Part 3
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.
On the farm of J. W. Niles, at this point, is a large mound that has the appearance of a Creek or Cherokee ball-ground. It was flat on the top, and had an area of 1-3/4 acres. The height was 15 feet. In outline it was somewhat triangular. This mound was also constructed of clay, and contained nothing of interest. In the fields, near by, human bones, pottery, stone implements, beads, etc., are frequently plowed up. From this locality the following specimens were collected:
62957. Arrow heads and knives of gray and black chalcedony.
62955. Unworked Unio shells.
62956. A number of shell beads of usual size and form.
MOUNDS NEAR PAINT ROCK FERRY.
About three hundred yards from the Tennessee River, at Paint Rock Ferry, is a large mound 40 feet in height, and covering an area of about about two acres.
Permission could not be obtained to open the mound, on account of the crop of corn that covered it. Near its base, on opposite sides, were two smaller mounds. One of these was 5 feet high and 10 in diameter, and contained a stone grave. The body which it contained had been laid on the ground and covered a foot deep with earth. A flat rock had been laid upon this, and slabs of limestone set on edge all around. The inclosed space was 4 feet in width by 5 in length. Earth had been used to cover the cist and form the mound.
About this mound were scattered many slabs of stone which had been plowed up during previous years; and it is stated that human bones and various objects of art have, at different times, been brought to light.
A short distance from the large mound, and near the river bank, is another mound on which a barn has been built.
Several hundred yards from the river, in a meadow, is a third mound, less than half as large as that first mentioned. The owner would not allow it to be disturbed. Still another mound, near by, was oval in outline, 28 feet long, by 20 wide, and 12 high. It was composed of clay and contained nothing but a few pieces of pottery.
62939, 62940, 62945. Fragments of pottery from the mounds at Paint Rock Ferry.
OBJECTS OF SHELL.
62935, 62937. Shell beads, buttons, and pendants, made from marine shells. A neatly made pendant is 1 inch in diameter and one-sixth of an inch thick. Near the edge are two small perforations for suspension, and at the center is a conical pit, encircled by a shallow incised line. Beside this, there are a number of buttons of similar shape, which have single perforations at the center. Some of the smaller beads seem to have been painted red. Figs. 136, 137, and 138.
62936. Fragment of a large _Busycon perversum_.
62942. Teeth of the bear, and possibly of the horse found near the surface of one of the mounds.
COLLECTIONS FROM JEFFERSON COUNTY.
MOUND ON FAIN'S ISLAND.
This mound is located on the east end of the island. Although it has been under cultivation for many years, it is still 10 feet in height. The circumference at the base is about 100 feet. Near the surface a bed of burned clay was encountered, in which were many impressions of poles, sticks, and grass. This was probably the remains of the roof of a house, which had been about 16 feet long by 15 feet in width. The bed of clay was about 4 inches thick. Beneath this was a layer of charcoal and ashes, with much charred cane. There were also indications of charred posts, which probably served as supports to the roof. Four feet below the surface were found the remains of thirty-two human skeletons. With the exception of seventeen skulls, none of the bones could be preserved. There seems to have been no regularity in the placing of the bodies.
ARTICLES OF CLAY.
The fragments of pottery from this mound are unusually large and well preserved, and exhibit a number of varieties of form and ornamentation.
_Forms._--The prevailing form is a pot-shaped vase, with wide mouth, and rounded body; the neck is short and straight or but slightly constricted. The handles or ears which connect the upper part of the neck with the shoulder are in some cases as much as 3 inches wide. The bowls are mostly hemispherical, but in a few cases have incurved lips, the shoulder being rounded and the base somewhat flattened. The largest specimens have been 11 or 12 inches in diameter. The vases have been somewhat larger.
_Material._--Classified by material, there seem to be two varieties, one with a very large percentage of coarsely pulverized shell material, the other without visible _degraissant_. The clay is usually fine and apparently without admixture of sand or other impurities. A little comminuted mica may be seen in some cases.
_Color._--The prevailing color is a reddish gray, more or less blackened by use. A remarkable variety has a bright red surface, the mass being gray.
_Ornamentation._--The ornamentation consists of cord and net impressions, incised lines, stamped figures, indented fillets, and life and fanciful forms modeled in relief.
The study of cord impressions is quite interesting. The cords are twisted and as large as medium twine. These cords appear to have been disconnected, at least, not woven into a fabric, and the impressions are generally nearly vertical about the upper part of the vessel, but below take all positions, the result being a sort of hatching of the lines. This effect may be the result of placing the vessel upon a coarse fabric while the rim was being finished or the handles added.
It seems possible that a loose net of cords, probably with fine crossthreads, is used to suspend the vessel in during the process of modeling. It appears, however, if this has been the case, that the vessel has been taken out of this net before it was burned. Where handles have been added, it will be found that the cord markings have been destroyed by the touch of the fingers. But the body has impressions of the net made after the addition of the handles and ornaments, as the impressions appear on the outside or lower edges of these additions. The lower part of the body may still have been supported by the net during the process of drying; but as some vessels have no cord markings whatever, it is evident that it was not difficult to complete the vessel without the support of the net.
By making a clay impression of one of the fragments I have been able to determine the character of the fabric used. It was loosely woven and quite flexible, the clay often receiving finger impressions through it. It was probably made of grasses or the fibre of bark.
Beside the net and cord marks, which may or may not be the result of an attempt at ornament, there are ornaments made of fillets of clay. In a number of cases a comb-like figure made of thin fillets has been added to the shoulder of a vase. In other cases a fillet has been carried around the neck of the vase and indented by the finger or an implement.
The rim of one bowl has been ornamented with three deeply incised or excavated lines, which form a sort of embattled figure about the incurved lip. Another has a series of shallow, vertical, incised lines near the rim, and a circle of annular indentations, three-eighths of an inch in diameter, about one-fourth of an inch from the lip.
There are also various forms of noded ornaments on the rims of bowls. The handles of vases are in a few cases effectively ornamented. In one case the handle has been elaborated into a life form, representing a frog or human figure. The arms are attached to the upper part of the handle and lie extended along the rim. The handle proper represents the body, the breast being protruded. The legs lie flattened out upon the shoulder of the vessel, the feet being bent back beneath the body; height 3-1/2 inches. This vessel is illustrated in Fig. 139.
FROM THE FIELDS OF FAIN'S ISLAND.
ARTICLES OF STONE.
62906. A very handsome specimen of grooved ax. It is made of a remarkable variety of porphyritic diorite that resembles breccia.
The matrix has the appearance of a gray speckled quartzite; the angular inclusions being whitish feldspar, with dark-greenish patches of hornblende. The surface is smooth and shows but little wear. The length is 7 inches, the width 4, and the thickness 2 inches. The groove is deep, and has two well-defined bordering ridges. The head is low and rounded, and occupies about one-third of the length of the implement. The blade is well-formed, the sides being parallel or nearly so. The edge is slightly rounded in outline, and is polished and sharp.
62907. A grooved stone ax, 5 inches in length, 4-1/2 inches in width, and 1-1/4 inches in thickness. The groove is placed as in the preceding example, but has a bordering ridge on the upper side only. The head is very large and narrow. The blade is rectangular in outline, and has a rounded, moderately sharp edge. The material is a compact graphic diorite (?).
62904. A grooved ax, 4 inches in length, 3-1/2 inches in width, and three-fourths of an inch in thickness. The groove, which is well defined, has no lateral ridges. It seems to have been made from a flattish, oval, river pebble.
62902. Fragment of a pierced tablet of slate.
62903. A well shaped disk of translucent quartz, 1-3/4 inches in diameter and three-fourths of an inch in thickness. The sides are nearly flat, and the edge evenly rounded. The surface is quite smooth.
62905. Steatite pipe found on the surface of the mound. The bowl is about 6 inches in length and 1 inch in thickness. A section is nearly square. The cavities are roughly excavated.
OBJECTS OF SHELL.
62916. Well preserved specimen of _Io spinosa_.
62955. Specimens of _Unio probatus_.
62914. A large specimen of shell pin, made from the columella of a _Busycon perversum_. It is much discolored and in an advanced stage of decay. Length nearly 4 inches. Form as usual.
62913. A shell pin similar to the preceding.
62931. A number of large shell beads, made from the columellae of marine shells. The larger specimens are cylindrical in form, and are 1 inch in length and upwards of 1 inch in diameter.
62932-62834. Shell beads of various sizes and shapes, made from the columellae and walls of marine shells.
62928. A shell ornament, on the convex surface of which a very curious ornamental design has been engraved. The design, inclosed by a circle, represents a cross such as would be formed by two rectangular tablets or slips, slit longitudinally and interlaced at right-angles to each other. The lines are neatly and deeply incised. The edge of the ornament has been broken away nearly all around. It is represented natural size in the cut. Fig. 140.