USA > Ohio > Hamilton County > Madisonville > Indian Village Site and Cemetery Near Madisonville, Ohio > Part 26
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Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59
Grave 9. Adult skeleton, head to the west. The grave was not outlined with stones. Bits of mica were near the right side.
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Grave 10. Considerable gravel, and about thirty stones were over this grave, which contained the skeleton of an adult at a depth of 16 inches from the surface. The skull, which is shown in plate 25, occupied the southwestern corner, and rested upon its left side. A small axe blade of cannel coal (figure 8, b) lay near the right arm in such a position as to indicate that its handle had rested in the hand of the deceased. Within the grave, to the south of the leg bones, was a small circle of upright stones, containing burnt human bones, probably the remains of a cremated body.
Grave 11. A stone-covered grave that had been disturbed by the plow. No bones were found.
Grave 12. This was close to grave 11. It contained two.skele- tons. The one at the south side was extended, head to the east. The bones of the second skeleton were in a pile. Beside the skull lay a shell ornament, while among the bones a short distance from the skull lay an axe blade of cannel coal (figure 8, a). This bimched skeleton was evidently a secondary burial.
Grave 13. A small grave carefully made, outlined with cide stones, and covered with twenty-six small stones; probably for cremated human remains. No bones were found in it.
Grave 14. Of small size, 4 feet long and 1 foot wide. No human remains found.
Grave 15. The end walls of this grave were carefully constructed, but the sides were made by simply placing a row of stones in the clay. The bottom of the grave was not paved, the body being placed upon the natural gravel bed, with its head to the west. The foot bones and skull touched the opposite ends of the grave. A flaked knife lay near the left shoulder. At the neck were two shell beads. A copper band rested upon the breast bone, and a copper ear-ornament lay with the bones of each hand. A number of flaked knives were also found. These specimens are shown at the left in plate 7, a.
Grave 16. This was nearly circular in form, about 4 feet in diameter, and was outlined with twenty-one stones. Resting on the stones at the bottom of the grave were cremated human remains.
Grave 17. Just north of grave 15, their side walls adjoining. The body had been buried in clay. Small stones covered top of grave.
PEABODY MUSEUM PAPERS
VOL. VIII, No. 3, PLATE 5
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Burial Place in the Great Enclosure: a, Grave 6-b, with Grave 9-b in background; b, Grave 6, with Grave 7 in the background containing cremated remains; c, Grave 8-b.
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Grave 18. This had been dug in gravel to the depth of 3 feet, and had over it a pile of gravel 8 inches high, surrounded by small stones set on edge. The skeleton lay with its head to the south- east. Near the right shoulder rested a large shell vessel. Two perforated bear teeth, an ear-ornament of copper, and a small plate of hammered copper were at the neck; an ear-ornament of the usual form had been placed in either hand (plate 6, c). The skull from this grave is shown in plate 26.
Grave 19. Surrounded and covered with stones. Gravel pile over it. Contained skeleton of child.
Grave 20. A small circular grave outlined with upright stones. It contained the skeleton of a child in a flexed position, lying on its left side, facing north. With the remains were a small copper blade, the bone of a turkey, a flaked knife, an axe blade, and four small concretions of curious form, two of which are cup-shaped. These are shown in the group at the right, plate 7, a.
Grave 21. Small, about 2 by 3 feet, and 2 feet in depth. Out- lined and covered with stones. It contained burnt human bones, and fragments of a thin copper ornament (plate 4, g).
Grave 22. This had been partially destroyed by the plow. It was the small stone-covered grave of a child.
Grave 23. An area 7 feet long and 4 feet wide, covered with flat stones. This had been dug to a depth of 4 feet, and filled with loose gravel and mixed earth. No human remains were found.
Grave 24. This proved to be nearly a duplicate in size of grave 23. Unlike the latter, however, its bottom was paved with forty- nine flat river stones, 6 to 12 inches in diameter. In the eastern half of the grave, fragments of a skeleton were found resting on the pavement, the skull against the northern bank. Two flint knives and a few potsherds were taken from the grave. Over the bones was a pile of about three hundred river stones, 6 to 18 inches in diameter, completely filling the grave (plate 4, f). Mixed with the stones was loose black earth, evidently the result of infiltration.
Grave 25. Outlined with flat limestones. Skeleton extended on back with head to the west. Several flint flakes rested on the right scapula, which was much decayed.
Cache-pits and Post-holes. To the northeast of grave 21, a stone- covered pit was located, which had been dug to the depth of 3 feet in disturbed earth to the hard gravel. No human bones were
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found, only a few potsherds and bones of animals. In addition to the above, Professor Putnam found a small number of post- holes, burnt areas, and what appear to be cache-pits, which are located upon the plan.
Grave 25, explored October 2, was the last one opened by Pro- fessor Putnam, in this cemetery. The work was continued during a portion of the month by Dr. Metz, who explored graves 26 to 32. These were in the northern portion of this cemetery. The following account is from the notes of Dr. Metz.
Graves Excavated by C. L. Metz, 1886. Grave 26. An irregular area covered with flat stones, 15} feet in length, and 5 feet in width at its widest point. Beneath the stones a pit 9 feet long and 4 feet wide, had been dug to a depth of 3 feet. This contained black soil, sand, and gravel. On the bottom near its center lay a piece of mica; near its northern end a post-hole, 10 inches in diameter and 19 inches deep, had been sunk beneath the level of the floor. No human remains were found.
Grave 27. This was a stone-covered space, 12 feet long and 6 feet wide. On removing the stones, two pits were discovered (see longitudinal-section, plate 4, h). Pit 1 was 4 feet wide, and had been dug to the same depth. It contained dark earth, a few animal remains, and burnt stones. Pit 2 was filled with stones, as shown in the drawing. A little north of the center, pit 2, was a cist (a'), 18 inches long and 12 inches high, containing fragments of human bones; and against a portion of the temporal bone rested one-half of a copper ear-ornament. Shell beads were also found with the bones. At the southern end of the pit, and near its bottom, a second cist (b') was discovered, containing cremated human bones and the remains of a pair of copper ear-ornaments. There were no indications that the burning of the bodies had been carried on in the pit. The cremating had evidently taken place elsewhere, and the ashes and partially burnt bones placed in the tomb made to receive them.
Grave 28. This had been dug to a depth of little more than 3 feet, and measured 6 feet long by 4 feet wide. The stone-covered area over the grave was 10 feet long by 4} feet wide. These stones were covered to a depth of 9 inches by surface soil. The grave contained the extended skeleton of an adult, head to the south- west. No artifacts were found with it.
PEABODY MUSEUM PAPERS
VOL. VIII, No. 3, PLATE 6
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Artifacts found with human remains: a, From Grave 5; b, With Skeleton d, Mound 12; c, From Grave 18; d, From place of cremation (10), Mound 3. (1/5.)
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Grave 29. Sides and ends lined with upright stones. Adult skeleton, placed face downward, legs flexed on thighs. Bones badly broken by four large stones which lay over the skeleton. The stones covering the grave extended 6 to 8 inches beyond the edge of the excavation (plate 4, a).
Grave 30. A crescent-shaped arc of stones, 5 feet long and 1 to 2 feet wide, under which was a pit 2 feet deep and 8 inches wide, containing black soil and ashes, a fragment of unio shell, and a few animal bones. No human remains, recognized as such, were found.
Grave 31. A space 3 feet long and 12 inches wide, covered with the usual flat stones. Beneath this was a pit, 2 feet long, 8 inches wide, and 3} feet deep. At its bottom was about a foot of white ashes containing a few fragments of animal bones; above the ashes was a stratum of gravel, the remainder of the pit being filled with black soil.
Grave 32. An oval stone-covered area, 4 feet long and 3 feet wide, under which was a grave in the form of a parallelogram, 30 inches long, 24 inches broad, and 6 inches deep. This was out- lined with flat limestones. It contained burnt human bones covered with a layer of sand and ashes, in which were found a long implement of bone, and several awls and needles of the same material (plate 4, b).
Graves Excavated by M. H. Saville, 1889-90. In connection with other work for the Museum at this group of mounds, in 1889, Mr. Saville explored the small area of this burial place lying to the west of the roadway (see plate 3).
Grave 1-a. The principal burial in this grave lay 2 feet beneath the surface, head to the southwest. A large busycon shell vessel rested near the left side of the skull, and near the left shoulder were several flaked knives. On the upper part of the breast lay a copper band, 3 inches long and 2 inches wide, with the sides bent over. This was similar to the bent copper bands from graves 5 and 15, although somewhat larger. The bones of a second skeleton were scattered over the lower half of the first. Its pelvis was in three pieces; its skull lay near its feet bones, while the lower jaw rested a foot from it. The earth covering the upper portion of the first skeleton had been burned; and about a foot above the head and shoulders, and the same distance below the surface, was a
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bed of burnt human bones, 12 inches in diameter, and an inch thick. A layer of flat limestones covered this cremated burial.
Grave 2-a. Beneath a layer of burnt earth mixed with ashes, 14 inches from the surface, was a much decayed skeleton, head to the southwest. No artifacts were found with it.
Grave 3-a. Covering this interment was a layer of limestones. The body had been placed with the head to the south. It lay 15 inches from the surface. Near the left side of the pelvis were the remains of a large shell vessel. Near the west side of this grave was a small circular altar-like structure of burnt clay, 21 inches across, with a basin 12 inches in diameter and 4 inches deep, con- taining mixed soil and charcoal. This altar was nearly 4 feet below the surface.
Grave 4-a. This contained the skeleton of a child. It lay with head to the south, and near the top of the skull was a fragmentary pottery vessel.
Grave 5-a. One foot beneath the surface, a layer of limestones was uncovered. On removing these stones, a grave extending 9 feet north and south was found. It was outlined with flat stones set upright, and was 4 feet 8 inches wide at the center, and 3 feet wide at the ends. Just within the upright lining stones, at either end, lay a large limestone slab. This carefully constructed grave contained two adult skeletons, extended heads to the south. The skull of the skeleton to the west had been destroyed by the digging of a hole for a fence post. Some of the fragments which remained were impregnated with copper salts, showing that some article of copper, small pieces of which were found, had been deposited in contact with it. The skeleton in the eastern portion of the grave was lying partly upon its left side. In each hand rested a spool-shaped ear-ornament of copper. At the feet of each body a busycon shell vessel had been placed. Between the adult skeletons and near the right shoulder of the first, were the remains of a child, a shell vessel, and several small pieces of copper. Be- tween the lower limbs of the adult skeletons were a considerable quantity of human remains, two pieces of galena, and a thick piece of mica, which had also been subjected to the action of fire.
Grave 6-a. This contained only a part of the skeleton, the skull and bones of the upper part of body having been washed out of the embankment formed by the roadway.
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Grave 7-a. An extended burial, head to the north. Bones much decayed. No artifacts.
Grave 8-a. A much decayed skeleton, 2 feet from the surface, head a little west of south. Large limestones were at the head and foot of the grave which was covered with a stone layer. Twelve inches west from the edge of the grave were two large stone slabs beneath which, at a depth of 2 feet, was a mass of burnt human bones, 4 inches in depth, occupying a space 3 feet long and 1} feet wide.
Grave 9-a. This contained a flexed skeleton, lying upon its left side, head to the east. Near the feet and leg bones was a bed of cremated human remains, 2 feet from the surface.
Cache-pits and Other Remains. A few feet southeast of grave 2-a, and 6 inches below the surface, a bed of flat limestones, 4 feet long and 2 feet wide, was found. At its western end, and 10 inches from the surface, was a mass of burnt bone, presumably human, in small fragments.
A short distance to the west of grave 3-a, and the circular altar, was a hearth or burnt space, 3 feet long by 2 feet wide. To the east of grave 8-a was a stone-covered pit containing large masses of burnt clay and charcoal.
A few cache-pits and post-holes occurred, mostly to the south- west of these burials. The pits were usually 4 to 6 feet deep, and 30 to 40 inches in diameter. They contained charcoal, ashes, burnt clay, potsherds, and animal bones. The post-holes were usually about 10 inches in diameter, and 18 to 24 inches deep.
Work was continued in this cemetery by Mr. Saville in 1890 in the southeastern portion, within the area enclosed by broken lines.
Grave 5-b. This burial was less than a foot from the surface, and was extended upon the back. Near the right shoulder was a sandstone pipe of unusual form, figure 11, b. Near the left elbow was a small pile of stones, and near the right foot, a flaked knife. If stones originally covered the grave, they were probably disturbed by the plow, and removed.
Grave 6-b. This contained a single extended skeleton, upon a pavement of flat stones (plate 5, a). The tops of the well-made walls at the head and foot were 12 inches from the surface, and the sides of the grave were outlined with flat stones set upright. In the right hand of the skeleton rested a piece of galena, and the
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worked lower jaw of a bear. In the left hand, two small pieces of galena had been placed. The stones forming the foot of the grave lay over a filled pit of unusual extent. This was about 3 feet in diameter, and had been excavated to a depth of 10 feet. It was filled with burnt clay and charcoal, mixed with a few animal bones and flaked stones. Small piles of stones, five or six in a pile, were found at various depths.
Grave 7-b. The body was extended, head to the southeast, and lay about 12 inches beneath the surface. The grave was not paved, but was outlined with the usual flat stones set on edge. Near the left tibia, fourteen unperforated canine teeth of the bear were lying in a pile, together with a piece of much decayed worked antler, evidently the handle of the flint knife found near it. There was also a small rudely chipped knife, probably unfinished.
Grave 8-b. This was without the outline of upright stones, and contained the skeleton of a child, 2 feet 9 inches beneath the sur- face. Near the skull rested a large busycon shell food vessel, within which was a large unio shell spoon. A similar spoon and one valve of a unio shell, unworked, lay near the vessel. This burial is shown in plate 5, c.
Grave 9 b. A few feet to the south of grave 6-b, excavations revealed a layer of stones a few inches beneath the surface. This is shown in the background in a, plate 5. Upon removing this layer, other stones were found, and nearly a cart-load was taken out. Three inches under the lower layer of stones, and 3 feet 9 inches from the surface, was the extended skeleton of an adult male. Three inches from the right side of the skull lay a pottery vessel, crushed by the weight of the stones above. Within it was a unio shell spoon. Against the pot rested a large busycon shell vessel, and against this was a sheet of mica. Among the bones of the right hand were two ear-ornaments of copper, and in the left hand two similar but less well-preserved ornaments. On the left side, between the arm bones and ribs, were scattered nineteen small shell beads, and six bone awls or pins with points toward the shoulder. Resting on the awls were a flaked knife of chalcedony, and a copper pin (plate 7, c).
Grave 10-b. This was small, and contained cremated human re- mains and a copper pin or awl. About 3 feet to the southwest was another similar interment, without artifacts.
PEABODY MUSEUM PAPERS
VOL. VIII, No. 3, PLATE 7
a, Artifacts from Graves 15 (left) and 20; b, From Grave 16, Mound 1; c, From Grave 9-b; d, Cremated human bones, place of cremation, Mound 3. (1/6.)
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Grave 11-b. The skeleton was extended 21 inches beneath the surface, head to the west. The grave was neither outlined nor covered with stones. A small quantity of mica lay near the left femur. The bones were much decayed.
Grave 12-b. The most westerly of the graves in this group. The skeleton lay 3 feet beneath the surface under a few limestones. Some of the bones were disarranged. Both bones of each lower leg were broken squarely across at about a third of their length below the knee. The extremities of the right leg lay nearly at right angles across the right femur just below its center, while those of the left extended diagonally downward from near the center of the left femur. The foot bones occupied their normal position in rela- tion to the lower portions of each tibia and fibula. The skull was twisted from its natural position, its right side resting upon the upper portion of the right humerus. Near the skull lay a busycon
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FIGURE 9 Graves north of Mound 14.
shell vessel, and an antler needle 16 inches long and § of an inch in diameter.
Cache-pits. Five pits occupied the positions shown in the plan. Most of these were 4 to 6 feet deep, and about 30 inches in diame- ter at the top. From the surface downward, the contents of pit 1 were as follows: 6 inches of black soil; 33 inches of clay; 9 inches of gravel; and 27 inches of charcoal, burnt clay, and pieces of bone and chert. The contents of the other pits were similar.
Graves Excavated by Ernest Volk, 1905. To the northeast of the group of seven altar-mounds in the southeastern part of the great enclosure, a few graves were explored by Mr. Volk for the Museum in 1905. These were similar to the burials in the north- western portion of the enclosure already described. The top-soil to the northeast of the altar-mounds was 12 inches deep. Beneath this, and covering the graves, was a 6-inch layer of sand and gravel.
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The pebbles in the gravel were very small, and the layer was ap- parently not a natural deposit. This stratum spread out north- ward from the base of mound 14 for about 50 feet.
Grave 1-c. This was found just beneath the layer of sand and gravel. It was outlined with a few flat stones set upright (figure 9, 1c). The burial was of an adult, lying upon its back, head to the
FIGURE 10 Objects from Grave 1-c, near Mound 14: Flaked knives, bone needles and bodkins. (1/2.)
south, at a depth of 2 feet. Near the neck were a number of dis- coidal shell beads, and at the wrists the remains of bracelets of similar beads and small perforated shells. Near the left shoulder were fifteen flaked knives in a heap, which had probably been deposited in a bag or similar receptacle. Not far from these were two needles and two perforators of bone, and a pile of perforated marginella shells. Just beyond were two large bone bodkins, one of which was decorated, lying with their heads together, the points in opposite directions. Both were perforated for suspension
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(figure 10). Near the left tibia were fragments of what was prob- ably a shell spoon. Upon the right side of the skeleton, about half-way between the shoulder and elbow, and at a distance of one foot, was a small heap of burnt bones of an adult. To one side and beneath one of the stones outlining the grave were numer- ous unburnt bones of children.
Grave 2-c. A short distance to the south of grave 1-c was found a circular layer of eleven stones, just below the reach of the plow.
FIGURE 11
Tobacco pipes: a. From grave beneath the base of Mound 1; b, Grave 5-b, Burial Place e, Great Enclosure; c, Grave in embankment of Elevated Circle; d, Grave 2-c, north of Mound 14. (1/3.)
The diameter of the circle was a little less than 5 feet. The follow- ing description is from Mr. Volk's report:
Took the top slab off and found under it several pieces of crania of children. On the northeast, among the slabs and touching them were fragments of bones of infants. On the east, between the small stones below the large slab were also fragments of small human crania. One half of the skull of a child lay bowl up, and another alongside of this, bowl down. Other parts of children's bones were lying among the stones. Under the portion of skull which lay bowl down, I found a fragment of tibia, two fragments of rib, and a piece of breast bone, and near the skull fragment, a portion of a jaw with teeth.
On removing the slab from the northwest side of the circle, I found char- coal and ashes. Under the west slab was a small pit, 18 inches in diameter, and 8 inches in depth, which was filled with burnt and calcined human bones, apparently of an adult or adults, and also a sandstone pipe [figure 11, d], and a shell bead. Just south of the pit were more fragments of the bones of in- fants. None of the infant bones from this grave were burned.
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Grave 3-c. A double grave outlined with limestones set on edge, and covered with flat stones of various sizes. The grave was divided by an oblong stone of symmetrical shape placed across its center. In the eastern half were portions of the skull and humerus of an adult, and upon either side of the skull lay a busycon shell vessel, and the remains of two unio shells, evidently used for spoons.
The western half of the grave contained a few pieces of human bones. Upon removing the long slab dividing the grave, fragments of the bones of children and adults mixed with earth were discovered.
A short distance to the north of this grave, a stone-covered space (4, c) was found, 7} feet long and 3 feet wide. No burials
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FIGURE 12. - Cross-section of Mound 1: 1, Clay: 2, Yellow clay; 3, Mottled clay, sand ashes and black earth; 8, White ashes; 9, Altar with enclosed skeleton; 10, Fireplace with
were encountered beneath the stones. This seems to be analogous to the stone-covered pits, containing no. skeleton, found in the cemetery in the northwestern part of the enclosure, which, if not actually graves, must be closely related to them.
Mr. Volk found also one or two additional burials and stone- covered spaces while excavating in the great enclosure, near the roadway to the west of the earth circle surrounding mound 2.
THE MOUNDS AND THEIR CONTENTS
Mound 1. This stood near the northeastern entrance to the main enclosure. It was 56 feet in diameter, measuring from the outer edge of the low stone wall which outlined its base, and a little less than 5 feet in elevation. The wall was about 2 feet in width, and a foot in height. The general construction of the earthwork is shown in the cross-section, figure 12. Only one
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HAMILTON COUNTY, OHIO
original burial was found above the concrete layer which formed the base of the mound. All others, with the exception of intrusive interments, occurred just below this layer.
The term concrete is used throughout this paper to designate a layer, usually about 2 to 4 inches thick, composed principally of gravel, coarse sand, and ashes, cemented into a compact mass. In some instances, traces of what appears to be iron are seen; but the principal cementing material is probably lime, produced by the accidental reduction of limestones in the great fires. The lime thus produced, mixed naturally with the wood ashes, prob- ably formed the cementing ingredient. In one of the limestone hearths of trench d, in the great embankment, Mr. Volk found
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and ashes; 4, Dark earth; 5, Brown burnt clay; 6, Concrete; 7, Alternate layers of pottery vessels; 11, Small altar; 12, 13, Graves beneath concrete layer; 14, Intrusive burials.
many of the stones partly, and a few wholly, reduced to lime by the intense heat.
The work of exploration was begun in 1882, when Professor Putnam and Dr. Metz cut five trenches from its periphery through to the center, where a fireplace, 7 feet in diameter, was found con- taining four pottery vessels (figure 13). Mixed with the ashes were charcoal, flint flakes, charred corn and corn-cobs. The pot- tery vessels are illustrated in plates 22, g, h, i, and 23. At the bottom of the trench in the southwestern portion of the mound, a single layer of round flat river stones was found, 18 inches wide, extending 4 feet to the northwest (number 15 of figure 13). The stones were carefully placed, and overlapped each other like roof tiles. Beneath the stones was a layer of ashes and burnt earth, the ashes 6 inches and the burnt earth 4 inches deep. Fragments of what Dr. Metz thought to be burnt human bones were found on the burnt earth.
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