
THE MOUND BUILDERS OF TENNESSEE. 61 
Hay wood relates that in the spring of the year 1811, two 
human beings were found in a copperas cave, in Warren 
County, in West Tennessee, about fifteen miles south-west 
from Sparta, and twenty miles from MeMinnville. One of 
these persons was a male, the other a female. "They were 
interred in baskets made of cane, curiously wrought, and 
evidencing great mechanical skill. They were both dislo- 
cated at the hip joint, and were placed erect in the baskets, 
with a covering of cane made to fit the baskets in which they 
were placed. The flesh of these persons was entire and 
undecayed, of a brown color, produced by time, the flesh 
having adhered to the bones and sinews. Around the female, 
next her body, was placed a well dressed doeskin; next to 
this was placed a rug, very curiously wrought of the bark of 
a tree and feathers. The bark seemed to have been formed 
of small strands well twisted. Around each of these strands 
feathers were rolled, and the whole woven into cloth of a 
fine texture, after the manner of our common coarse fabrics. 
This rug was about three feet wide, and between six and 
seven feet in length. The whole of the ligaments thus 
formed of bark were completely eovered by the feathers, 
forming a body of about one-eighth of an inch in thickness, 
the feathers extending about one-quarter of an inch in length 
from the strand to which they were confined. Its appear- 
ance was highly diversified by green, blue, yellow and black, 
presenting different shades of color when reflected upon by 
the light in different positions. The next covering was an 
undressed deer-skin, around which was rolled in good order 
a plain shroud manufactured after the same order as the one 
ornamented with feathers. This article resembled very much 
in its texture the bags generally used for the purpose of 
holding coffee, exported from Havana to the United States. 
The female had in her hand a fan formed of the tail feathers 
of a turkey, curiously bound with buckskin strings and scar- 
let colored hair, so as to open and shut readily. The hair 
of these mummies was still remaining upon their heads, and 
