Exploration of the Porter Mound, Frankfort, Ross Co. , 0. 29 



were covered with a plate of mica. In this one was a decayed frag- 

 ment of skull, ashes, and 993 pearl beads. They are the fresh water 

 mussel pearls, well drilled but poorly preserved. I neglected to state 

 above, that two flat beads with two holes in them were found by the 

 side of the skull of the skeleton above mentioned. 



To return to the north side. When about fifteen feet from the stone 

 circle there was uncovered a large ash-pit. It varied in depth from 

 two to three feet; in extent it was eight by eleven feet. The soil was 

 filled with pottery fragments, flint flakes, burnt hickory-nuts, animal 

 bones, etc. At short distances there was a mica sheet covering 

 an ash-pit. We dug out very carefully all these shallow holes in 

 hopes of getting more beads, but we found none. We did find the 

 following in no regular positions: seven curved flint knives, very 

 sharp ; twenty-six arrow-heads without notches ; one large finely pol- 

 ished celt of greenstone; six groundhog jaws ; deer and bear bones; 

 nearly a peck of charred hickory-nuts. Fourteen whole pieces of pottery 

 were uncovered, but the material was so poor and so soft none of 

 them would hold together. We lifted fragments very carefully, but 

 could not retain them in pieces larger than 2x3 inches. 



Just beyond this ash-pit were two skeletons laid nearly side by side, 

 heads to the south. Near the head of one was our third copper plate. 

 This plate showed traces of cloth — the weaving, the fibre, etc.; but 

 the cloth itself had long ago gone to dust. Around the neck of the 

 other skeleton were eleven drilled wolf teeth. Two small shell orna- 

 ments, perforated, lay where his ears once were. In his mouth (mirab- 

 ile dictu !) were fifty pearl beads, larger and more evenly perforated 

 than the others. The skull of this person was saved entire. When 

 the point was dug back sufficiently to reach the center, two well- 

 preserved skeletons were taken out at about half way between the top 

 and the bottom of the mound. At the exact center of the mound 

 another skeleton with a bone ornament on his arm was found. It has 

 two holes drilled through it. Over twenty discs of mica were found. 

 A rough, ill-shaped altar was found on the east side, about the same 

 distance from the edge where the good one on the west was placed ; 

 but no ashes accompanied it, and we did not attempt to save it. 

 Indeed, this one was so irregular that measurements could not be 

 obtained. Roughly it was 30x35 inches, 8 to 10 inches thick. The 

 mound had seven layers ; they were not brightly colored earths as 

 some mounds are, but were dull colors. They ran : 



