Mound No. 8
Mound No. 8, situated very close to Mound No. 7, was roughly circular, 36 feet in diameter and 4 feet high on its flattened top. It was built throughout of earth, limestone dust, and blocks of limestone. Projecting from the western edge of the mound was a large, roughly hewn block of limestone, 3 feet by 4 feet, and 8 inches in thickness. Running through the center of the mound from east to west were two parallel rows of limestone flags, 2 feet apart, projecting 18 inches from the limestone rock upon which the mound was erected and in which they were embedded. Near the center of the mound, between the rows of limestone flags and resting on the earth, covered only with limestone dust, was found a single interment. The skull is shown in plate [14]. Its dimensions are: Length, 17.01 cm.; breadth, 16.51 cm.; height, 10.68 cm.; circumference, 51.30 cm.; cephalic index, 97. The body, which was stretched at full length, had probably been laid face downward, as the bones of the forearms, also shown in plate [14], were found beneath the skull. With the bones of the hands were found four copper rings, considerably oxidized; three were plain narrow bands, while the fourth was a broad flat band decorated with incised double volutes. Some of the phalanges were colored a bright-greenish tinge, from contact with the rings. Three of the rings and three phalanges are shown in plate [14]. These bones were all in a remarkably good state of preservation, probably owing to the fact that they were completely surrounded by fine limestone dust.
Fig. 26.—Circular openings leading into natural cavity.
Within a few yards of this mound was the opening of a small chultun, with steps leading to the interior. It was oval in shape, 15 feet long, and at one time had been covered with plaster, which had nearly all peeled off. The floor was covered with earth, of which there was a pyramidal heap under the opening. Nothing was found in this chultun except great quantities of fragments of large, rough earthenware water vessels.
BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY BULLETIN 64 PLATE 14.
