ARCHEOLOGICAL INVESTIGATIONS IN Ste. GENEVIEVECOUNTY, MISSOURI.By David I. Bushnell, Jr.Of the Bureau of American Ethnology.HISTORICAL.Bordering on tho eastern shore of the Mississippi, and extendingfrom a point about opposite the mouth of the Missouri on the north,to the Kaskaskia on the south, is a rich alluvial plain, often desig-nated by the name '^American Bottom." This is bounded by aline of bluffs which touches the river at the north and south. Whenfirst visited by the French this area was claimed and occupied bythe Illinois Indians. At the north, some 20 miles below the mouthof the Missouri, were the villages of the Cahokia and Tamaroa.Later, during the year 1703,^ the Kaskaskia moved southward fromthe Illinois River, and reared their wigwams near the mouth of thestream now bearing their name. These settlements were often men-tioned by the early writers, but no account is to be found of villageson the opposite or right bank of the Mississippi between thesepoints.On the map of Pierre van der Aa (about 1720), two small streamsare shown entering the Mississippi from the west, a short distancebelow the Missouri, and about equidistant between this river and theSaline. The more northerly of these is probably intended to repre-sent the Meramec. A dot at the mouth of this stream, on the northside, bears the legend: '^ Village des Ilinois et des Caskoukia." Proba-bly the Cahokia. On the eastern side of the Mississippi is indicatedthe "Village des Tamaroa." On the d'Anville map of 1755, an''Ancien Village Cahokias" is placed on the right, or western shoreof the Mississippi about midway between the mouth of the ''R. deMaremac" on the south, and that of the "Petite R. des Cahokias,"entering from the east, on the north. At the mouth of this smallstream is the legend: "Cahokias et Tamaroas le Fort et la Mission."The position of the "Ancien Village Cahokias" corresponds with
' Shea, John Gilmary, The Catholic Church in Colonial Days, New York, 1886, p. 544.Proceedings U. S. National Museum, Vol. 46?No. 2042.95278??Proc.N.M.vol.46?13 41 641
642 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM. vol. 46.that of the mouth of the Riviere des Peres, a small stream fio^vingthrough the western part of St. Louis, and, at its junction with theMississippi, forming the southern boundary of the city. Until afew years ago many small mounds were visible on the lowland atthe mouth of the stream, objects of stone were numerous, and stonegraves were met with on the near by hills ; all indicative of an aborigi-nal settlement. Numerous groups of stone graves exist in the valleyof the Meramec, and the site of an extensive village is located on theright bank of the stream a short distance above its mouth. About4 miles below the Meramec, and one mile west of the town ofKimmswick, is a small saline, and near by a site bearing evidenceof long occupancy. This I shall have occasion to mention more fullyat another time.By the close of the eighteenth century the Illinois tribes had be-come greatly reduced in numbers, and had lost their former power.In the year 1802 it was written: ''At St. Genevieve, in the settle-ment among the whites, are about thirty Piorias, Kaskaskias, andIlinois, who seldom hunt, for fear of the other Indians. They arethe remains of a nation, which fifty years ago, could bring into thefield one thousand and two hundred warriors.'' ^Below the town of Ste. Genevieve "there was formerly a villageof Piorias, * * * but they abandoned it some time ago."^This was prior to the year 1810.The Shawnee and Delaware village on Apple Creek, about 40 milesbelow Ste. Genevieve, dates from the year 1793. Bands of the formertribe evidently traversed the surrounding country. About 1 milesouthwest of Ste. Genevieve is a large spring, known as Valle Spring.The water issues from beneath a mass of limestone and is of sufficientquantity to form a stream 10 feet or more in width. Brackenridgevisited this spot about the year 1810 and "found a party of aboutsixty Shawanese warriors encamped near it; after some conversationwith the chief, a good old man, and of a remarkable fine figure; whysaid he, does not some white man build a house and settle himselfnear this place? but, continued the old chief, seemingly recollect-ing himself, perhaps some Manitou (spirit) resides here, and willnot permit it ! " ^ And as yet no house has been erected near thespring: the site has remained unoccupied.As has been said, no references occur in the works of early writersto villages on the western bank of the Mississippi, between theMissouri on the north and the Saline on the south. It is evident,however, that at some early day the Illinois had occupied certainsites. Therefore it is quite probable that the signs of former occu-
1 Davis, John, Travels in Louisiara and the Floridas, in the year 1802, New York, 1806, p. 99.? Brackenridge, H. M., Views oJ Louisiana, Pittsburg, 1814, p. 125.
' Brackenridge, Idem., p. 126.
NO. 2042. ARCHEOLOGICAL INVESTIGATIONS?BUSHWELL. 643pancy in the vicinity of the Meramec, and the stone graves, the villagesite, and the traces of work in the area adjacent to the salt springnear the mouth of the Saline, should be attributed to the Illinoistribes, whose principal villages were on the eastern side of theMississippi.Pere de Charlevoix arrived at Kaskaslda October 19, 1721. Wliilethere he wrote of the surrounding country, of the native tribes, and ofthe French settlement and IMission, but he failed to mention theexistence of the salt spring a few miles above, on the opposite side ofthe Mississippi. Nevertheless, there is Httle doubt of its having beenthe source whence the early French colonists secured their supply ofsalt, as it was at a later day, when it was written: ''The salines justbelow St. Genevieve are productive. The inliabitants on both sidesof the Mississippi derive most of their supplies from them; and nosmall proportion of the salt is boated up the Ohio. The salines onthe Merimak are also valuable: They supply in part the settlers onthe east side of the Mississippi." ^On the map of Pierre van der Aa, dating from the early part of theeighteenth century, the Saline Creek is correctly placed and bearsthe name "la Saline." On the BeUin map of 1744 the "R a la Sahne"is indicated, and on the north side, near its mouth, is "la Saline."The area is more clearly and accurately delineated on the d'Anvillemap of 1755. Here the name "Ste. Genevieve" is applied to thesettlement on the Mississippi north of the "Saline," which is accu-rately placed a short distance from the left bankof the " R. a la Saline."The Ross map of 1765, a section of which is reproduced in plate 50,indicates the positions of the French and Indian villages. Ste.Genevieve here bears the name of "Misere," and Saline Creek that of" Salt pans River." Near the mouth of the river is shown the positionof "the Salt pans." It is quite probable that about tliis time themaking of salt by evaporating the waters of the spring became arecognized industry, and tliis was evidently one of the places Bossuhad in mind when he wrote: "At the Illinois, the 15ih of May 1753* * * The Illinois country is one of the finest in the world; itsupplies aU the lower parts of Louisiana with flower. Its commerceconsists in furs, lead and salt. There are many salt springs, thatattract the wild oxen, and the roe-bucks."^ A short time after thepeace of 1763 a British officer visited the settlements of UpperLouisiana and left tliis brief reference to the saline: "Sainte Gene-vieuve, or Msere. The first settlers of this village removed abouttwenty-eight years ago from Cascasquias. * * * The situationof the village is very convenient, being within one league of the salt
1 Stoddard, Major Amos, Sketches * * * of Louisiana, Philadelphia, 1812, p. 401.2 Bossu, Travels through that part of North America formerly called Louisiana (Eng. trans.), London,1771, vol. 1, p. 127.
644 PROCEEDINOl? OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM. tol. 46.spring, which is for the general use of the French subjects, and severalpersons belonging to this village have works here, and make greatquantities of salt for the supply of the Indians, hunters, and the othersettlements." ^Some yeai-s later "A grant of a tract of land, one league square,was here made by the Spanish government, in favor of a Frenchmannamed Pegreau, the founder of the deserted town called New Bourbon.The tract included a valuable brine spring near the mouth of the[Saline] creek. The proprietor, built a house near the bank of theMississippi, where he resided for some time, and carried on a manu-facture of salt."^ Soon after the transfer of Louisiana to the UnitedStates the tract was acquired by others. Salt is said to have beenmade here in large quantities as late as 1835, and even at this lateday several of the old iron kettles are to be found near the spring, andmany fragments lie scattered about on the surface.THE SALT SPRING.As has been shown in the preceding section, the area immediatelysurrounding the salt spring was occupied by the French colonists soonafter the establishment of the European settlement at Kaskaskia,and the whites continued making salt at the spring until about theyear 1835. As a result of these activities, covering a period of morethan a century, a vast quantity of wood ashes and charred woodaccumulated here, covering the traces of an earlier occupancy of thesite by the Indians. A sketch of this area is reproduced in figure 2,being a more detailed plan of A on the map (fig. 1). The mass ofashes attains its greatest thickness just north of the spring, and atB, figure 2, an excavation was made wliich reached the undisturbedclay at a depth of about 6 feet. This was near the edge of the ashbank, which, a few feet west, was considerably higher than at thispoint.Between the mass of ashes and the small branch, the stippled areaon the plan, the ground is so impregnated with salt that it is barrenof vegetation. The ground is saturated, and an excavation made atany point over the surface of this area wiU soon be filled with saltwater. It is said that during the time the salt water was utilizedby the whites, a large excavation made around the spring served as areservoir in which the water, later to be evaporated by the saltmakers, was collected.Scattered over the surface of this area are many fragments of largepottery vessels of Indian make, and a great quantity of sandstone.The pieces of sandstone range from 1 inch to a foot or more in diam-eter, and practically all have been turned red by the action of fire.
1 Pittman, Capt. Philip, The present state of the European Settlements on the Mississippi, London,1770, p. 50.2 James, Edwin, Account of an Expedition, under the Command of Major Stephen H. Long, Philadel-phia, 1823, vol. 1, p. 48.
ARCffEOLOGICAL INVESTTGATI0NS?BU8HNELL. 645These we may assume to have been the pieces of stone wliich wereheated and placed in the large earthenware vessel containing the waterfrom the spring, the primitive method followed by the Indian in evap-orating the water to secure the salt. No other kind of stone found inthis region would have served the purpose. Limestone and granite
Fig. 1.?Map showing the position of the Salt Spring A and the mouth of the Saline.would have fractured if placed in fire, and the pieces of sandstone metwith on the site had been carried from a point several miles away.Sandstone had been similarly used at the site near Kimmswick,and there two pieces were discovered resting on the bottom of a large"saltpan."^
1 Kimmswick is a small town on the Mississippi, in Jefferson County, Missouri, about 4 miles below themouth of the Meramec River. In the valley northwest of the town are many springs. About 1J miles dis-tant, near a spring, and rising above the left bank of a small stream, known as Rock Creek, was a leveltract of several acres. This area had been occupied for a long period by the Indians. During the autumnof 1902 1 examined this site in the interest of the department of anthropology of the University of Californiaand the Peabody Museum, Harvard University. The work was described in two parts: Primitive SaltMaking in the Mississippi VaUey, I. Man, 13, London, 1907. II. Man, 35, London, 1908.Many references will be found on the following pages to the Kimmswick site as it possessed many featuressimilar to those encountered in the vicinity of the mouth of the Saline.
646 PR0CEEDIN08 OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM.It is quite evident that much of the fragmentary pottery andsandstone now exposed on the surface was thrown out of the excava-tion when the reservoir was formed. And since that time, aided bythe lack of vegetation, the rain has washed away the greater part ofthe earth and ashes, allowing the masses of stone and earthenware toremain uncovered.A profile and section of the space extending from ^ to 5 on figure 2,is shown in figure 3. As stated above, the excavation at B reachedthe undisturbed clay at a depth of about 6 feet. Resting upon theclay were several pieces of "cloth marked" pottery, small fragmentsof large vessels. The excavation at A was carried down several feetbelow the surface of undisturbed clay. Resting upon the clay wasa mass of broken pottery nearly 18 inches in thickness. The frag-
-The Salt Spring A on Fig. 1. The stippled area representsWITH SALT AND BARREN OF VEGETATION. THE GROIIND IMPREGNATEDments were, for the most part, in a horizontal position, and rested oneupon another in such a manner as to form practically a solid stratum.Above this was an accumulation of ashes, charcoal, and a few animalbones, many of the latter having been cracked, probably for theextraction of the marrow. An excavation C (fig. 2), on the linebetween A and B, reached the undisturbed clay at a depth of 2 feet6 inches. The upper 6 inches consisted of soil, broken sandstone,etc., below which, to a depth of 2 feet, was a stratum of wood ashes,charcoal, and fragmentary pottery. Connecting the three points atwliich the undisturbed clay was encountered in the excavations atA, B, and C, the original surface of the site, before the periods ofIndian and white occupancy, is clearly indicated. This is shownby a dotted Une on figure 3.
NO. 2042. ARCHEOLOGICAL INVESTIGATIONS?BU8HNELL. 647The small branch, the bed of which is indicated on figure 3 betweenthe excavations A and C, appears to have formed its present channelduring comparatively recent years, otherwise the strata of ashes andpottery would not have been continuous on both sides. Many firebeds, masses of ashes, and accumulations of broken pottery, appear atdifferent levels along the sides of the channel.An excavation was made at the edge of the shghtly elevatedportion of the site, D (fig. 2), exposing a bank of ashes and charcoal,and two fire beds are distinctly visible at different levels. A frag-ment of pottery was met with near the lowest part of the excavation,but no traces of Indian occupancy were discovered in contact with thefire beds, it is therefore quite evident the ashes accumulated duringthe days the site was occupied by the whites. Several trenches weremade a short distance from the right bank of the branch, dii'ectlyeast from the spring. These revealed accumulations of camp refuse,including ashes and charcoal, fragments of animal bones and piecesof broken pottery. This probably continued to the bank of the
Fig. 3.?Section theough A-B on Fig. 2. The dotted line indicates approximately theoeiglnal surface. above this une is the accumulation of ashes, charcoal, fragmentsof pottery, etc.Saline, and here was evidently a village or camp site. Just acrossthe Saline was the site of the principal village; this will be men-tioned later.About 100 yards south of the salt spring the natural surface be-comes more elevated and rises from a marshy tract on the west.This area is B on map (fig. 1). Several trenches dug along thenorthern extremity of the plateau revealed signs of Indian occu-pancy. At two points were numerous fragments of large earthen-ware vessels. These were not associated with refuse, as was thosefound nearer the spring, but appeared to have been used and aban-doned here. They were probably broken, and some parts scattered,before the accumulation of the ashes and vegetable mold which nowcovers them to a depth of about 18 inches, was formed. Animalbones, a few chips of chert, and fragments of small pottery vessels,were intermingled in the mass surrounding and covering the partsof the large "pans." All fragments of large vessels discovered atthis point were smooth on both the outer and inner surfaces?in
648 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM. vol. 4G.other words, no pieces of "cloth marked" pottery were found.Therefore, for reasons to be given on another page, it is evident thiswas a comparatively late Indian settlement, more recent than thecamp between the salt spring and the Saline. A thorough exam-ination of this site would probably prove of great interest.The salt spring is on the flood plain of the Saline, or rather of theMssissippi, near the foot of the second terrace wliich here attainsan elevation of about 30 feet. Before the space in the vicinity of thespring was modified by the accumulation of ashes, and before thewagon road was made, the surface sloped gradually from the browof the higher land to the edge of the spring. Scattered over thesurface of the sloping land are many fragments of small pottery ves-sels, some bearing traces of red pigment and others being pieces of athin, black ware of superior quality. Numerous stone implementshave been found here, and all signs point to this having been, atsome former day, a favorite spot. No excavations were made hereduring the recent investigations, although the results would prob-ably have been very interesting.In making the road, less than 100 feet from the spring, the hillsidewas cut away to a depth of from 4 to 6 feet. Several fii-e beds wereexposed by this cut, and may be traced on the side of the excavation.A curious pit was likewise cut through at a point almost due northof the spring. This is shown on plate 51. As will be seen, it has acircular bottom, and the excavation was probably circular in hori-zontal section. Its extreme width is about 4 feet 6 inches. It wasfilied with wood ashes, particles of charcoal, and pieces of large pot-tery vessels. Its sides could not be traced through the upper 18inches of earth and mingled pottery, stones, and ashes, but this maybe attributed to the use of the plow and the gradual accumulation ofsoil washed down from the higher ground. The sides and bottom ofthe pit did not show any evidence of the action of fire; there was nodiscoloration of the clay as would have resulted had this been a fire-place. This was probably a cache, or pit, where grain or other pos-sessions of the tribe, were stored. The Kaskaskia, at their old villageon the banks of the Illinois, followed this custom, and in describingtheir settlement as it appeared in 1679 it was written: "Every Cot-tage has two Appartments, wherein several Families might lodge,and under every one of them there is a Cave or Vault, wherein theypreserve their Indian-Corn, of wliich we took a sufficient quantity,because we wanted Provisions." ^The camp or village sites already described are located on the leftbank of the Saline, but the peninsula between this stream and theMississippi, O on map (fig. 1), was evidently occupied by a com-
1 Tontl, An Account of Monsieur de la Salle's Last Expedition and Discoveries in North America,London, 1698, p. 29.
NO. 2042. ARCHEOLOOICAL INVESTIGATIONS?BUSHNELL. 649paratively large settlement. This was a well-chosen position for avillage, protected on three sides by water, and probably on the southby a line of palisades. Only during the greatest floods did the watersof the Mississippi cover the site, and probably at such times the near-by hills were occupied.The site was partially examined, the principal excavation havingbeen made at a point just w^est of the mound, about midway betweenthe Saline and the old bed of the Mississippi. Here the surface wasa few inches higher than that of the surrounding ground. At thepresent time the high, level portion of the peninsula is covered withold pecan trees, but it was plowed a few years ago, and in formeryears was cultivated every season, therefore the entire surface hasbeen modified since an Indian village stood here, and consequentlyany slight inequalities of the surface are of no importance.The principal excavation extended about 20 feet east and west,and a little less from north to south. The undisturbed clay wasreached at an average depth of about 18 inches. This we mayassume to have been the exposed surface when the site was firstoccupied. Two rather small fire beds were met with on the claysurface, and near one, resting upon the original surface, was animplement of the form usually described as a "notched hoe." Thisspecimen measured a trifle more than 7^ inches in length, being quitethin and having very narrow notches. The material was evidentlyderived from a quaiTy in Union County, Illinois. The stratumabove the clay was composed of wood ashes and charcoal, vegetablemold and alluvium, the latter having been deposited during thefloods of the Mississippi. Throughout the mass were many frag-ments of large pottery vessels, some animal bones, and a few musselshells. Several broken bone implements were discovered, and alsosome chips of wliite and pink flint. The large "hoe" was the onlyperfect object found in the excavation. Many of the fragments ofpottery bore the imprint of a well-made fabric. Smaller excavationsmade in other parts of the site discovered the original surface, but ata point about 100 yards southeast of the mound no signs of Indianoccupancy were encountered.From the mound to the mouth of the Saline the surface slopesgradually, but on the opposite side of the river the bank is veryabrupt. Fragments of pottery and traces of fires are met withalong the high bank, but all such remains which may have existedon the right bank have been covered or washed away by the actionof the waters.A single mound stands near the center of the village site. This,at the present time, is about 90 feet in diameter and less than 4 feetin height, but originally it must have been somewhat higher and of alesser diameter; its change of form may be attributed to the action of
650 PROCEEDINOS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM. vol.46.the plow and the trampling of cattle. The central part of the moundwas examined, the excavation having been carried down to the un-disturbed clay. It appears to have been formed of the surface soil,with a few particles of charcoal and a small quantity of ashes inter-mingled. The mass of camp refuse surrounding the mound hadevidently accumulated after the construction of the mound, otherwisetraces of it would have been encountered in the excavation. Threeskeletons were found. The first to be met with was near the presentsurface of the mound, a few inches below the line of the plow. Thiswas the skeleton of a male, extended, and with the head south. Theskull was saved (Cat. No. 278698, U.S.N.M.). This burial pre-sented one very unusual feature; the body had been placed in thegrave, or rather on the surface, face down, and as a result the skullwas entirely empty, and not a particle of earth had entered it. Thebody may have been wrapped at the time of burial, and accidentallydeposited in this strange position. Just beneath the left shoulder,and extending a few inches beyond, were various small objects whichrested upon one another, and which had probably been inclosed in abag or pouch when they were placed in the grave with the body.These included: (1) A chipped celt about 7 inches in length, thinand well made, having a sharp cutting edge. (2) A pair of arrow-shaft rubbers with deep grooves, made of a very coarse-graineddark-brown sandstone, a material found in the western part of Ste.Genevieve County. (3) A hematite plummet. This had been broken,but even in this condition had been retained and used for some pur-pose. The fractured edges are smooth from contact with a softermaterial, and across the surface are several grooves which appear tohave been worn by cords. (4) Three bone implements, all of whichare broken. Two were pointed and one was flat, the latter havinga gouge-shaped edge. (5) Small granite pebble. This is triangularin section; the three edges are much worn and bear evidence of havingbeen struck against some hard substance. Other parts of the naturalsurface are smooth. (6) Three small pieces of gypsum; all are conicalin shape, having been worked. The surfaces are greatly decomposed.All are shown in plate 52.The skull of this skeleton was saved, and it has been identified byDoctor Hrdlicka as being that of a male, probably between 35 and 40years of age. One may, therefore, regard the different objects,enumerated above, as having been earned in a man's bag, togetherwith substances of a perishable nature, all traces of which have dis-appeared. Of the various pieces the three gypsum specimens arethe most unusual; these, as Mr. W. H. Holmes has remarked, "mayhave been charms or magic-worldng stones from the kit of a medicineman." The granite pebble, showing evidence of much use, may haveserved in striking a spark to produce fire. The purpose of the
NO. 2042. ARCHEOLOGICAL INVESTIGATIONS?BUSHNELL. 651hematite specimen is unknown, although it bears signs of use andwas probably quite old when it was deposited in the grave. Theother stone and bone objects do not present any unusual features.A large quantity of flint chips were encountered on the same leveland about 18 inches east of the preceding objects. They were scat-tered through a space less than 2 feet in diameter and were mingledwith a large amount of charcoal. A tooth of a beaver was found inthe same mass. A small black pottery vessel had been placed betweenthe skeleton and the fhnt chips and some 6 or 8 inches higher, butits elevation had caused it to be hit by the plow and destroyed andonly a few fragments remained.Two skeletons were discovered resting upon the original surface ofthe ground. They were extended with the heads east. The feetwere about under the first burial encountered. The remains weregreatly decomposed and very soft. The ground was very damp, andthe roots of a large pecan tree had reached the bones, and conse-quently their condition is no indication of great age. No objects ofany sort were discovered with the burials.The mound had, at some former day, been partially examined, andseveral pits and trenches had been opened at different points; butfortunately the central burials and the interesting group of objectshad not been reached.During the past few years innumerable stone implements, for themost part of ordinary forms and materials, have been found on thesites near the salt spring. These have been revealed by the plow,but are now becoming quite scarce. Undoubtedly these representthe work of the last occupants of the area, and were left scatteredover the surface of the camps or villages. Probably very few entireobjects of stone, bone, or shell are to be found beneath the surface inthe mass of ashes and mold forming the stratum above the un-disturbed clay. Any such specimens were lost by their owners andare, of course, few in number, but broken pieces are plentiful. Large"salt pans" may be hidden by the accumulated ashes and refuse, tobe discovered, perchance, at some future time. Fragments of smallervessels occur in quantities both on and below the surface. Thesewere the utensils daily used in the wigwams, and were evidentlysimilar to pieces placed in the stone graves.Many large spades, made of the cherts from the Union County,Illinois, quarries, have been found on the surface of the high landbeyond the village sites. Here were evidently the cornfields andgardens of the settlement, and judging from the large number of suchobjects found, and their distribution over a comparatively wide area,we are led to the belief that many acres were cultivated.Very few ornaments of stone or shell have been discovered on thesites, and they appear to have been equally scarce in the stone graves.
652 PROCEEDTNGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM. vor.. 40.Tliree shell beads were found near the spring, but nothing of the kindwas met with in any of the excavations.Shells of the river mussel were used as spoons; a fragment of onewas obtained near the spring.Pipes are seldom found. A small carving in limestone, representinga human head, which was found in the cultivated field across the roadfrom the salt spring, is probably a part of a tobacco pipe (Cat. No.278688, U.S.N.M.). (See B and C on pi. 53.) Objects of hematitehave, from time to time, been found on the surface. Small chippedflints have been very plentiful.The large number of specimens found in this section durmg the pastfew years have gone to enrich private collections, or have been ac-quired by dealers. Unfortunately no museum possesses a represen-tative collection from the area circumjacent to the salt spring.STONE GRAVES.Stone graves existed in large numbers in the vicinity of the SaUne,and every elevated pomt appears to have been occupied by a group.But at this late day it is quite difficult to discover any remaming inan undisturbed condition. The plow, and the seekers of buried treas-ure, are responsible for the destruction of a great majority of theancient burials.Many graves have, from time to time, come to light along the browof the elevated land just across the present road from the salt spring.During the present investigation several were discovered on the sum-mit of this ridge at a point just above the approach to the wagonbridge spanning the Saline. These, however, were entirely empty,and although the stones forming the sides, ends, and bottoms re-mained in place, not a vestige of bone was met with. The graveswere of the ordinary form and the largest measured upward of 6 feetin length.Several hundred yards below the mouth of the Saline, and midwaybetween this stream and the former bed of the Mississippi, the high-land terminates in an abrupt point which rises some 50 feet abovethe flood plain of the streams. The summit of this point is occupiedby a small mound ; of this we shall speak later. A single stone gravewas encountered at the foot of the mound, on the west side. Thiswas carefully examined, but not a trace of bone was found. Itextended from north to south, and measured 4 feet 6 inches in length.One unusually large slab of limestone, the length of the grave, servedas the eastern wall.Four graves, undisturbed with the exception of the top stoneshaving been removed by the plow, were discovered on the brow ofthe ridge about 50 yards south of the small mound previously men-tioned. But for want of time it was not possible to determine the
ARCHEOLOGICAL INVESTIGATI0N8~BV8HNELL. 653extent of the cemetery of which these graves constituted a part;however, it would not be surprising to find it extending over a com-paratively wide area. A plan of the four graves is shown in figure 4,and they may be described as follows:1. This burial presented some very interesting and unusualfeatures. The pieces of limestone used in forming the walls andbottom were rather smaller than were often employed. The extremelength was just 6 feet, and the width at the widest point 15 inches.Tliis was divided into two compartments, the larger being 4 feet 6inches in length. In this were the bones of a single skeleton, disar-ticulated before burial. Near the skull lay a small earthern vessel(Cat. No. 278697, U.S.N.M.), which was saved. The smaller com-partment was occupied solely by a skull, facing upward, and restingupon the stone which formed the bottom of the grave. It was quiteevident that both sections were constructed at the same time, as
Fig. 4.?Graves south of village site. D on fig. 1. Geave I is shown on plate 54 and fig. 5.stones on the bottom extended on both sides of the partition, andlikewise the stone on the north wall. Another curious feature of thisgrave was the converging of the north and south walls to completethe inclosure at the eastern end. Unfortunately the cover stoneshad been removed by the plow, and the remains were in a badlydecayed and crushed condition, and consequently were not removed.(Shown on pi. 54 and fig. 5.)2. Length, 3 feet 9 inches ; width, 2 feet. Stones at sides, ends, andbottom. Contained the disarticulated bones of two skeletons. Theskull resting against the north wall was saved (Cat. No. 278699,U.S.N.M.). Near this skull were fragments of a small earthen jar.3. Length, 5 feet; width, about 18 inches. Stones forming thesides, ends, and bottom remained in place. As indicated on theplan, this grave contained seven skulls and a large number of sepa-rate bones, but all were greatly decomposed and could not be saved.
654 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM.Near the eastern end was a small pottery vessel (Cat. No. 278696,U.S.N.M.), which was preserved.4. Length, 3 feet 8 inches; width, 1 foot 8 inches. Stones on thesides, ends, and bottom. Contained two skulls and numerous otherbones. Fragments of four small pottery vessels were met with; twoof these had evidently beencolored red. Nothing in thisgrave was saved.Although so few graveswere examined, it is remark-able that all should have con-tained disarticulated skele-tons. However, graves havebeen discovered in the valleyof the Saline in which theskeletons remained entire andextended, showing conclu-sively that at the time ofburial the bones were articu-lated, and that the flesh hadnot been removed.Looking eastward from thesite of the graves just de-scribed, across the former bedof the Mississippi and thelowland between it and theKaskaskia, the field of visionis bounded by the line ofbluffs bordering the left bankof the latter stream. Alongthis highland are variousgroups of stone graves simi-lar to those near the Saline.Similar in construction, al-though the great majoritycontain entire skeletons. Itprobably all, were constructed-Grave I on high point south of village siteSee also plate 54.is quite evident that many, andby the Illinois tribes found occupying the area when it was firstreached by the French colonists. Some appear to have been madewithin the past hundred years; this is certainly true of a groupnear the village of Prairie du Rocher, of which it has been written:"Mrs. Morude, an old Belgian lady, who lives here, informed Mr.Middleton that when they were grading for the foundation of theirhouse she saw skulls with the hair still hanging to them taken from
NO. 2042. ARGHEOLOOICAL INVESTIOATIONS?BUSHNELL. 655tliese graves. It is therefore more than probable, and, in fact, isgenerally understood by the old settlers of this section, who derivedthe information from their parents, that these are the graves of theKaskaskia and other Indians who resided here when this part ofIllinois began to be settled by the whites." ^ In a direct Ime Prairiedu Kocher is less than 15 miles distant from the mouth of the Saline.During the work in the vicinity of Kimmswick and other parts ofJefferson County some years ago, 16 distinct groups of stone graveswere examined. A most interesting group was discovered imme-diately north of and adjoining the important village site near thespring, about H miles west of Kimmswick. This group included 22graves, of which number, 8 contained extended skeletons. Tengraves contained from 1 to 3 skulls each, together with various bones.One contained 4 radii and 4 ulnae and also 8 finely worked boneimplements and a small perforated disk of wood, discolored by andshowing traces of a thin sheet of copper. A few bones were found inanother grave, and in the remaining two all traces of the burial haddisappeared. Six graves of this group, three of which containedsmall extended skeletons, were lined with fragments of large earthen-ware vessels, smooth on both surfaces, and which, when entire, musthave measured from 20 to 30 or more inches in diameter. Nothingwas met with to suggest the possibility of one fonn of burial beingolder than the other; all were probably of approximately the sameage, differing only by a few years. Several burials found here weresimilar to those discovered near the mouth of the Saline. Manygraves were examined in the valley of Big River, in the vicinity ofMorse Mill. In many cases all traces of the burials had disappeared,but in every grave where bones were met with the skeletons had beenarticulated at the tune of interment. All graves were stone lined,and few groups consisted of more than 10 or 12. These small groupsevidently indicate the sites of several wigwams, as signs of an en-campment were often discernible. Nothing was met with in anygraves of the small gi'oups indicating the age of the burials.In grave IV, below the mouth of the Saline, 4 small earthen bowlswere encountered. All were in a fragmentary, disintegrated condi-tion, and unfortunately could not be removed. Two pieces weresmall bowls, about 4 inches in diameter and a little less in depth.They were very thin and fragile, and were composed solely of clay,neither sand nor crushed shell having been used as an admixture.They differed materially from all vessels constnicted for practicalpurposes. Several similar specimens were recovered from the gravesnear Morse Mill, and 10 or more were found associated with the
1 Thomas, Cyrus, Report on the Mound Explorations of the Bureau of Ethnology, in the Twelfth AnnualReport, p. 136.
656 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM. vol.46.burials in the cemetery near Kimmswick, previously mentioned. Allexamples, from the three localities, were of about the same size andform. For the reasons already stated these small vessels would havebeen of no use to the living, and we are therefore led to the belief theywere made solely for use in connection with burial ceremonies. Find-ing examples of these small mortuary vessels at three distinct points,tends to prove the similarity of custom of the people by whom thestone graves were constructed.The discovery of graves near Kimmswick, in which fragments oflarge pottery vessels had been used in the place of slabs of stone, sug-gested the possibility of these and other burials in the region havingbeen made by the Shawnee. Similarly constructed graves havebeen met with in the vicinity of Nashville, Tennessee, and in otherparts of the known Shawnee territory. The settlement of the Shaw-nee and Delaware on Apple Creek, some miles south of Ste. Genevieve,has already been mentioned, and it is not unlikely there were campingplaces between this and the village of the same tribes which waslocated a few miles south of the Missouri, a short distance northwestof St. Louis. " Village a Robert, or Village du Marais des Liards, issituated three or four miles west of St. Ferdinand [the present Flori-sant], and contains a few French families. It was formerly the resi-dence of a part of the Delaware and wShawnee tribes of Indians." ^The two better preserved crania from SaUne Creek are describedhereunder.Report on two crania from Saline Creek, Mo., collected by D. I. Bushnell, jr.Of the skulls in question, one (Cat. No. 278698, U.S.N.M.) is that of a man of 35or 40 years of age, while the other (Cat. No. 278699) is that of a young female not yetquite adult. Both specimens are normally developed and free from any deforma-tion which would alter their form; nevertheless, the female presents a slight, butplainly perceptible, frontal flattening?probably an extension of the practice of suchdeformation from farther south. Both are of moderate size, but what is remarkableis that the cranial hones in both are unusually delicate, so that internal capacity,notwithstanding the moderate external dimensions, is fair, approximating about theaverage for both sexes in the Indian.Both specimens are considerably damaged, which makes extended measurementsand comparisons out of question, nevertheless their type is plainly discernible. Theoutline of the vault, when viewed from above, is in both cases handsomely elliptical.They were of medium height. In length and breadth they measure, respectively, inthe case of the male, 17.3 and 13.9 cm., in the case of the female, 16.3 and 13.4 cm.,which gives the cephalic indices of 80.4 for the male and 82.2 for the female. Thistype resembles more that of the more southern Choctaw, for instance, than the morelong-headed and more strongly developed people of some other parts of ilissouri.The weak development of the various ridges and muscular insertions on both speci-mens indicates that they belonged to individuals and probably a gi-oup of people ofonly moderate robustness and stature. Two or three specimens of much the samenature were found in the Fowke material. ^ AleSv Hrdli6ka.
1 Beck, Lewis C. A Gazetteer of the States of Illmois and Missouri. Alban;^, 1823, p. 334.2 See Report on Skeletal Material from Missouri Mounds, Collected by Mr. Gerard Fowke in 1906-7.Bulletin 37, Bur. Amer. Ethn., pp. 103-112, Washington, 1910.
NO. 2042. ARCHEOLOGICAL INVESTIGATIONS?BUSHNELL. 657MOUNDS.Two mounds have ali'eady been mentioned on the preceding pages,one on the village site at the mouth of the Saline, the second on thehigh point, D on figure 1, just south of the site. The latter occupiesa very prominent position, and from its summit the view is one ofgreat beauty and interest. The old bed of the Mississippi, its courseuntU a few years ago, is visible for miles in both directions. East-ward across the low, bottom lands are the bluffs beyond the Kaskaskia,locally called the ' 'Okaw." The French settlement of Kaskaskia andthe sites of the villages of the Kaskaskia may also be distinguished inthe distance.As the mound crowns a high natural point it is difficult to ascertainthe exact dimensions of the artificial work. It is, undoubtedly, tosome extent artificial, but an excavation made on the west side, andextending beyond the center, failed to reveal any evidence. Thestone grave discovered at the foot of the mound evidently extendedbelow the base. No traces of fire were met with in the single excava-tion, and neither ashes nor charcoal had been brought to Ught by theplow; consequently the mound, although occupying such a prominentposition, had not been used as a signal station.About 300 yards south of this point, on the edge of the plateau, isanother mound. Its surface has been plowed for many years, and as aresult the work is reduced in height and spread. Like the preceding,it would be difficult to ascertain the dimensions of the artificialportion. The mound was partially examined some years ago, severalpits were dug near the center, but nothing could be learned of theresults and discoveries.In the heavy timber, about 1 mile southward from the point andnearly midway between the SaHne and the former course of the Mis-sissippi, are three elongated mounds. These are approximately 75feet in length and 12 feet in height. They are narrow and form anarrow ridge along the summit. No measurements were made.Other mounds will be mentioned in the conclusion.CAVES.A short distance from the left bank of the Saline, in the limestonecliff, about one-half mile south of west of the salt spring, is a smallcave of the greatest interest. It is scarcely 12 feet in width, whiledown the middle is a chaimei worn deep in the limestone. Waterflowing through the cave falls into a narrow chasm, which extendsnearly east and west. From the bottom of the channel to the topof the cavity is little more than 4 feet, but it is very irregular. Therock surface on both sides of the channel is quite level and on this95278??Proc.N.M.vol.46?13 42
658 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM.surface at the present time may be traced 13 petroglyphs, all ofwhich are reproduced in figure 6, their relative positions being indi-cated on the plan (fig. 7) . These include four bird forms, one hand,one small human footprint, six circles, and one small figure prob-ably intended to represent the footprint of a large bird. Other fig-ures were formerly to be seen on the eastern side of the channel, butthey were removed many years ago and taken to St. Louis. It isknown that two of the carvings represented human footprints. Theywere near the bird figure, on the edge of the channel, and a largeblock of stone was cut away, as is indicated by the dotted line.Water to a depth of an inch ormore is flowing down the channelat all times, but a rainfall of notto exceed one-quarter inch inseveral hours wiU cause the chan-nel to overflow, and the grit car-ried down by the water scoursthe surface of the limestone.This readily explains the faint-ness of the petroglyphs at thepresent day. The high land ashort distance from the caveis dotted with sink holes, andit is quite evident that one ormore find an outlet throughthe cave, thus accounting forthe great increase of the vol-ume of water flowing throughit after a slight rainfall in thevicinity.Before mentioning the petro-glyphs in detail, it will be ofinterest to compare an accountof the cave written a little morethan one-half century ago.At a meeting of the American Ethnological Society, held in NewYork City during the month of January, 1861, "Mr. Squier readextracts from the Ste. Genevieve County Plaindealer (Mo.) of a recentdate. * * * Higher up on the Saline is a cavern in which is aspring of water flowing over a large flat or table rock. The waterhas worn a little channel in the rock, through which it flows. In thisflat rock are round holes, similar to mortars, about the size of a tin cup.These places were no doubt made by the ancients, as a place to poundwith stones their corn into hominy or meal. Entering the mouth ofthe cave a short distance, we discovered footprints of a pappoose just
Fig. 6.?Thieteen peteogltphs on the flooe ofTHE CAVE. Their relative positions aee indi-GATED ON THE PLAN OF THE CAVE, FIG. 7.
ARCHEOLOGWAL INVESTI0ATI0N8?BUSENELL. 659commencing to walk. There are three distinct marks. The childwas walking, and the first step was with its right foot, the next mthits left, then again came the right. There is near by a very largefootprint of a man. Tm-key tracks and several other very singular
Fig. 7.?Plan of the cave showing the petroglyphs. The dotted lines indicate the channelWOEN IN the floor OF THE CAVE. THIS CHANNEL CONTINUES OUTSIDE THE CAVE AND CONNECTS WITHA NARROW CHASM EXTENDING EAST AND WEST.things can be seen very distinctly. There is also the outline of aneagle cut into the rock. The work is neatly executed, and appears tohave been done ages ago." ^
' Bulletin of the American Ethnological Society, vol. 1, New York, 1861, pp. 49-50.
660 PROCEEDiyOS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM. vol.46.The "round holes, similar to mortars," mentioned in the precedingaccount, exist as described, but their origin may be attributed to thedripping of water from the top of the cave, rather than the work ofman. The figures cut on this limestone surface have been met within other parts of the Mississippi A^alley, some being represented inthin copper, others serving as decorations on earthenware vessels.1. A bird, showing the wings, body, and tail. Unfortunately thehead can no longer be traced. The expanded tail is the most inter-esting feature of this figure, and this at once suggests the copperpendant recovered from a site in Cross County, Arkansas.^ Thependant is a most unusual example of aboriginal art. It representsa bird highly conventionalized. The wings, body, tail, and clawsare clearly shown. The head is crested and a small perforationrepresents the eye. The expanded tail is so similar to this peculiarfeature of the petroglyph that little doubt remains that both figureswere intended to represent the same bird. This may have been thelarge crested woodpecker, CeopMoeus pileatus. And in turn this sug-gests the gold object representing the head of a woodpecker which wasdiscovered by Rau in a mound in Manatee County, Florida.2, 3, and 4. Birds. The latter may be the "eagle cut into therock," of the earlier description. The ciu-ved beak certainly resem-bles that of the eagle. In some respects this carving is similar to thefigure in sheet copper found in a mound near Peoria, Illinois, figuredby Thomas.^5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10. Probably all have been found either alone or incombination with other figures or designs, on earthenware vesselsrecovered from mounds in the central portion of the MississippiValley. These are usually regarded as being cosmic symbols.1 1
.
Representing the imprint of the left hand.12. Representing the impression of a small human foot. As willbe seen on the plan of the cave, this is near the opening, on the eastside. It is the least distinct of the petroglyphs. This was probablyone of the figures referred to in th? earlier account, one of the "foot-prints of a pappoose just commencing to walk." Similar carvingshave been found in many parts of the country.^13. This may have been intended to represent the track or foot-print of some large bird, evidently one of the 'Turkey tracks."Contrary to the belief of the writer of the article in the Plaindealer,the petroglyphs must necessarily be of comparatively recent origin,otherwise they would have been more nearly obliterated by the
1 Moore, Clarence B., Antiquities of the St. Francis, White, and Black Rivers, Arkansas, in Joum. Acad.Nat. Sci. of PhUa., 1910, pi. 10, p. 2S3.2 Thomas, Cyrus, Report on the Mound Explorations of the Bureau of Ethnology, in Twelfth Rep.Bur. Amer. Ethn., p. 309.? Bushnell, D. I., jr., Petroglyphs Representing the Imprint of the Human Foot, in Amer. Anlhr., vol.15, pp. 8-15.
NO. 2042. ARCHEOLOGIOAL INVESTIGATIONS?BUSHNELL. 661action of flowing water carrying a large amount of sand and soU.Persons who have seen the carvings at diflferent times during thepast 30 years say they are becoming less and less distinct, and thatformerly the figures were more clearly defined than now. If suchperceptible changes have occurred withm so short a time, we mustnot regard the work as bemg very ancient, and probably two cen-turies would be a fair estimate of their age.In speaking of the six circular figures, Dr. Walter Hough has sug-gested the possibility of their having been copied from shields?inother words, being heraldic symbols. The theory is plausible andwould be equally applicable to all the petroglyphs in the cave. Itwould, therefore, be permissible to attribute their origin and pres-ence in the cave to individuals who had such designs on their shields,and whose right it was to use the symbols. The carvings may havebeen left as records of visits made to the spring; this is suggestedby the following passage, which, however, refers to a far westerntribe
:
"Mr. G. K. Gilbert discovered etchings at Oakley Spring, easternArizona, in 1878, relative to which he remarks that an Oraibi chiefexplained them to him and said that the 'Mokis make excursionsto a localit}^ in the canyon of the Colorado Chiquito to get salt. Ontheir return they stop at Oakley Sprmg and each Indian makes apicture on the rock. Each Indian draws his crest or totem, thesymbol of his gens (?). He draws it once, and once only, at eachvisit.' " ^ The figures are described as having been made "by pound-ing with a hard point," although some were "scratched on." Whilesome were quite fresh and of recent origm, others were old andweatherworn.Caves are numerous throughout the southern part of Missouri, andscores are met with in the limestone bluffs along the Ozark streamsand m the region eastward to the Mississippi. These, with fewexceptions, bear evidence of long or frequent occupancy by theIndians, but I am unable to learn of any m which petroglyphs occur,and consequently the small cavern near the Saline is quite distinctfrom the others.Other caves were visited in the vicinity of Ste. Genevieve. ' ' Gil-liam's Cave " is several hundred yards distant from the left bank of theRiver aux Vases, and in a direct line about 3 miles northwest of thesalt spring near the mouth of the Saline. The cave proper is only afew feet in height, and through it flows a small stream; it is of nospecial mterest. Just above the cave the limestone formation formsa natural arch; the opening is about 70 feet in length, and the dis-tance between the walls about one-half as great. The space beneath
1 Mallery, Garrick, Pictograplis of the North American Indians, in Fourth Rep. Bur. Amer. Ethn., p. 29,
662 PROCEEDI^^GS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM. vol.46.the arch was partially examined, and a few arrowheads and chips offlint were found together with some animal bones intermingled in amass of wood ashes and charcoal. At one point the mass of asheswas some 18 inches in thickness.''Saltpeter Cave" is a large cavity near the left bank of LittleSaline Creek, about 12 miles southwest of Ste. Genevieve. No evi-dence of Indian occupancy was met with. Various caves are said toexist near the Establishment Creek, some miles north of Ste. Gene-vieve, but they were not visited.THE "SALT PANS."The fragments of large pottery vessels met with in vast quantitiesin the vicmity of the salt sprmg, and on the village site just below themouth of the Salme, represent two distinct types of ''pans." Thefirst, and probably the more numerous, show the impression of wovenor braided fiber or hair on the outer surface, the inner surface bemgsmooth. In the second variety both the outer and mner surfaces aresmooth. Careful search was made in all excavations to ascertain, ifpossible, whether the two forms occurred in distinct strata in themasses of ashes, burnt stone, etc., but at no point were such conditionsmet with. As has been mentioned in the description of the areaimmediately south of the spring, large "smooth" vessels were foundhere, and no pieces of "cloth marked" pottery were found in theexcavation. This conforms with the evidence gathered at the sitenear Kimmswick. There on the high plateau above the spring, thesite of the settlement or camps, not a single example of "clothmarked" ware was discovered in the excavation, which covered aboutone-third acre. Four large vessels, ranging from 21 to 32 inches indiameter, were discovered, in addition to vast quantities of fragmentsof similar vessels; but all were smooth. Similar fragments had beenused in Iming graves in a near by group. At the foot of the elevatedground, near the bank of a small creek, was a spring of salt water.An excavation made near the spring reached the undisturbed clay ata depth of about 3 feet. Resting upon the clay was a stratum, some18 mches in thickness, composed of fragments of large pottery ves-sels, fresh-water shells, animal bones, ashes, and charcoal. Abovethis was a deposit of alluvium. Of the large number of fragments ofvessels met with in this excavation aU, without exception, bore theimprint of a woven or braided fiber. On the surface of the groundnear the spring were a few pieces of smooth ware, similar to the manyexamples discovered on the plateau. Here we have conclusive evi-dence that the two varieties of vessels were made and used at differentperiods, also that of the two the "cloth marked" is the older.Among the numerous pieces of fabric marked pottery found nearthe Saline were some showing the imprint of unusually fine and well-
NO. 2042. ARCHEOLOGICAL INVESTIGATIONS?BUSHNELL. 663made materials, A remarkable example is reproduced in plate 55c.The threads forming this piece were probably spun of the wool ofthe buffalo, an art practiced by various tribes,' and it is evident thework of the women of the Kaskaskia was not surpassed by any.Durmg the autumn of 1721, some 18 years after the removal ofthe Kaskaskia from their villages on the bank of the Illinois, Perede Charlevoix reached their new towns near the mouth of the Kas-kaskia, on the eastern side of the Mississippi, a short distance fromthe Saline. He was impressed with the skill of the women, andwrote: "Their women are very neat-handed and industrious. Theyspin the wool of the buffaloe, which they make as fine as that of theEnglish sheep; nay sometimes it might even be mistaken for sUk.Of this they manufacture stuffs which are dyed black, yellow, or adeep red . Of these stuffs theymakerobeswhich they sew with thread made of thesinews of the roe-buck." ^ The piece offabric which was impressed on the frag-ment of pottery already mentioned wouldbeworthy of this description. The pecul-iar weave represented by this fragmenthas been met with in other parts of theMississippi Valley and has been fully de-scribed.^ Other examples were discov-ered near the Saline in which the warpthreads were as much as 1 inch apart;the threads were tightly twisted and thework neatly executed. Figure 8 rep-resents a fabric impressed upon asmall piece of pottery found near the spring. The fragment is verysmall and the entire impression is shown exact size. This is ofspecial interest, as it shows two designs on the same piece of cloth.For the sake of comparison a section of a buffalo hair bag in thePitt-Rivers Museum, Oxford, is shown in plate 56 a, while h repre-sents a cloth derived from a fragment of earthenware from theSaline. It is quite evident the impres3ion on h was made by a fabricsimilar to a. Both are enlarged one-half.An unusually interesting example is reproduced in plate 57 a.This shows two pieces of fabric neatly joined and impressed uponthe surface of a large vessel. The specimen was probably not lessthan 30 inches in diameter. The fragment, which is a portion of
Fig. 8?Imprint on a feagment of pot-tery. Exact size.
1 Bushnell, D. I., jr., The Various Uses of Bufialo Hair by the North American Indians, in Amer. Anthr.,vol. n, p. 401.2 de Charlevoix, Journal of a Voyage to North America, London, 1761, vol. 2, p. 222.3 Holmes, W. H., (A) Prehistoric Textile Fabrics . . . derived from Impressions on Pottery, in ThirdAnn. Rep. Bur. Ethn., pp. 393-425. (B) Prehistoric Textile Art of the Eastern United States, in Thir-teenth Ann. Rep. Bm'. Ethn., pp. 9-46.
664 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM. vol. 46.the rim and extending down about 5 inches, is not more than one-halfinch in thickness, although the rim itself is quite heavy and flaring.The coarser fabric extends from the rim downward, and evidently-formed a band about 3 inches in width around the upper portionof the vessel. Unfortunately only a small part of the impression ofthe finer cloth remains, but it is clearly defined. The neatness withwhich the two pieces of fabric had been joined, the position of theborder, and the clearness of the impressions of the fabrics onthe outer surface of the vessel suggest the attempt on the part ofthe maker to make use of the impression as a means of decoratingthe large ''salt pan."Many fragments of large vessels found in the vicinity of the saltsprmg bear the imprint of a very coarse material. Examples are shownin plate 56, a and h. It has been a question whether this form ofimpression should be attributed to a piece of flat, woven matting,or to a shallow basket which had been used in forming the vessel. Ifa matting, it would be difflcult to understand how it could be placedso as to conform with the convex surface of a vessel. For this andanother reason about to be stated, it is evident that h, and possiblya, represents the imprint of the inner surface of a coarsely wovenbasket. In h the woof elements form distinct ridges a little less than1 inch apart. If a surface of this nature had been covered with athin fabric and impressed upon a mass of soft clay, the ridges of thewoof would be clearly shown. This eftect is produced in c of the sameplate. Here is the imprint of a very fine fabric, but on the surfaceof the fragment may be traced four parallel ridges, correspondingwith the woof elements in h. The natural conclusion is that a surfacesimilar to that of h had been covered with the cloth, the imprint ofwhich is so distmctly visible; the latter bemg thin and yielding hadfollowed the rough, irregular surface beneath it.A very interesting specimen is reproduced in plate 57 b. This smallfragment bears the imprint of two pieces of cloth, one of which over-laps the other. The third example, c, on this plate shows the im-print of three distinct materials on the same piece of pottery. Thisis a portion of a large "salt pan," being a section of the rim. In thecenter, clearly defined, is the impression of a coarse material. On theright is the imprint of a fabric resembling plate 56 6. On the leftis the impression of coarser fabric. Both fabrics had been placedover the surface of coarsely woven matting, or, more likely, theinner surface of a basket, an exposed section of which is visiblebetween them.This apparent use of baskets in the shaping of the large "salt pans"tends to verify a statement made many years ago: "Another methodj)ractised by them is to coat the inner surface of baskets made ofrushes or wiUows with clay to any required thickness, and when dry,
NO. 2042. ARCHEOLOGICAL INVESTIGATIONS?BUSHNELL. 665to burn them. * * * In this way they construct large, hand-some, and tolerably durable ware, though latterly, with such tribesas have much intercourse with the whites, it is not much used, be-cause of the substitution of cast-iron ware in its stead."^ This waswritten to apply to the region west of the Mississippi, and moreespecially to Missouri, a^ the author had been for many years acaptive among the Osage. He might well have had in mind the areaabout the mouth of the Saline,The large vessels were made of clay, to which a quantity of crushedshell had been added. The vessels had been burned, but, strangeas it may appear, heat sufficient to burn the vessel was not mtenseenough to calcine the particles of shell, and many pieces retain theirluster.The use of baskets m this connection would not have resulted intheir destruction and loss. The wet clay, spread over the inner orconcave surface, would within a short time have dried and contractedsufficiently to have permitted the removal of the vessel without injuryto it or the basket mold.Several fragments of large pans, found near the spring, bore theimpression of a coarse, loosely made net. An example is given inplate 56. This particular vessel had evidently been formed in a moldhaving a smooth surface, otherwise the spaces between the cordswould have been irregular.The use of these large vessels was not restricted to the area imme-diately surrounding the salt spring, where they had evidently beenutilized as evaporating pans in the manufacture of salt. On thevillage site across the Saline fragments of similar vessels were metwith. Here were examples of both the smooth and fabric markedvarieties. These undoubtedly served as cooking utensils, in whichfood was prepared by boiling, the water being heated by placing hotstones in the vessel. ADDITIONAL SITES.The sites described on the preceding pages are in the immediatevicinity of the mouth of the Saline; the investigations were neces-sarily restricted to this area, but many other spots within a fewmiles of the salt spring bear evidence of Indian occupancy.Following the course of the Saline to a point about 3 miles aboveits mouth a place known as the "rock cut" is reached. At thelower end of the '' cut" is a small salt spring. It is in the low grounda few feet from the right bank of the river. Several fragments oflarge "cloth-marked" pottery vessels were found in small chamielthrough which the water flows from the spring to the river. The
1 Hunter, John D., Manners and Customs of Several Indian Tribes Located West of the Mississippi,Philadelphia, 1823, p. 297.
666 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM. vol.40.salt water had been utilized by the Indians, but to what extent wasnot ascertained. Stone graves have been met with on the near byhills, which, of course, indicate the presence of a village or camp.This may have been a small, outlying camp, belonging to the moreextensive settlement near the mouth of the river. For quite a dis-tance around the spring the ground is covered with a heavy growthof timber, and the graves are in a cedar thicket, consequently aninvestigation of the site would entail much labor. Higher up theSaline, on both banks, are other salt springs, but they were notvisited.A large village probably stood near the mouth of the River auxVases, on the north or left bank. This would Jbave been about 2miles up the Mississippi from the mouth of the Saline. The land atthis point is rather low and has often been overflowed by the Mis-sissippi, and as a result all traces of a settlement are lost. The landrises as it recedes from the river, and on the slope are traces of manystone graves. These were quite near the surface, and many havebeen struck and destroyed by the plow. Various objects of stoneand shell are said to have been found on this part of the site. Thesehad probably been deposited in the graves. Along the crest of thebluff, immediately beyond the graves, are several small mounds.Mounds and stone graves have been encountered along the bluffextending for miles northward from this site.The most important group of mounds in this section is located afew miles south of the town of Ste. Genevieve, in the "Big Field."The group is on the level bottom land, a short distance from the footof the limestone bluff, and includes one large and seven small mounds.The large central mound is of oval form and rises about 15 feet abovethe plam. The seven low, circular mounds surround the large one.All have been cultivated for many years, and the attempt has beenmade to plow in such a manner as to cause them to spread and washdown more rapidly. No measurements were made. Various objectsare said to have been discovered on the summit of the large mound afew years ago just after the spring plowing, but no definite informa-tion could be gained respecting them, nor could they be traced.The bluffs extendmg southward from the mouth of the Saline arelikewise occupied by groups of stone graves and low mounds. Asmall creek enters the old bed of the Mississippi about 2 milesbelow the Saline; this forms the boundary between Perry and Ste.Genevieve Counties. Just south of the creek the bluff rises abruptlyand is visible from miles about. The highest point is capped by aconical mound, and on the slope below are many stone graves.The many small gi^oups of graves discovered in the eastern partof Missouri indicate a scattered population. The large cemeteriessuch as existed in the country south of the Ohio are unknown here.
NO. 2042. ARCHEOLOGWAL INVESTIGATIONS?BU8HNELL. 667Game was abundant and undoubtedly served as the principal foodof the people, but by separatmg into small groups the hunters couldmore easily secure the necessary supply. This condition undoubt-edly explains the occurrence of the many widely separated camps,as indicated by the small gi^oups of graves. However, such wouldnot have been possible in a country surrounded by enemies. Thereis little doubt but that the remains of camps and cemeteries met within this section may be attributed to the Illinois tribes. Their nearestneighboi-s on the west were the Osage, whose chief towns were manymiles away. The Kaskaskia and Osage were friends. Charlevoix ^wrote in 1721:"The Osages, a pretty numerous nation settled on the banks of theriver bearing their own name, which runs into the Missouri aboutforty leagues from its confluence with the Mississippi, depute some oftheir people once or twice every year to sing the calumet among theKaskasquias, and they are now actually here at present.
"
This explains the possibility of having small, scattered settlements,and undoubtedly many were occupied during comparatively recentdays. EXPLANATION OF PLATES.Plate 50.The northern section of the map of the ' ' Course of the Mississippi ... in the latterend of the year 1765. By Lieut. Ross . . . London . . . 1775." The position ofthe village of Ste. Genevieve, as it was before the year 1782, is indicated by the name"Misere." During the year 1782 the settlement was moved to the higher groundsome 2 miles westward, above the flood plain of the Mississippi.Plate 51.Section of the lower portion of a cache or pit which was probably used for thestorage of grain. It is exposed on the side of the road immediately north of the saltspring. Width about 4 feet 6 inches. Plate 52.Eleven objects, discovered beneath the left shoulder of the upper skeleton, nearthe center of the mound on the village site at the mouth of the Saline. Upper row,beginning at the left, 3 pieces of gypsum, 1 granite pebble. Second row, hematiteplummet; 3 bone implements. Bottom row, chipped celt, length 7^ inches; pair ofarrow-shaft rubbers. Plate 53.A.?Scapula of an elk, probably hafted and used as a hoe. The flat surface is polishedfrom use. Found on the high ground just south of the spring. (Cat. No. 278693,U.S.N.M.)B and C.?Two views of a small carving in limestone, representing a human head.Probably a fragment of a tobacco pipe. Extreme height, 3 inches. (Cat. No. 278688,U.S.N.M.)
1 Journal of a Voyage to North America, London, 1761, vol. 2, p. 224.
668 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM. vol. 46.Plate 54.Photograph of the grave shown more clearly in figure 5. The camera was placedat the foot of the grave, looking almost due west. The smaller compartment, con-taining the single skull, is not visible.Plate 55.Casts of fragments of pottery found near the large spring. The upper specimens(a and b) represent the inner surfaces of rather coarsely woven baskets. The lowerexample (c) shows basketry, similar to b, covered with a piece of cloth of remarkablyfine texture.All specimens are reproduced exact size.Plate 56.
a.?Detail of a bag, made of buffalo hair, now in the Pitt-Rivers Museum, Oxford,England. Enlarged one-half.b.?Cast of a fragment of pottery from near the large spring at the mouth of theSaline. Enlarged one-half. Evidently the fragment b represents the imprint of afabric similar to a.c.?Cast of a fragment of pottery showing the impression of a very coarse, irregularnet. Exact size. Plate 57.Casts of fragments of pottery, all shown exact size.a.?This bears the imprint of two pieces of cloth, neatly joined.b.?Two pieces of cloth are represented. The piece on the left overlaps the exam-ple on the right.c.?Three distinct materials may be traced on this fragment. On the left is acoarse cloth; on the right is a fabric similar to b, plate 56. Between these is anexposed surface suggesting 6, plate 55.
U. S. NATIONAL MUSEUM PROCEEDINGS, VOL. 46 PL. 50

U. S. NATIONAL MUSEUM PROCEEDINGS, VOL. 46 PL. 51

U. S. NATIONAL MUSEUM PROCEEDINGS, VOL. 46 PL. 52
Objects Associated with Burial in Mounds near the Mouth of the Saline.For explanation of plate see page 667.

U. S. NATIONAL MUSEUM PROCEEDINGS, VOL. 46 PL. 53
A. Scapula of an Elk Used as a Hoe.
" 1

U. S. NATIONAL MUSEUM PROCEEDINGS, VOL. 46 PL. 54
Grave I, Group on High Point South of Village Site.For expuvnation of plate see page 668.

U. S. NATIONAL MUSEUM PROCEEDINGS, VOL. 46 PU. 55
Casts of Fragments of Pottery.For explanatjon of plate see page 668.

U. S. NATIONAL MUSEUM PROCEEDINGS, VOL. 46 PL. 56

U. S. NATIONAL MUSEUM PROCEEDINGS, VOL. 46 PL. 57
Cb
Casts of Fragments of Pottery.For explanation of plate see page 668.