Chapter I: Part 1

[Transcriber's Note:

A few typographical errors were corrected. They are listed at the end
of the text.]

* * * * *

Smithsonian Institution--Bureau Of Ethnology.

ILLUSTRATED CATALOGUE
of a
Portion of the Collections
Made by the Bureau of Ethnology
During the
Field Season of 1881.

WILLIAM H. HOLMES.

* * * * *

CONTENTS.
Page.
Introductory 433
Collections from Jackson County, North Carolina 434
From the Cherokee Indians 434
Articles of stone 434
Articles of clay 434
Vegetal substances 435
Animal substances 437
Collections from Cocke County, Tennessee 438
From the fields at Newport 438
Articles of stone 438
From a mound on Pigeon River 440
Articles of clay 440
Collections from Sevier County, Tennessee 442
The McMahan Mound 442
Articles of stone 442
Articles of clay 443
Objects of metal 446
Objects of shell 446
Animal substances 453
From the fields of Sevierville 453
Articles of stone 453
Articles of clay 456
Collections from Roane County, Tennessee 457
Mound at Taylor's Bend 457
Articles of stone 457
Articles of clay 457
Objects of shell 458
From field at Taylor's Bend 458
Articles of stone 458
Vicinity of Kingston 460
Mound at Niles' Ferry 461
Mounds near Paint Rock Ferry 461
Fragments of pottery 461
Objects of shell 462
Collections from Jefferson County 463
Mound on Fain's Island 463
Articles of clay 463
From the fields of Fain's Island 465
Articles of stone 465
Objects of shell 466
Animal substances 466
Collections from Mississippi County, Arkansas 468
Pemissicott Mound 468
Chickasawba Mound 468
Mounds in Carson Lake Township 468
Mounds at Pecan Point 469
Articles of clay 469
Field graves and fields in vicinity of Pecan Point 470
Articles of stone 470
Articles of clay 471
Collections from Arkansas County, Arkansas 476
Mounds at Arkansas Post 476
Articles of clay 476
Field graves about Menard mounds 477
Articles of stone 477
Articles of clay 479
Objects of metal 485
Animal substances 485
Collection from Monroe County, Arkansas 486
Mound at Lawrenceville 486
Articles of clay 486
Mounds at Indian Bay 487
Articles of clay 488
Collections from Ohio 490
From mounds and fields 490
Articles of stone 490
Articles of clay 491
Human remains 491
Collections from Oregon 492
Articles of stone 492
Collections from Kentucky 493
Collections from Missouri 495
Articles of clay 495
Collections from other States 507
Collections from Peru 508

ILLUSTRATIONS.

Fig. 116.--Stone implement, Tennessee 439
117.--Sections of earthen vessels, Tennessee 440
118.--Earthen vessel, Tennessee 444
119.--Shell ornament, Tennessee 447
120.--Shell ornament, Tennessee 447
121.--Shell ornament, Tennessee 448
122.--Shell ornament, Tennessee 448
123.--Shell ornament, Tennessee 449
124.--Shell ornament, Tennessee 449
125.--Shell ornament, Tennessee 450
126.--Shell ornament, Tennessee 450
127.--Shell ornament, Tennessee 451
128.--Shell ornament, Tennessee 452
129.--Stone implement, Tennessee 454
130.--Stone implement, Tennessee 454
131.--Stone implement, Tennessee 455
132.--Stone implement, Tennessee 455
133.--Stone implement, Tennessee 456
134.--Stone implement, Tennessee 459
135.--Stone implement, Tennessee 459
136.--Shell bead, Tennessee 462
137.--Shell bead, Tennessee 462
138.--Shell bead, Tennessee 462
139.--Earthen vessel, Tennessee 464
140.--Shell ornament, Tennessee 466
141.--Shell ornament, Tennessee 466
142.--Stone implement, Arkansas 470
143.--Earthen vessel, Arkansas 471
144.--Earthen vessel, Arkansas 472
145.--Earthen vessel, Arkansas 473
146.--Earthen vessel, Arkansas 473
147.--Earthen vessel, Arkansas 474
148.--Earthen vessel, Arkansas 474
149.--Earthen vessel, Arkansas 475
150.--Earthen vessel, Arkansas 476
151.--Stone implement, Arkansas 477
152.--Earthen vessel, Arkansas 478
153.--Earthen vessel, Arkansas 479
154.--Earthen vessel, Arkansas 479
155.--Earthen vessel, Arkansas 480
156.--Earthen vessel, Arkansas 480
157.--Earthen vessel, Arkansas 481
158.--Earthen vessel, Arkansas 482
159.--Earthen vessel, Arkansas 482
160.--Earthen vessel, Arkansas 482
161.--Earthen vessel, Arkansas 482
162.--Earthen vessel, Arkansas 483
163.--Earthen vessel, Arkansas 483
164.--Earthen vessel, Arkansas 484
165.--Earthen vessel, Arkansas 484
163.--Earthen vessel, Arkansas 485
167.--Earthen vessel, Arkansas 486
168.--Earthen vessel, Arkansas 487
169.--Earthen vessel, Arkansas 488
170.--Earthen vessel, Arkansas 489
171.--Earthen vessel, Arkansas 489
172.--Method of plaiting sandals 493
173.--Method of plaiting mat 493
174.--Earthen vessel, Missouri 495
175.--Earthen vessel, Missouri 496
176.--Earthen vessel, Missouri 497
177.--Earthen vessel, Missouri 497
178.--Earthen vessel, Missouri 498
179.--Earthen vessel, Missouri 498
180.--Earthen vessel, Missouri 499
181.--Earthen vessel, Missouri 499
182.--Earthen vessel, Missouri 500
183.--Earthen vessel, Missouri 500
184.--Earthen vessel, Missouri 501
185.--Earthen vessel, Missouri 501
186.--Earthen vessel, Missouri 502
187.--Earthen vessel, Missouri 502
188.--Earthen vessel, Missouri 502
189.--Earthen vessel, Missouri 503
190.--Earthen vessel, Missouri 504
191.--Earthen vessel, Missouri 504
192.--Earthen vessel, Missouri 505
193.--Earthen vessel, Missouri 505
194.--Earthen vessel, Missouri 505
195.--Earthen vessel, Missouri 506
196.--Earthen vessel, Missouri 506
197.--Earthen vessel, Missouri 506
198.--Wooden mask, Peru 509
199.--Stone net-sinker, Peru 510
200.--Copper fish-hooks, Peru 510

* * * * *

ILLUSTRATED CATALOGUE OF A PORTION OF THE
ETHNOLOGIC AND ARCHAEOLOGIC COLLECTIONS
MADE BY THE BUREAU OF ETHNOLOGY
DURING THE YEAR 1881.

By William H. Holmes.

* * * * *

COLLECTION MADE BY EDWARD PALMER, IN NORTH CAROLINA,
TENNESSEE, AND ARKANSAS.

INTRODUCTORY.

Mr. Palmer began his explorations early in July, 1881, and continued with marked success until the end of the year.

He first paid a visit to the Cherokee Indians of North Carolina, and collected a large number of articles manufactured or used by this people, besides a number of antiquities from the same region.

From Carolina he crossed into Tennessee, and began work by opening a number of mounds in Cocke County. In September he opened a very important mound, which I have named the McMahan Mound. It is located in the vicinity of Sevierville, Sevier County. Afterwards mounds were opened on Fain's Island, at Dandridge, and at Kingston.

In September he crossed into Arkansas and made extensive explorations at Osceola, Pecan Point, Arkansas Post, and Indian Bay.

It has devolved upon the writer to examine and catalogue this fine collection.

In preparing the catalogue the plan of arrangement already adopted by the Bureau has been carried out; that is, a primary classification by locality and a secondary by material.

The descriptions of specimens are taken from the card catalogue prepared by the writer on first opening the collection, and will be given in full, excepting in cases where detailed descriptions have been furnished in separate papers, either in this or the preceding Annual Report. Cuts have been made of a number of the more interesting specimens. The localities are named in the order of their exploration.

COLLECTIONS FROM JACKSON COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA.

OBTAINED CHIEFLY FROM THE CHEROKEE INDIANS.

ARTICLES OF STONE.

62953. A small disk of dark-gray slate, 1-1/4 inches in diameter and
1-1/2 inches in thickness. The form is symmetrical and the surface
well polished. The sides are convex, slightly so near the center and
abruptly so near the circumference. The rim or peripheral surface is
squared by grinding, the circular form being accurately preserved.
This specimen was obtained from an aged Cherokee, who stated that it
had formerly been used by his people in playing some sort of game. It
seems not improbable that this stone has been used for polishing
pottery.

62952. A small subglobular pebble used as a polishing stone for pottery.

62954. A polishing stone similar to the above. This implement was seen
in use by the collector.

62947. A hemispherical stone, probably used as a nut-cracker.

62944. A stone implement somewhat resembling a thick, round-pointed
pick, 4-1/2 inches in length and 1 inch in diameter. It is perforated
exactly as an iron pick would be for the insertion of a handle. The
perforation has been produced by boring from opposite sides; at the
surface it is five-eighths of an inch in diameter, and midway about
three-eighths. The material seems to be an indurated clay or soft
slate.

The collector suggests that this specimen was probably used for smoothing bow-strings or straightening arrow-shafts.

62949. Eight arrow points of gray and blackish chalcedony.

62950. Pipe of gray, indurated steatite, of modern Cherokee manufacture.

62951. Pipe of dark greenstone, highly polished. It is well modeled, but
of a recent type.

62888. Grooved ax of compact greenish sandstone; found near Bakersville,
N.C.

ARTICLES OF CLAY.

Obtained from the Southern Band of Cherokees, Jackson County, North Carolina.

The manufacture of pottery, once so universally practiced by the Atlantic coast Indians, is still kept up by this tribe, rather, however, for the purpose of trade than for use in their domestic arts. The vessels are, to a great extent, modeled after the ware of the whites, but the methods of manufacture seem to be almost wholly aboriginal.

63070. A handled mug or cup of brownish ware. The form is not
aboriginal. It is composed of clay, tempered, apparently, with
pulverized shell. The surface has a slight polish produced by a
polishing implement. The height is 4-1/2 inches and the width nearly
the same.

63068. Large flat-bottomed bowl, 6 inches in height, 11 inches in
diameter at the top, and 8 at the base. Although made without a wheel,
this vessel is quite symmetrical. The thickness is from one-fourth to
one-half of an inch. The material has been a dark clay paste with
tempering of powdered mica.

63066. A three-legged pot, with spherical body, resembling very closely
in appearance the common iron cooking pot of the whites. The rim is
6 inches in diameter, and 1 inch high. The body is 9 inches in
diameter. Two handles are attached to the upper part of the body. The
form is symmetrical and the surface highly polished. The polishing
stone has been used with so much skill that the effect of a glaze is
well produced. The materials used were clay and pulverized mica. The
color is dark brown.

63067. A strong, rudely made vessel shaped like a half cask. The walls
are about one-half an inch in thickness. The surface is rough, the
polishing stone having been very carelessly applied.

63068. A flat-bottomed bowl symmetrical in shape but rudely finished.

VEGETAL SUBSTANCES.

63063. Basket sieve said to be used to separate the finer from the
coarser particles of pounded corn. The coarse meal thus obtained is
boiled and allowed to ferment. This is used as food and is called
_connawhana_. The sieve is made of split cane carefully smoothed;
some of the strips are dyed red and others brown. A simple ornamental
design is worked in these colors. The opening is square, with rounded
corners, the sides measuring 14 inches. The depth is 5 inches. The
bottom is flat and loosely woven.

63072. A bottle-shaped basket, with constricted neck and rectangular
body, used by the Cherokees for carrying fish. Height, 11 inches;
width of mouth, 4 inches; diameter of body, 6 inches. It is made of
strips of white oak or hickory, one-fourth of an inch in thickness.

63073. Basket made of strips of white oak intended for the storage
of seeds and for other household uses. The rim is about 5 inches in
diameter; the body is 8 inches in diameter, the base being rectangular
and flat.

63074. Basket, made of cane, used for storing seed.

63076. Two baskets, made of cane, probably used for household purposes.
They are neatly ornamented with simple designs, produced by the use of
colored strips. The rims are oval in shape, and the bases rectangular.
The larger will hold about half a bushel, the smaller about a gallon.

63077. Small basket with a handle, made of splints of white oak. Yellow
strips of hickory bark are used to ornament the rim. Other colors are
obtained by using bark of different trees, maple, walnut, etc.

63078. Small cup or dish carved from laurel or cucumber wood. It is very
neatly made. The depth is about 1 inch; the width 5 inches.

63064. Large spoon, carved from laurel or cucumber wood, used by the
Cherokees in handling the _connawhana_, or fermented meal. The carving
is neatly done. The heart-shaped bowl is 6 inches in length, 4 in
width, and about 2 in depth. The handle is 12 inches long, and is
embellished at the end by a knob and ring. The knob is carved to
represent a turtle's or snake's head.

63065. A smaller spoon similar in shape to the above.

63087. A large, five-pronged fork carved from the wood of the _Magnolia
glauca_ (?). It resembles the iron forks of the whites.

63088. A small, three-pronged fork of the same pattern and material as
the above.

63080. A wooden comb made in imitation of the shell combs used by white
ladies for supporting and ornamenting the back hair. The carving is
said to have been done with a knife. Considerable skill is shown in
the ornamental design at the top. The wood is maple or beech.

63089. A walnut paddle or club, used to beat clothes in washing.

63059. Bow of locust wood, 5 feet long, one-half an inch thick, and
1-1/2 inches wide in the middle, tapering at the ends to 1 inch. The
back of the bow is undressed, the bark simply having been removed. The
string, which resembles ordinary twine, is said to be made of wild
hemp. The arrows are 40 inches in length. The shafts are made of
hickory wood and have conical points. Stone and metal points are not
used, as the country abounds in small game only, and heavy points are
considered unnecessary. In trimming the arrow two feathers of the wild
turkey are used; these are close clipped and fastened with sinew.

63057. Blow-gun used by the Cherokees to kill small game. This specimen
is 7 feet in length, and is made of a large cane, probably the
_Arundinaria macrosperma_. These guns are made from 5 to 15 feet in
length, the diameter in large specimens reaching 1-1/2 inches.

63058. Arrows used with the blow-gun. The shafts, which are made of
hickory wood, are 2 feet in length and very slender. The shooting end
has a conical point; the feather end is dressed with thistle-down,
tied on in overlapping layers with thread or sinew. The tip of down
completely fills the barrel of the gun; and the arrow, when inserted
in the larger end and blown with a strong puff, has a remarkable
carrying and penetrating power.

63085. Thistle-heads, probably the _Cnicus lanceolatus_, from which the
down is obtained in preparing the arrows of the blow-gun.

63061. Ball-sticks or racquets made of hickory wood. Rods of this tough
wood, about 7 feet long, are dressed to the proper shape, the ends
having a semicircular section, the middle part being flat. Each is
bent and the ends united to form a handle, leaving a pear-shaped loop
6 inches in width by about 12 in length, which is filled with a
network of leather or bark strings sufficiently close to hold the
ball.

63061. Ball, 1-1/2 inches in diameter, covered with buckskin, used with
the racquets in playing the celebrated ball game of the Cherokee,
Choctaw, Creek, and Seminole Indians.

ANIMAL SUBSTANCES.

63071. Shell, probably a _Unio_, used by potters to scrape the surface
of clay vessels; seen in use.

63081. Comb made of horn. The teeth are 2 inches in length, and have
been made with a saw. It is used in dressing the hair.

63085. Charm made of feathers and snake rattles; worn on the head or on
some part of the costume.

63082. Awl of iron set in a handle of deer's horn.

COLLECTIONS FROM COCKE COUNTY, TENNESSEE.

FROM FIELDS NEAR NEWPORT.

ARTICLES OF STONE.

62752. Grooved ax, 8 inches in length, 3-1/2 in width, and about 1 in
thickness; one side is quite flat, the other convex. The material is a
banded schistose slate.

62758. A fine specimen of grooved ax, 7 inches in length, 4 in width,
and 1-1/2 in thickness. The groove is wide and shallow, and is
bordered by two narrow ridges, which are in sharp relief all the way
around. The material appears to be a greenish-gray diorite.

62759. A grooved ax, 6 inches long, 3-1/2 inches wide, and 1 inch thick.
This specimen is similar to the preceding, the groove being deeper on
the lateral edges of the implement, and the upper end less prominent.
It is made of a fine-grained gray sandstone.

62753. Fragment of a grooved ax, of gray slate. The groove is shallow
and irregular.

62754. Celt of compact gray sandstone, somewhat chipped at the ends. It
is 6-1/2 inches in length by 2-1/2 in width and 1-1/2 in thickness.
One face is flat, the other convex. The sides are nearly parallel. A
transverse section would be sub rectangular.

62755. Fragment of celt, 3 inches in length by 2 in width and about
1-1/2 in thickness. The material is a fine grained sandstone or a
diorite.

62756. A long, slender celt, very carefully finished, 7 inches in
length, 2 in width, and less than 1 in thickness. The material is a
very compact gray slate. It has apparently been recently used as a
scythe-stone by some harvester.

62757. Fragment of a small, narrow celt, both ends of which are lost.
Material, gray diorite.

62760. Heavy celt of gray diorite, 8 inches in length by 3 in width and
2-1/2 in thickness.

62762. A pestle of gray diorite, with enlarged base and tapering top,
5-1/2 inches in length and 3 inches in diameter at the base.

62751. A pestle of banded schistose slate, 15 inches in length, and
2-1/2 inches in diameter in the middle, tapering symmetrically toward
the ends, which terminate in rounded points.

62763. A ceremonial (?) stone resembling somewhat a small broad-bladed
pick, the outline being nearly semicircular. It is pierced as a pick
is pierced for the insertion of a handle. It is 2-1/2 inches in
length, 1-1/2 in width, and three-fourths of an inch in thickness. The
material is a soft greenish mottled serpentine, or serpentinoid
limestone. Fig. 116.

62761. A pierced tablet of gray slate, 4-1/2 inches long, 1-1/2 inches
wide, and half an inch thick. The two perforations are 2-1/2 inches
apart; they have been bored from opposite sides, and show no evidence
of use. Nine notches have been cut in one end of the tablet. It has
been much injured by recent use as a whetstone.

62764. Cup stone of rough sandstone, having seventeen shallow cup-like
depressions, from 1 to 2 inches in diameter. The stone is of irregular
outline, about 10 inches in diameter and 4 in thickness.

62765. A large pipe of gray steatite; the bowl is square and about 3
inches in length, by 1 in diameter. The stem end is 4 inches in length
and three-fourths of an inch in diameter. The bowl has a deep, conical
excavation. The same is true of the stem-end also.

MOUND AT THE JUNCTION OF THE PIGEON AND FRENCH BROAD RIVERS.

ARTICLES OF CLAY.

62870. The mound from which these fragments were obtained was located
3 miles from Newport. It was 12 feet square and 6 feet high. The
original height was probably much greater. The pottery was mixed with
ashes and _debris_ of what appeared to be three fire-places. No human
remains were found. The fragments are not numerous, nor do they
indicate a great variety in form. There is, however, considerable
variety in decoration.

_Material._--The clay is generally gray or dark-reddish gray in the mass, and is apparently quite siliceous or sandy, numerous grains of quartz being visible. There is generally a sprinkling of finely-powdered mica, but no shell matter can be detected. When much weathered the surface is quite gritty.

_Form._--The leading form is a round-bodied, pot-shaped vase. There is one small hemispherical bowl. The outlines have been quite symmetrical. The mouths of the pots are wide, and the necks deeply constricted. The lip or rim exhibits a number of novel features. That of the larger specimen, of which a considerable segment remains, is furnished on the upper edge with a deep channel, nearly one-half an inch wide, and more than one-fourth of an inch deep. First section, Fig. 117. Others have a peculiar thickening of the rim, a sort of collar being added to the outside. This is about 1 inch in width, and is thicker below, giving a triangular section. Third section, Fig. 117.

The walls of the vessels are usually quite thin. The bottoms were probably round, or nearly so. No fragments, however, of the lower parts of the vessels were collected. There is but one example of handle, and this presents no unusual features. Middle section, Fig. 117.

_Ornamentation._--The ornamentation is in some respects novel. The double or channeled rim of the larger specimen, the mouth of which has been 13 or 14 inches in diameter, is embellished with a line of flutings, which seem to be the impressions of a hollow bone or reed. The whole exterior surface is embellished with a most elaborate ornamental design, which resembles the imprint of some woven fabric. If a woven fabric has not been used, a pliable stamp, producing the effect of a fabric, has been resorted to. The fact that the sharply concave portions of the neck are marked with as much regularity as the convex body of the vessel, precludes the idea of the use of a solid or non-elastic stamp.

The pattern consists of groups of parallel indented lines, arranged at right angles with one another, the puzzling feature being that there is no evidence of the passing of the threads or fillets over or under each other, such as would be seen if a woven fabric had been used. The outer surface of the triangular collar peculiar to many of the pots has been decorated with a herring-bone pattern, made by impressing a sharp implement. The handle in one case is similarly ornamented. This handle has been added _after_ the figure previously described was impressed upon the neck of the vessel. One small fragment shows another style of indented or stamped pattern, which consists of series of straight and curved lines, such as are characteristic of many of the vessels obtained from the Gulf States.

A small fragment of coal-black ware is entirely smooth on the outside, and indicates an unusually well finished and symmetrical vessel. Another shows the impression of basket-work, in which a wide fillet or splint has served as the warp and a small twisted cord as the woof. One interesting feature of this vessel is that from certain impressions on the raised ridges we discover that the vessel has been taken from the net mold while still in a plastic state.

Still another reddish porous fragment has a square rim, which is ornamented with a series of annular indentations.

COLLECTIONS FROM SEVIER COUNTY, TENNESSEE.

THE McMAHAN MOUND.

On the west fork of the Little Pigeon River, at Sevierville, on a rich bottom, 125 yards from the river, is a celebrated mound, the owners of which have for years refused to have it opened.

Mr. Palmer spent several days in trying to obtain permission to open it, and was about leaving in despair, when the owners finally yielded, not, however, without requiring a number of concessions on the part of the collector, which concessions were put in the form of a legal document.

This mound is 16 feet high and 240 feet in circumference.

Three feet below the surface, a stratum of burnt clay, 15 feet wide by 30 long, was reached. This has probably formed part of the roof of a dwelling.

Beneath this was a bed of charcoal 4 inches thick. In this bed remnants of cedar posts from 2 to 4 inches thick and 1 to 2 feet in length were found.

Below this was a stratum of ashes, covering a limited area to the depth of 4 feet. Surrounding this, the earth contained fragments of numerous articles used by the inhabitants, while beneath came 4-1/2 feet of earth, in which numerous skeletons had been deposited.

The bodies had been interred without order, and the bones were so intermingled, and so far decayed, that no complete skeletons could be collected. Beneath the layer of bones came a second deposit of ashes, 2 feet thick by 2-1/2 feet in diameter, and beneath this a mass of red clay, 18 inches in thickness. In the earth surrounding the ashes and clay, a number of skeletons were found; these were in such an advanced stage of decomposition that only a few fragments of skulls could be preserved.

Three feet below the second layer of bones, the undisturbed soil was reached.

Two boxes of bones were collected, the well-preserved crania numbering about twenty.

A great many interesting specimens of the implements, utensils, and ornaments of the mound-builders were obtained.

The following catalogue includes everything of interest:

ARTICLES OF STONE.

62787, 62792, 62778, 62769, 62784, 62788. Numerous specimens of
arrow-points, flakes, cores, and rough masses of gray and black
chalcedony, obtained partly from the mound, and partly from the soil
surrounding it.

62793. A somewhat conical object of black compact graphite. The flattish
base is rubbed off in an irregular way, as if in grinding down for use
as a pigment.

62790. Fragment of hammerstone of gray micaceous sandstone, 5 inches
long by 3 inches in diameter. It was found associated with the upper
layer of skeletons.

62808. Pipe carved from gray marble. The bowl is symmetrically shaped,
and resembles a common clay pipe. It is about 1-1/2 inches in height
and 1 in diameter. The stem part is about one-fourth of an inch in
length. Found with the upper layer of skeletons.

62786. A perforated stone tube, 1-1/4 inches long and three-fourths of
an inch in diameter. It is probably the upper part of a pipe bowl.

62794. A large number of minute quartz pebbles, probably used in a
rattle or in playing some game of chance. Found with the skeletons
in the mound.

62798. Three glass beads, found 4 feet below the surface of the mound.
One is a bright blue bead of translucent glass. One is opaque,
resembling porcelain. The third is of blue-gray glass, and has three
longitudinal stripes of brown, underlaid by bands of white. All are
cylindrical in shape, and are from three-eighths to half an inch in
length, and about one-fourth of an inch in diameter.

ARTICLES OF CLAY.

The collection of pottery from this mound is of much interest. There is but one entire vessel, but the fragments are so plentiful and well preserved that many interesting forms can be restored, and a very good idea of the ceramic work of this locality be formed.

_Form._--I have spent much time in the examination of these fragments, and have assigned each to the form of vessel to which it belonged. Where large pieces are preserved, especially if the rim is included, we have little trouble in reconstructing the entire vessel, without fear of being seriously wrong. The lower parts of the bodies of all forms are round or slightly flattened, and but a small fragment of the rim is needed to tell whether the vessel was a bottle, pot, or bowl.

I find, however, that the forms merge into each other in such a way that a complete graduated series can be found. Of first importance, are the round or globular vases with more or less constricted necks.

_Ornamentation._--The inside of all forms is plain with the exception of accidental markings of the fingers. The rim is square, sharp, or round on the edge, and sometimes slightly enlarged or beaded on the outer margin. A collar is attached to many forms, which at the lower edge overhangs. It is added to the body with the rim, or as a strip afterward attached. It is often notched or indented with a stick, bone, or reed, or with the fingers.

The necks of vases and pot-shaped vessels have a great variety of handles, knobs, and ornaments. Some of the latter seem to be atrophied handles. In some cases a low horizontal ridge, from 1 to 4 or more inches in length is placed near the rim, in place of the continuous collar. In other cases a narrow, crescent-shaped ridge is attached, the points reaching down on the shoulder, the arch lying upon the neck. Still others have one or more handles which connect the rim with the neck or shoulder of the vessel, leaving a round or oblong passage for a cord or vine.

These handles were added after the vessel was completed. They are never ornamented. In one case an arched handle, like the handle of a basket, connects the opposite sides of the rim. This is the only entire vessel recovered from the mound. It was associated with the upper layer of skeletons. Diameter 4-1/2 inches. Fig. 118.

The body of these vessels is sometimes quite plain, but is more frequently covered with cord markings. These, with one or two exceptions, seem to be made by a series of fine cords, approximately parallel, but without cross-threads of any kind. There is little uniformity of arrangement. In the upper part, and about the base of the neck, the indented lines are generally vertical. On the bottom they are quite irregular, as if the vessel, in making, had been rolled about on a piece of netting or coarse cloth. The cords have been about the size of the ordinary cotton cord used by merchants. One exception is seen in a fragment of a large, rudely-made vase, in which we have the impression of a fabric, the warp of which, whether wood or cord, has consisted of fillets more than one-fourth of an inch in width, the woof being fine cord.

This is what is frequently spoken of as the ear-of-corn impression. No incised or excavated lines have been noticed in these fragments of pot-shaped vessels. Some of the most elegant vessels are without upright necks. The upper or incurved surface of the body is approximately flat, forming, with the lower part of the body a more or less sharp peripheral angle. The base is rounded, and, so far as we can judge from the examples, the bottom is slightly flattened. Vessels having vertical or flaring rims are generally somewhat more shallow.

The incurved upper surface is often tastefully ornamented with patterns of incised or excavated lines which are arranged in groups, in vertical or oblique positions, or encircle the vessel parallel with the border. One specimen has a row of stamped circles, made by a reed or hollow bone.

Bowls of the ordinary shape are variously decorated. In one case we have on the outside of the rim, and projecting slightly above it, a rudely-modeled grotesque face. A notched fillet passes around the rim, near the lip, connecting with the sides of this head.

In another case a rude node is added to the rim. The only bowl having a flaring rim is without ornament.

We have only one fragment of a bowl in which the body has been marked with cords.

_Composition._--The clay used in the pottery from this mound is generally fine in texture, and of a light-gray color. Many of the fragments have been blackened by burning subsequently to their original firing, and some may have been originally blackened with graphite. The prevailing colors seen in the fragments are yellowish and reddish grays. The percentage of powdered shell used in tempering has usually been very large, forming at times at least half the mass. The flakes of shell are very coarse, being often as much as one-fourth of an inch in diameter. In many cases they have been destroyed by burning, or have dropped out from decay, leaving a deeply pitted surface.

_Pipes._--There are a number of pipes in the collection, most of which were found near the surface of the mound. In some cases they resemble modern forms very closely. The most striking example is made of a fine-grained clay, without visible admixture of tempering material. The color is a reddish gray. It is neatly and symmetrically formed, the surface being finished by polishing with a smooth, hard implement, and shaving with a knife. The bowl is 2 inches high, and the rim is bell-shaped above, with a smooth, flat lip, one-fourth of an inch wide. The diameter of the opening is nearly 2 inches. The base is conical. The stem part is one-half an inch long and one-half an inch in diameter. The bowl and stem are both conically excavated.

Another specimen is made of clay mixed with powdered shell. The bowl is cylindrical, being a little larger at the rim, which is ornamented with rows of punctures. The elbow is ornamented by a rosette of indented lines. The mouth piece has been broken away.

OBJECTS OF METAL.

62797. One of the most instructive finds in this mound is a pair of
brass pins, of undoubted European manufacture. The collector makes the
statement, with entire confidence in its correctness, that they had
been encased in the earth at the time of the interment of the bodies.
One was associated with the upper and the other with the lower layer
of bones. In size and shape they resemble our ordinary brass toilet
pin. The head is formed of a spiral coil of wire, the diameter of
which is about one-half that of the shaft of the pin. It is also
stated by the collector that an iron bolt was found in the lower
stratum of bones. This object was unfortunately lost.

62795. A small brass cylinder, found 3 feet 7 inches below the surface
of the mound. The thin sheet of which the coil is made is about 1 inch
square. The edges are uneven. It was probably used as a bead.

OBJECTS OF SHELL.

Few mounds have rivaled this in its wealth of shell ornaments. Engraved gorgets cut from the body of the _Busycon perversum_ and large pins from the columellae of the same shell are especially numerous and well-preserved. Large numbers of beads and unworked shells were also found. All were intimately associated with the skeletons.

While many of the specimens are well-preserved, we find that many are in an advanced stage of decay, and unless most carefully handled, crumble to powder.

Similar shell ornaments are found in mounds in other parts of Tennessee, as well as in neighboring States. These have been pretty fully described in the Second Annual Report.

62830-62839. These pins are all made from the _Busycon perversum_.
The entire specimens range from 3 to 6 inches in length; two are
fragmentary, having lost their points by decay. The heads are from
one-half to 1 inch in length, and are generally less than 1 inch in
diameter. They are somewhat varied in shape, some being cylindrical,
others being conical above. The shaft is pretty evenly rounded, but is
seldom symmetrical or straight. It is rarely above one-half an inch in
diameter, and tapers gradually to a more or less rounded point. The
groove of the canal shows distinctly in all the heads, and may often
be traced far down the shaft. In a number of cases the surface retains
the fine polish of the newly finished object, but it is usually
somewhat weathered, and frequently discolored or chalky. These
specimens were found in the mounds along with deposits of human
remains, and generally in close proximity to the head; this fact
suggests their use as ornaments for the hair.

62840-62843. A number of saucer-shaped shell gorgets, the upper edge
being somewhat straightened, the result of the natural limit of the
body of the shell. Two small holes, for suspension occur near the
upper margin. The diameter ranges from 3 to 6 inches.

In studying the design the attention is first attracted by an eye-like figure near the left border. This is formed of a series of concentric circles, and is partially inclosed by a looped band about one-eighth of an inch in width, which opens downward to the left. This band is occupied by a series of conical dots or depressions, the number of which varies in the different specimens. The part of the figure inclosed by this band represents the head and neck of the serpent. To the right of the eye we have the mouth, which is usually shown in profile, the upper jaw being turned upward exhibiting a double row of notches or teeth. The body encircles the head in a single coil, which appears from beneath the neck on the right, passes around the front of the head, and terminates at the back in a pointed tail armed with well-defined rattles. The spots and scales of the serpent are represented in a highly conventionalized manner.

62841-62845. The handsome specimen given in Fig. 124 is in a very good
state of preservation. It is a deep, somewhat oval plate, made from a
_Busycon perversum_. The surface is nicely polished and the margins
neatly beveled. The marginal zone is less than half an inch wide
and contains at the upper edge two perforations, which have been
considerably abraded by the cord of suspension. Four long curved slits
or perforations almost sever the central design from the rim; the four
narrow segments that remain are each ornamented with a single conical
pit. The serpent is very neatly engraved and belongs to the chevroned
variety. The eye is large and the neck is ornamented with a single
rectangular intaglio figure. The mouth is more than usually well
defined. The upper jaw is turned abruptly backward and is ornamented
with lines peculiar to this variety of the designs.

The body of the serpent opposite the perforations for suspension is interrupted by a rather mysterious cross band, consisting of one broad and two narrow lines. As this is a feature common to many specimens, it probably had some important office or significance.

62847-62848. Mask-like shell ornaments. By a combination of engraving
and sculpture a rude resemblance to the human features is produced.
The objects are generally made from large pear-shaped sections of the
lower whorl of marine univalves. The lower portion, which represents
the neck and chin, is cut from the somewhat constricted part near the
base of the shell, while the broad outline of the head reaches the
first suture at the noded shoulder of the body whorl. The simplest
form is shown in Fig. 125. A more elaborate form is given in Fig. 126.

These objects are especially numerous in the mounds of Tennessee, but their range is quite wide, examples having been reported from Kentucky, Virginia, Illinois, Missouri, and Arkansas, and smaller ones of a somewhat different type from New York. In size they range from 2 to 10 inches in length, the width being considerably less. They are generally found associated with human remains in such a way as to suggest their use as ornaments for the head or neck. There are, however, no holes for suspension except those made to represent the eyes, and these, so far as I have observed, show no abrasion by a cord of suspension. Their shape suggests the idea that they may have been used as masks, after the manner of metal masks by some of the oriental nations.

62846. Engraved shell, Fig. 127. This very interesting object has been
fully described in the Second Annual Report of the Bureau. The figure
is so obscure that considerable study is necessary in making it out.

62930. Engraved shell, Fig. 128. This remarkable specimen has already
been described in the Second Annual Report of the Bureau. The engraved
design is certainly of a very high order of merit, and suggests the
work of the ancient Mexicans.

62816-62822, 62824, 62826, 62828, 62829. Shell beads discoidal and
cylindrical in form, made chiefly from the columellae and walls of
marine univalves.

62825. Shell bead made by grinding off the apex of a large _Oliva
biplicata_. (?)

62827. Beads made from _Marginella_ (?) shells.

62825, 62827, 62850-62857, 62782. Species of shell found in the mound,
some with the skeletons, others near the surface.

The following genera and species are provisionally determined:

_Unio multiplicatus._
_Uhio ovatus._
_Unio crassidens._
_Unio victorum._
_Marginella (?)._
_Oliva (?)._
_Io spinosa._
_Trypanostoma anthonyi._
_Anculosa subglobosa._
_Busycon perversum._

62823. A tooth-shaped fresh-water pearl, found with the skeletons.

ANIMAL SUBSTANCES.

62861. Fragments of deer-horn found near the surface of the mound.

62858. An implement of unusual form, made from a flat piece of bone,
found with the skeletons in the mound.

62859, 62860. Bone implements, needles and perforators, some of which
are well preserved and retain the original polish; others are in a
very advanced stage of decay.

Three boxes of human bones (not numbered).

FROM THE FIELDS AT SEVIERVILLE.

ARTICLES OF STONE.

62770. A small grooved ax, formed of a coarse textured stone, resembling
diorite. It is 4-1/2 inches in length and 2-1/2 in width. The head is
rounded and the cutting edge much battered. The groove is wide and
shallow, and the bordering ridges prominent. The blade thins out quite
abruptly. Presented by J. B. Emert.

62772. A celt 6-3/4 inches long, 2-1/2 inches wide, and 1 inch thick.
The material is a compact, blue-gray, banded slate. The sides are
straight and a transverse section is somewhat rectangular. Both edges
are sharpened, and are very neatly beveled and polished. Presented by
W. P. Mitchell.

62771. A small celt of compact greenish slate; one face is flat, the
other convex. It is neatly made and perfectly preserved, the broader
end being oblique and sharp. It is 3-1/8 inches in length.

62777. A rude, much-battered celt of coarse sandstone or diorite. It is
4 inches in length by 2 in width near the cutting edge. The top is
somewhat conical.

62774. A large unsymmetrical celt made of coarse yellowish sandstone;
one side is much battered. The cutting edge is round and dull. It is
9 inches in length by 5 in width near the broad end and is 1-1/2
inches thick.

62785. A knife-blade-shaped object, apparently a fragment of a winged
ceremonial stone. The whole surface is smooth and shows no evidence of
use. It is made of fine-grained gray slate. It is 2 inches in length
by five-eighths in width.

62775. A bell-shaped pestle made of yellowish gray quartzite. The
surface has been evenly roughened by picking, but has become slightly
polished on parts most exposed when in use. The base part is
subrectangular in section, and the bottom is slightly but evenly
convex. The upper part, which has been shaped for convenient grasping
by the hand, is evenly rounded at the top. Height, 4-1/2 inches;
width, of base, 3-1/2 inches.

62766. A well-formed globe of gritty sandstone. The surface is roughened
or granular. It is 2-1/2 inches in diameter.

62789. Portion of an oblong hammer stone, 4 inches in length by 3 in
diameter in the middle part. One end has been much reduced by use.
It is made of some dark, much decomposed, crystalline rock.

62768. Asymmetrical sandstone ring, 2 inches in diameter and
three-fourths of an inch in thickness. The perforation is about
five-eighths of an inch in diameter. The surface is roughened by
picking.

62767. A symmetrical, neatly finished disk of light gray quartzite.
It is 4-1/4 inches in diameter and 1-1/4 inches in thickness at the
circumference, and less than 1 inch thick at the center.

62869. An hour-glass shaped tube made of gray hydro-mica schist, which
resembles very compact steatite. It is 5-1/2 inches long, 2 inches in
diameter at the widest part and 1-1/4 inches at the narrowest part.
The most restricted part near the middle is girdled by a ridge or
ring, on the circumference of which seventy or eighty shallow notches
have been cut.

The perforation is much enlarged at the ends, giving cup-like cavities. The walls are thin near the ends and quite thick near the middle, the passage being hardly more than one-quarter of an inch in diameter. The markings on the inside indicate that the excavation has been made by a gouging process, rather than by the use of a rotary perforator.

62776. A boat-shaped ceremonial stone of banded slate, 3 inches long,
1 inch wide, and 1 inch deep. From the side the outline is triangular,
the two lines of the keel forming almost a right angle. From the top
the outline is a long, pointed oval, as seen in the illustration,
Fig. 131.

The trough-shaped excavation is more rounded in outline, and is three-fourths of an inch in depth. Perforations have been made near the ends of this trough; these seem to be somewhat abraded on the outside by a cord of suspension or attachment which has passed between them along a groove in the apex or angle of the keel.

62868. An amulet or charm of dark-greenish rock, probably a serpentine,
carved to represent a bird's head. The more highly polished parts
are quite dark, while freshly cut lines are whitish. The head is
graphically represented, the bill, the eye, and nostril being well
shown. A stand-like base takes the place of the body of the bird.
Around this, near the bottom, a groove has been cut for the purpose of
attaching a string or securing a handle. In dressing the surface some
implement has been used that has left file-like scratches. Fig. 132
represents this object natural size.

62773. Fragment of a stone disk or wheel that has lines cut upon it
resembling in arrangement the grooves of an ordinary millstone.
Diameter, 6 inches; thickness, 2 inches. This is probably not an
aboriginal work.

63186. A banner-stone of unusual shape, made of gray slate. The cut,
Fig. 133, represents this object three-fourths natural size.
The perforation is one-half an inch in diameter, and is quite
symmetrical. The entire surface is well polished.

ARTICLES OF CLAY.

A few specimens of potsherds were collected from the fields about Sevierville.

Most of these are identical in every way with the pottery of the mound, but three examples are of a totally different type. The material of these is a fine sandy clay, tempered with a large percentage of finely pulverized mica.

The forms of the vessels cannot be made out. The outer surfaces were ornamented by a stamped pattern of small square or lozenge-shaped figures, a number of these together were apparently formed by a single stamp.

Among the fragments we have half a dozen disks, from 1 to 2 inches in diameter, worked from ordinary potsherds. A small rudely modeled figure of a bird was also found with these fragments. There were also masses of indurated clay, which seem to have been used for chinking purposes.

COLLECTIONS FROM ROANE COUNTY, TENNESSEE.

MOUND AT TAYLOR'S BEND.

This mound is situated three hundred and fifty yards from the French Broad River, on the farm of Mr. William Harris.

It is 10 feet high and nearly 50 feet in circumference. Its summit has been cultivated for many years, and the height has doubtless been much reduced. Immediately under the surface soil a heavy bed of ashes and charcoal was reached, which at the border of the mound was only a few inches thick, but at the center was about 3 feet thick.

In this stratum were found a few implements, and fragments of pottery, and two very much decayed skeletons. A part of one cranium was preserved. The mound beneath this stratum was composed chiefly of loam, with some sand in the center, and contained nothing of interest.

ARTICLES OF STONE.

62885. A needle-like implement, made of a soft black stone that may be
cannel coal. It is 3-1/2 inches in length, but is not entire. The
shaft is a little more than one-fourth of an inch in diameter, is
nearly round, and tapers to a symmetrical point. The surface is highly
polished. It was found in the stratum of ashes.

ARTICLES OF CLAY.

62890, 62892-6. A considerable number of fragments of pottery was found
in the stratum of ashes.

_Form._--Vases of the wide-mouthed, round-bodied variety are represented, also a number of hemispherical bowls. One large fragment representing a vessel with rounded bottom was found.

_Size._--The pot-like vases have been quite large, the mouths being as much as 14 inches in diameter. The larger bowls have been 10 inches or more in diameter. Others are smaller. The walls of some of the larger vessels have been half an inch in thickness.

_Material._--Classified by material, there are two varieties, one is composed of the usual clay and pulverized shells, the latter being coarse and exceedingly plentiful; the other has no shell material, but in its place an admixture of sand and small quartz pebbles.

_Ornamentation._--The inside is plain as usual, and many of the fragments have no exterior ornament. There are two varieties of surface markings; one consists of impressions of basket work, which indicate a broad series of fillets bound together by small twisted cords of grass or bark; the other appears to have been made by an open net-work of fine cords, which have been quite irregularly arranged.

OBJECTS OF SHELL.

62898. A shell pin made from the columella of a large univalve. The
original polish is still preserved. The head is round and small, and
the shaft 2 inches in length. Found in the stratum of ashes.

62899. Two species of shells, _Io spinosa_ and _Pleurocera conradii_
(?), obtained from the stratum of ashes.

COLLECTIONS FROM THE FIELDS AT TAYLOR'S BEND.

ARTICLES OF STONE.

62883. A lot of arrow points, spear points, and knives, having a wide
range of shape and size. A serrated specimen is 3 inches in length,
and is made of yellowish striped chalcedony. One is made of white
translucent quartz, and others of dark gray and black chalcedony.

62881. A stone disk, 1-1/4 inches in diameter and three-eighths of an
inch thick. It is of gray sandstone, nicely smoothed. The edge is
rounded and the sides slightly convex.

62882. Two stone disks similar to the preceding, but smaller.

62878. A small, thick, nearly symmetrical celt, 2-1/2 inches in length,
1-1/2 inches in width, and one-half of an inch thick. The edge is
rounded in outline and well sharpened. The beveled areas are narrow
and stand at an angle of 30deg. with each other. It is widest at the
edge, tapering above to a conical point. The material is apparently a
compact greenish diorite.

62877. A small celt similar to the preceding in form and material. It is
3-1/4 inches long, and 1-3/4 inches in width near the cutting edge,
which is considerably battered.

62875. A curved celt of considerable interest, made of a greenish
diorite. It is 8 inches in length, 2-1/2 inches wide near the cutting
edge, and about 1 inch thick. It tapers toward the apex to 1-1/2
inches in width. A transverse section would be a sharp oval. A
longitudinal section showing the thickness of the implement gives a
bow-like figure, the median line of which would deflect nearly half an
inch from a straight line.

62876. A celt, 3-1/2 inches in length, of the usual form, made of a
greenish diorite.

62874. A grooved ax of gray sandstone, 5 inches long, 3 inches wide,
and 1 inch thick. The groove is deep and well rounded, and has two
bordering ridges in high relief. The head is low and conical, and the
blade narrow and rectangular. The surface has originally been quite
smooth, but is now somewhat battered.

62871. A cylindrical pestle of gray diorite (?), 11 inches long and
2 inches in diameter. The general surface is rough, the points being
smoothed by use.

62879. A perforated tablet, made of gray, chloritic schist, 2-1/2 inches
long by 1-1/2 inches broad, illustrated in Fig. 134. The sides are
notched in a way that gives a dumb-bell like outline. The ends are
almost square. Series of notches have been cut in the terminal edges.
On one of the lateral margins rude notches and zigzag lines have been
engraved. In the middle of the plate there is a circular perforation
one-fourth of an inch in diameter. Midway between this and the ends
are two other perforations, one being circular and one-eighth of an
inch in diameter, and the other lozenge or diamond shaped and nearly
one-fourth of an inch in width. These show no evidence of wear. The
surface is uneven, though somewhat polished. It has probably been used
for straightening arrow shafts and shaping strings.

62880. Fragment of a perforated tablet carved from gray slate. It has
been broken transversely near the middle, through a perforation which
has been about one-eighth of an inch in diameter. The remnant is 2
inches in length and 1-1/2 inches in width at the perforation. One
side is plain, the other has a design of plain and zigzag lines. The
edges are beveled and notched. See Fig. 135.

VICINITY OF KINGSTON.

On the farm of Mr. M. Biss, three miles from Kingston, on the Tennessee River, a mound was opened which was so located as to overlook the river, and at the same time guard the approach from two pieces of projecting wood. It was 11 feet high, 29 feet wide on the top, and 45 feet in diameter at the base. It was composed entirely of clay.

Three feet from the surface six very much decayed skeletons were found, no parts of which could be preserved. The bodies seem to have been deposited without definite order.

No objects of art were obtained.

Opposite Kingston, on the Clinch River, are three mounds, located on the farm of T. N. Clark. They are all small, and, with the exception of two much decayed skeletons and a single arrow point, contained nothing of interest.

On the farm of S. P. Evans, three miles below Kingston, are three groups of mounds. The first contains five mounds; the second, a little higher up, has the same number, while the third has but two. They are all built of clay, and seem to be without remains of any sort.

MOUND AT NILES' FERRY.