The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-05-17

surface OF a bit Of plowed land in Jefferson
county, Missouri, not far distant from the
famous mastodon bed, where, about seven
ty-five years ago, some of the first OF the
many mastodon remains that have been
found in various parts of the United States
were discovered 1t comprises six slabs of
limestone, one of which Is so perfectly
squared that IL suggests the use of tools
In the hands of the gravemakers, although
more probably 1t IS simply an unusually
perfect specimen OF a natural slab OF native
rock. These six slabs constitute the sides
of the grave, which is twenty inches deep.
and the bottom is filled in with broken bits
of acknowledgements Of such big earthen-
ware bowls as are found throughout the
Indian mounds and are commonly known
as salt pans" although their more usual
purpose was probably that OF stoves or
ovens.
WE'RE ONCE SALT PANS.
The broken bowls that make the bottom
of the old grave now at Harvard were
doubtless, nevertheless, real salt pans as
we'll as stoves, for the site OF the ceme-
terry from which the grave was taken was
not far from certain salt licks on Rock
creek, then easily navigable for canoes to
the Mississippi river, only one and a half
miles distant. The excavations conducted
in this neighborhood disclosed twenty-seven
graves and the remains of small Indian
village the whole dating probably from not
earlier than the seventeenth century. The
village and the cemetery were situated on a
small bluff overlooking the creek and now
used as a farm, and the graves. which
were originally about two feet under the
surface. were first discovered by a farmers
plow which was being driven over the
ground not far from where the archaeolo-
gists were excavating the remains Of the
village Previous cultivation OF the land
had gradually removed the two feet of
earth that once covered them.
All OF the graves were not like the one
that has been transported to Cambridge,
although they were all built IN the same
general fashion IN some cases the bottom
OF the grave was completed with slabs of
limestone instead of broken pottery, and in
others the graves were lined throughout
with broken pottery. IL seems unlikely,
however. that the Indians would have actu-
ally demolished any of their large earthen-
ware vessels for this purpose. as these were
probably an inheritance from more highly
civilized ancestors. and the grave makers
are not known to have had any way OF re-
doubtedly contained food to sustain the
warrior on his journey to the Happy
Hunting Grounds" In some OF the Rock
creek graves. however only one bowl was
found for two large warriors. strongly sug-
gesting economy on the part Of his relatives
while IN other cases the presence OF three
or four bowls for a single Indian suggests
the thought that here was stous trencher-
man whose appetite had been appreciated
by his surviving family.
ARCHAEOLOGICAL THEORIES.
The twenty-seven graves also differed
materially in size. Some OF them were very
small and yet, like the Peabody Museum
specimen. contained two more skeletons.
Others were much larger, although no
deeper. In one case the grave contained
complete skeleton laid out at length.
and in another case there were two COM
purtments one above the other and separ-
ated by slabs OF limestone. each of which
contained an entire skeleton. In yet anoth-
sr case the grave was evidently originally
made larger than was afterward found
necessary and the limestone chamber is
smaller than the hole that was dug 10 con-
tain &. In the larger graves II may have
happened that the bodies were buried i'm
nediatcIy after death. while In tho small
- graves II IL equally probable that the