in the mound. 



