1881 .] 
217 
[Putnam. 
In April last, by the kind invitation of the Madisonville Liter- 
ary and Scientific Society, I made a partial exploration of the 
Ancient Cemetery at Madisonville, in the Little Miami Valley, 
Ohio. The burial ground, which has now become famous in 
American archaeology, is in close proximity to an old village site, 
on which can still be traced the circular ridges of earth, indica- 
ting the places where once were the habitations of the people, and 
in the midst of which is an earth mound about five feet high. 
For over two years several gentlemen of the Madisonville Soci- 
ety, which has, through the liberality of the proprieters, control 
of the land, have been engaged in a careful exploration of the old 
cemetery, and during this time very much of interest has been 
discovered. 
The cemetery probably extends over about fifteen acres of the 
extensive plateau, and is in places still covered with a growth of 
large trees of various kinds, forming what is termed the primeval 
forest. From twelve to eighteen inches of leaf-mould overlies the 
hard-pan of the plateau. 
About three acres of the cemetery have been dug over, foot by 
foot, and many objects have been discovered, particularly with 
the skeletons, which are generally found at a depth of two or 
three feet. Over six hundred skeletons have been thus far dis- 
covered. A number of crania have been secured, and I brought 
home several for the Museum, for which I am specially indebted 
to Dr. C. L. Metz, who has paid particular attention to the human 
remains and has secured a valuable pathological collection. 
There have been found with the skeletons a number of vessels 
of pottery. The most common of these are small cooking pots 
with rather pointed bottoms and with four handles. Most of these 
vessels are simply cord-marked, but occasionally one is found or- 
namented with incised lines, or with rows of circular indentations. 
Two have been obtained on which were small and rudely made 
medallion figures representing the human face, similar to many 
from the Missouri and Arkansas mounds. On one pot a similarly 
formed head is on the edge so as to face the inside of the vessel. 
About half a dozen small vessels have a very interesting form of 
decoration which seems thus far to be peculiar to this place. 
These are known as the u Lizard ” or “ Salamander ” pots. On 
