The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1908-03-07

hordered on both sides by majestic
1 bluffs have been for years fertile
above the level of the stream. These
hines have been for years fertile
Aeld Of arhaceologic research, show
d ing evidences innumerable of having
Aaan the habitat of man through many
succeeding ages.
During the latter part Of Septem-
her of the present year 190G) when
nassing through wooded tract III
the northern part of Douglas county,
IN found upon the summit Of very
high hill small excavation where
hoy hunters had dug out q rabbit. In
The earth thrown out ! noticed sew
1ral small pieces of human bones.
with a spade, borrowed from a neigh
horinq farmer, l followed down the
nne the boys had opened, and at four
fat beneath the surrounding level
came upon what happened to be
comnact clay bed, different from the
hess covering in which ! had been
working. There were visible eva'
denccs Of ancient fire.
What l took to be clay bed burn
n into q semblance of brick proved
10 be the original top Of the loess
H hin Fire had been built upon It. and
on the ashes an upper layer OF bones
was laid. 1t was SO hard as to re-
sist the spade. ! managed, however.
Ia make a considerable mole through
the surface. and Ave inches down
/ found the upper portion OF human
Uranium. The spade was at onco
discarded for sharp trowel. and
succeeded In taking out frontal
home and q portion Of the occipital.
IA hasty examination convinced me
hat / had made a ind of more than
ordinary interest. A few scattered
eecttons OF vertebrae and three brok-
a pelvic bones were next brought 70
light.
The next operations at the mound
scoasisted OF drifting In ditch from
NE south side. This ditch was
hot below the surface when begun,
but At the mounds centre 1t was four
feet deep. Five feet from the south
END OF the ditch l encountered the
same stratum of baked earth. A few
inches deeper l unearthed the lower
- LEI or shin bones Of skeleton, but
not those belonging with the nrst
zskull. Fifteen feet from the begin
ming OF the ditch l cross sectioned
the ,mouad from west to east and
then cleared q circle eight feet In d.
ameter. Evidence OF fire above the
bones was very marked. Two OF the
skeletons seemed to have been placed
b squatting position. With the *
esption Of the frontal bone the cranl-
mn Of each skeleton was more or
oess broken, but the interior OF the
Gkull by being filed with earth had
heen saved from total collapse.
eticeable feature in connection with
~ skulls was the fact that the lett
1emporAl bone had been smashed
Fobably Intentionally with 9 club or
ethsr weapon. Some of the bones
rsnt to powder when brought into
t1e air.
Il occurred to me, while working In
the mound, that some Of the skeletons
mad been Inferred as skeletons and
not as bodies-the pelvic bones OF
two lying SO close as to touch each
pther.
The manner Of burial differed rad
5cally from that observed In other
sounds had opened In this vicinity
ID elsewhere. 1t seemed that
pwer stratum Of skeletons had been
laced In the mound, and that earth
q then been piled on top and burn
to the consistency of a plaster
~. In another part Of the mound
ne five feet distant, lay the upper
Yer Of skeletons; but with three
cepti0ns these skeletons had been
narticulated and more or less scat
sed about.
Over the bones had been laid
Sering to the mound for the pur
eee. Through this covering were
uttered small pieces of shells OF
very different from the bivalves
the streams in this vicinity al
present day. Erosion had SO re
ed thu mound that it seemed mere
lae crest Of hill, being recogniz
- mound proper to no one IN
efienced in mound burials.
throughout the mound covering
- found a score of small quart
spalls which had been fractured
u drift pebbles. Two small pieces
hree cornerel blades, a tiny pebble
wing q drilled hole and crude
apers-such were the only imple
lts found in the lower level.
~ operations at the mound
cA were concluded on Nov. Il