1919] BARRETT AND HAWKES, KRATZ CREEK MOUNDS. 51 



fig. 2 of plate V. The bones of all three of these skeletons were 

 badly decomposed, showing that they had been buried here for a 

 long time. This earth had been packed so hard that the bones 

 of the head were much crushed, a condition which was found in 

 connection with only a few other skeletons in these mounds. The 

 vertical placement and strata surrounding these remains are shown 

 in plate IV. 



At a level 18.04 feet above mean lake level, and slightly above 

 that of the two auxiliary burials, was the small crematory altar 

 shown in plate IX, fig. 1. It was located 3 feet south (toward the 

 back of the mound) from the principal burial. On this altar were 

 various fragments of human bones, reduced almost to the condi- 

 tion of ash, and the whole appearance of the altar strongly sug- 

 gested human sacrifice. On this same level also, and at a point 

 about a foot north of it were the fragments of a red pottery vessel 

 surrounded by black sandy earth. This was evidently placed on 

 its side and may have contained an offering of food. The weight 

 of the earth had completely crushed the vessel but from the condi- 

 tion of the fragments it seems certain that the pot was whole when 

 it was originally placed here. Another pot similar in every respect 

 to this one was found at a slightly higher level (18.62 feet) and at a 

 point almost directly over the main central burial. The mouth of 

 this crushed pot had been placed toward the southeast. Both these 

 pots were probably about six inches in diameter by perhaps the 

 same in height. 



The occurrence of pockets of special sands in this mound has 

 already been mentioned. Perhaps the most striking of these is the 

 pocket of golden sand illustrated in plate IX, fig. 2. This peculiarly 

 shaped pocket was located at an elevation of 18.48 feet above mean 

 lake level. It was 1.25 feet by 1.6 feet in extreme dimensions and 

 about one inch in thickness. Nothing was present to indicate its 

 significance, but it seems unlikely that it was accidentally placed 

 here. It, like various other pockets and altars, suggests at least, 

 an animal shape. 



In the red clay stratum between the third and the top fire layers, 

 and therefore quite near the top of the mound (19.39 feet above 

 mean lake level) was a circle of eight small fire places, each about 

 a foot in diameter by about an inch in thickness. This circle was 



