28 Cincinnati Society of Natural History. 



were traces of rough thread or cord. These were carefully examined 

 by an " expert" and pronounced fibre of slippery elm. Some of the 

 brooches still held a rotten leather thong three inches in length. I 

 tried to preserve this thong in several instances, but failed utterly. 

 Below the brooches were 197 large shell beads. They were full size, 

 very round, neatly drilled. At the bottom was the largest copper 

 plate. The ends were curved inward. Traces of decayed wood were 

 found above its. Some of this wood is well preserved, and showed 

 plainly. 



Work was then stopped on the south side and a trench begun on the 

 north side. This was carried through until it met the southern exca- 

 vation. We had scarcely gotten well under way when we came upon 

 an object peculiar to the Scioto Valley mounds ; i. e., an altar. It was 

 placed on the bottom, had been formed in situ. The dimensions were 

 as follows : 30 inches long, 24 inches wide, 4 inches deep. A rim 

 six inches wide extended around it. The depression in the center was 

 24x18x4 inches. It was filled with ashes and burned bones; was very 

 symmetrical and nicely made. I had often heard of these regular altars 

 being photographed or drawn ; but never heard of one being taken out 

 entire. I had the men dig around it very carefully ; then had them 

 when it was undermined all put their hands underneath and lift 

 together. It weighed 300 pounds, yet it was taken out with scarcely 

 a crack. It was packed in a box securely, and stored with Captain 

 McGinnis for safe keeping. The altar is still with him. I would ship 

 it, but am afraid it may be broken in transit. 



The thickness of the altar was four inches. It was burned quite hard- 

 The bottom was unshaped, and the top had been molded as described. 

 It rested on small stones. 



We connected the two trenches at the west end of the mound, to 

 give a sharp point of ground to work on. We gradually worked this 

 point backward, and this is what we found. In the south side on the 

 bottom- near the center was a long skeleton with head to the south. 

 Just above the forehead were five bear teeth crossed like a rail fence. 

 They had five perforations each. The perforation on the inner side 

 has a plug inserted. This plug is made from the tooth of a ground 

 hog. I have never before heard of teeth being so ornamented. Four 

 brooches accompanied this skeleton. Just beyond this skeleton was a 

 small ash-pit covered with a mica sheet. We found numbers of these 

 pits in the mound. They were always on the bottom ; varied from 

 eight to ten inches in diameter and one foot in depth. Generally they 



