Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-03-06
PREHISTORIC US.
GRAVEYARD NOW
BEING EXCAVATED
M. w. Stirling, Chief of Bu-
reau of American Ethnology,
Digging in Florida.
WEEDEN ISLAND SCENE
OF ANCIENT CEMETERY
Three Levels of Geological Strata
Will Permit Fixing Time
of Operations.
RY THOMAS r.. HENRY.

BY THOMAS II. HENh1'
One of the most mysterious OF pre-
historic American graveyards is belng
aycavated this month by Matthew w.
stirling. chief of the Bureau OF Amefi-
can Ethnology. $4,000, ~,
rrhis ancient cemetery is located on
weeden Island in Tampa Bay, near ~.
petersburg. and apparently contains
graves dating from two culture ieveis,
ono on ton of the other. This holcaCeS
that two peoples, one very primitive
and the other comparatively moaeIn,
had villages on approximately tne Sanie
aont OF different times and used the
same burying ground: ,ooo hv Dr
walter Fewkes. former chief or tne
bureau assisted by Mr.. Stirling. but tne
excavators found themselves caughC III
the Florida real estate boom. Win tne
island being staked out IN nulloils io G
and flooded with Winter tourists. ~
thrv left the excavations only Pdt,is
complete and with the puzzle OF zig
two ueoples still unsolved: Inc e,atIs'
buried remains of the village anu w w
numerous. artifacts found WIN ,,,e
skeletons are expected TO 1urti ISL. Ea art
able clues as to the history OF TINS paie
~ the continent before the coming OF
Columbus.
Four Types of Mounds.
The island now is in comparatively
wild condition, with brusn-oVergIoWl
mounds covering the buried archeoiogl-
cal treasures. Four types OF tneas
mounds have been found, it is stated
at the Bureau of American Ethnology:
The first type is composed NANNY "a
mollusk shells and probably were pull'
up of the refuse OF the 1ndlan klIciIens'
Another type is CLASSIFIED as ooiliIa
ciliarv mound, and the indications are
that these were used as the sites OF
houses which were frail structures made
of a framework of upright logs to when
were tied sticks for the sides. the TOOL
Being matched with palmetto leaves ana
the whole building raised few 1eet
above the surface of the ground. TheSe
mounds are so close together that tney
merge into one another, indicating
settlement with a large population.
Still third type of mound covers the
remains of the religious structures. The
fourth type are the grave mounds, IN
which the most valuable finds are ex-
nected because of the Indian custom
of burying choice material with the
dead.
There are three geological strata in
this graveyard. which will enable Mf.
Stirling to fix approximate dates Tor
the successive operations. The upper
most, or modern, was formed by blown
sand and penetrated by roots OF trees.
1t contains no skeletons and evidently
has been built up since the site was
abandoned. In the second strata, just
below this, the shallowest burial was
slightly more than inches below the
surface, and skulls and skeletons are
found to depth of 3 feet.
Skeletons in Bundles.
The skeletons in this first strata &C.
cur in bundles, destitute of covering of
any kind and apparently hastily depoS-
tied in their graves. It appears at first
sight as If they were buried standing
up, but this was due to peculiar In
dian custom Ct distorting the bones
before interment. The skulls are be-
lieved to have been painted vermilion.
The people who are responsible for
this first layer of graves, according to
Bureau of Ethnology experts, probably
were very similar to the West Indian
natives at the time O. lie coming OF
Columbus, although it is probable that
| they had left the site some time before
white men first visited Florida.
The graves III the third strata belong
to much more ancient people. Their
| identity is one of the things Mr.. Stir
ling wants to determine. There is some
evidence that they were close kin to
the early inhabitants of Cuba. The
theory is that there were two waves of
immigration into Florida in prehistoric
times, one from the north and an earlier
one from the West Indies, which even
tually was absorbed by the northern
/ erS.
No object of European manufacture
has yet been found in the Weeden
Island graveyard, which indicates that
the culture being studied by the exca-
vators was strictly American and had
disappeared before the white men came
The earlier excavations of Mr.. Stirling
have brought to light many implements
made of shell and few of bone. Per-
haps the most numerous of the shell
utensils are the drinking cups made
of conch shells, the lip being artif1cially
smoothed and the spire formed into q
handle. These cups, containing what
was known as "the black drink were
placed on the graves.
There is considerable evidence thai
the prehistoric Indians were cannibals
The majority of the skeletons had beer
stripped of flesh gefore burial and the
bones done up in bundles. In some
cases only a skull can be found. Frag-
ments of charcoal are found scattered
through the, mounds, possibly after hav.
ing been used to roast the victims.
The most valuable clues, however. are
expected to come from the pottery
fragments which are found Throughout
the mounds. Evidently the people hao
achieved some artistic culture. for the
human heads modelled on some of theil
bowls are among the best prehistoric
ceremic decorations. There are alst
excellent geometrical designs. Eacf
pot thus far found has had a hole
punched in it's bottom. This was 6
customary procedure when vessel wa;
buried with its dead owner, in order
ito let out its spirit" Food and or.
ganic matter still is found in them
In some cases bowl is found pressed
down closely on a skull, giving the i'm.
| nreceion that there might have beer