BUFFALO SOCIETY OF NATURAL SCIENCES 379 



On my first visit I found that the top soil of the southern 

 and eastern sides of the cemetery had been removed with plow 

 and scrapers, exposing the gravel which had then been removed 

 for use as road-metal. A deep pit had been excavated, roughly 

 crescent in shape, convex to the southeastward. The removal 

 of the top soil had exposed graves on the eastern and southern 

 edges of the cemetery. Since my first visit more of the gravel 

 has been removed, and the area of the cemetery has been still 

 farther encroached upon. Eventually the entire knoll will be 

 removed. 



During the month of June some desultory work was done 

 by Mr. William L. Bryant, Dr. Robert E. DeCeu and myself, 

 and 28 bodies were exhumed. Beginning July 8th, I worked 

 systematically until July 24th, and exhumed 31 more skeletons. 

 These I have reburied in a pit nearby. 



For the most part the work was done by trenching the sur- 

 face. The trenches began at the face of the gravel pit and at 

 intervals of about a yard, ran straight north until beyond the 

 probable limits of burial. A few of these were intersected by 

 trenches running E. and W. These trenches penetrated to the 

 layer of fine gravel. 



In the beginning the rapid excavations in the gravel pit 

 made it necessary to explore along the edge of the pit by caving 

 off the surface instead of trenching. Three apple trees (which 

 I was not allowed to remove) made it necessary to leave un- 

 touched three areas, at least ten feet across. 



On the plan appended the trenches are shown. 



When the skeletons were found, I uncovered them with a 

 whisk broom, and the exact position, not only of every skeleton 

 but of many articles buried with it, was noted. 



Three methods of burial were found to have been practiced. 

 Skeletons were found in a flexed position, in bundles, and one 

 was found extended. No special orientation was observable. 



Of the 59 bodies exhumed, 41 were buried in a flexed posi- 

 tion. A body so buried was evidently prepared immediately 

 after death by having the knees drawn up tightly to the body, 

 the arms bent at the elbows which were drawn tightly to the 

 sides, and the hands were extended before the face. In some 

 the fingers were extended, in others the hands were clenched. 

 The body so drawn up, was laid on its side in the grave, with 



