432 THE SENECA NATION 



which is doubtful. A full length burial in the Neuter cemetery 

 at Grand Island is similarly peculiar in that the skull was lying 

 beside the bones of the body. 



The first of these two full length burials was found on the 

 western side of the village, and is that numbered 11 on the list. 

 The body lay on its back, but the skull was erect, the cervical 

 vertebrae being bent sharply upward at a right angle. The 

 knees were drawn up so that the heel bones were almost in con- 

 tact with the pelvis. The hands were on the breast and clasped 

 an ebony crucifix, the chaplet of which lay along the right arm. 

 On the fingers were four brass seal rings with the symbols of the 

 crucifix. At the feet were various iron tools and hunting imple- 

 ments, including gun flints, a bullet, a fish hook, a bear's tooth 

 and a knife. 



The second full length burial was found in the Bunce cem- 

 etery and is that numbered 22. Only half of the skeleton was 

 found, the portion above the pelvis being absent. It had prob- 

 ably been removed to the large bone-pit nearby. With the 

 skeleton were two heaps of articles comprising gun and gun 

 gear, pipes, paint and flint arrow points. 



Of the sixty-three burials seven were flexed and lying on 

 the side. Usually in this type, the knees were drawn up tightly 

 to the chest and the arms doubled at the elbow, bringing the 

 hands up before the face. 



In only one individual grave were the bones buried in the 

 position commonly called the "bundle burial". In this method 

 of burial, which is very common along the Niagara Frontier, the 

 bones of a skeleton are tied up into a bundle, the long bones 

 parallel, the skull and pelvis at each end, and so buried. 



In nine graves the bones were scattered and in no order. 

 It is possible that some of these graves may have been dis- 

 turbed by cultivation or by the burrows of animals. There can 

 be no doubt, however, that some at least were as originally 

 made. The two burials marked 4 and 5 are typical of these. 

 In these the bones of two adults were found at the bottom of a 

 deep refuse heap. Lying on the original soil of the site were 

 two extremely thin skulls. Above them were most of the bones 

 of two skeletons in a heap. The bones of one leg and the pelvis 

 were in position, but they lay across the bones of another leg, 

 which were reversed in position. One lower jaw was missiug. 



