pipes.

It will be noted that the dotted line of the floor plan shows that Squier and Davis' excavation intersected this mold, disclosing its contents and permitting their removal, but left intact, in the body of the mound, the greater part of the opening. However, sufficient of the original contents remained to show their character. More than 50 fragments of pipes, many beads of pearl and shell and a number of crystals of galena were taken from the bottom and around the edges of this mold, none of which showed contact with fire. However, associated with these objects were several fragments of a mineral, resembling copper, which unmistakably had · been fused. Tests, however, showed this mineral to be a copper arsenide, probably whitneyite,* a product of the Michigan copper region. The same mineral, in large pieces, was found in mound number 13, where it was associated with galena.

In view of the fact that the rectangular basins, termed by Squier and Davis "altars", but now generally recognized as crematories, were seldom used as depositories of burials or artifacts; and since such deposits often were made alongside and quite near to the basins, as in the Tremper mound, and in mounds 13 and 7 of the Mound City group, the evidence for mound number 8 is that the great find of pipes and doubtless many others of the accompanying specimens were taken from this supplemental depository, and not from the central basin.

Samples of the fused metal from the deposit were submitted to Professor William J. McGaughey of the department of mineralogy, Ohio State University, for identification. They were found to be whitneyite or closely allied copper arsenide mineral.

THE SO-CALLED ALTAR

Consideration of the basin itself strengthens this idea, and brings us to the second supposition of Squier and Davis namely, that an extensive cremation had been effected on the "altar", the heat from which was so intense as to fuse the accompanying artifacts of copper. In the “altar”, or crematory, as in the case of the supplementary depository, it was fortunate that no mutilation had resulted from former examination. with other mounds of the group, the excavation had been immediately filled, in accordance with requirements of the owner of the land, thus enabling our survey to view in a very satisfactory manner those portions of the floor uncovered by the early explorers.

As

The crematory basin was found to be devoid of contents, with the exception of a few charred human bones. and a fragment of a copper object, closely attached to the floor of the basin through corrosion, the original mass of ashes and artifacts having been removed, of course, upon first examination. However, a glance at the basin, once more exposed to view, was sufficient to show that the supposedly intense sacrificial or crematorial fires of Squier and Davis never had occurred therein. As so often noted in the crematory basins of other mounds of the group, this one had undergone extensive repairs. Continued use of these basins as crematories, with alternate heat and moisture, resulted in all instances in damage in the way of checking and cracking. In this particular basin, this cracking had been very pronounced, the separation being as much as one inch in width. These cracks, as well as portions of the floor which had been altogether broken away, were

neatly repaired by filling with puddled clay, bluish-drab in color. The fresh clay used in these repairs was entirely unburned, and showed no contact whatever with fire. In view of this fact, it becomes clear that cremation or burning of the deposit found in this basin had occurred elsewhere, possibly in the adjoining mound, number 9, which appears to have been supplemental to number 8 in purpose.

ULTIMATE CONCLUSIONS

The evidence, then, as to mound number 8 and its central deposit, as interpreted by this survey, is as follows: After cremation elsewhere, probably in the adjacent mound, number 9, the human remains were brought to mound number 8, and, together with their accompanying artifacts of copper and other objects, were deposited within the basin formerly serving as a crematory. In close proximity to this basin and its contents, were then deposited the pipes, beads, and so forth, in their bag-like container, while over this offering and the basin alike was heaped the covering and protecting mound of earth. The fact that the bag container was not destroyed in the burning of the structure enclosing the site of the mound, but retained its form and position when the earth was heaped over it, indicates one of two things; either the structure was burned prior to the placing of the deposit, or the fire incident to the burning did not reach and consume it.

The finding of the copper arsenide, fused together by heat, mingled with the unburned fragments of pipes, beads and so forth in the supplemental depository, shows unmistakably that the fusing and burning had been accomplished prior to the depositing of the speci

mens where found. The copper arsenide mineral, covered with the carbonate of copper, through proximity and oxidation, might easily be mistaken for copper; hence it is apparent that the fused copper reported by Squier and Davis was in reality the copper arsenide or whitneyite. The fact that a degree of heat in excess of 2300 Fahrenheit is required to melt copper makes it improbable that the open fire of the cremation ceremony would result in fusing that metal, as Squier and Davis believed had been done; while the copper arsenide, with a melting point of approximately one-fourth that of copper, would readily be affected by the degree of heat generated in an ordinary open fire.

MOUND NUMBER 2

Formerly very large, mound number 2 had been seriously disturbed by the construction of a thoroughfare through Camp Sherman, the eastern one-half being entirely obliterated, and the remainder graded off to within 6 inches of its base. This remaining portion of floor gave evidence of the importance of the mound as a whole, since it contained 18 burials and two crematories. A large basin, or "altar", as they termed it, is described by Squier and Davis, which, since its dimensions do not correspond with either of those found by the present examination, must have been located within the eastern one-half of the mound. Their description

is as follows:

"Fig. 31 (reproduced in Fig. 6) exhibits a section of mound No. 2 in the plan of 'Mound City.' This mound is ninety feet in diameter at the base by seven and a half feet high, being remarkably broad and flat. A shaft six feet square was sunk from the apex with the following results: