1919] BARRETT AND HAWKES, KRATZ CREEK MOUNDS. 21 



USES OF MOUNDS 



It seems to be quite generally assumed that in Wisconsin con- 

 ical mounds only were devoted to burial purposes while effigy 

 mounds contain no burials save now and then an intrusive one. 

 The work in this group of mounds, however, has quite clearly shown 

 that the form of the mound does not predicate its use, since burials 

 were found in the conical-ended linear, and in the effigies, as well 

 as in the true corneals. 



These various types of mounds were used for four general pur- 

 poses : burial, cremation, burnt sacrifice, and deposition of offer- 

 ings. The mounds of each type usually contained some evidences 

 of each of these uses, although certain types appear to have been 

 more specifically devoted to special purposes, as outlined below. 



The conical mounds were used as: 



1. Burial and sacrificial mounds for interments in the flesh and 

 for re-burials probably from original tree or scaffold burials. 



2. Crematories for human remains. 



3. Repositories for unburned offerings; altars where many 

 perishable objects, animal sacrifices and a few stone implements 

 were placed. 



4. Repositories for crematory altars where sacrifices of ani- 

 mals, goods, and possibly human beings were offered. 



The linear mounds of this group are relatively simple in con- 

 struction and use. Some evidence of their sacrificial use, however, 

 was obtained in connection with the burials above cited in the con- 

 ical-ended linear. 



The effigy mounds in almost all cases, show evidence of their 

 use for mortuary or for sacrificial purposes and in most instances 

 for both. 



Each burial mound in this group, regardless of form, has an in- 

 taglio foundation, which is filled with one or more strata of sacri- 

 ficial earth. 



SACRIFICES 



The paramount importance of sacrifices in the religion of the 

 builders of these mounds is clearly evident from the abundant re- 

 mains of fires and altars of various kinds, a fact which seems to 

 have been often overlooked in previous mound work. 



