Archaeological Explorations In Missouri

At a recent meeting of the Boston Society of Natural [listory, F. W. Putiiniii ;uve sonie account of tlie shell ]icii])s of the Atlantic and Pacific coasts of North America, mul rtated that there had been received at the Peabödy Museum a sinall collectiou of articles taken from soiuq rudo dolnicns lately opened. These charuberod noounds are Bituatcd in the eastei'n part of Clay county, Missouri, and tbnn a larga groap on both suli'.s of the Missouri ï-iver. The chanibers are, in the three opened about 8 fout square, aml from i to y feet high, eaeh chaiubor haring a passarcway scvoral Eeet in leiyth anti two in width, leadnig froni the southern side, and opening on the edge oí t!ie inound forruetl bf èovoring the chnmber and passage way with earth. ïiie walls of the chambfcred passages were about 2 leut thick, vertical, and well made of stonos, wbicb woro evenlv laid without clay or mortai1 of any kind. Tlie top of the chanibers had a covering of large fiat rocks, but the others seem to have been covered over with wood. Thé chamberí were tilled With clay which had boen burnt,and appeared as if it had fallen from above. The laaide walls of the ohambers also showed siyns of iire. Under the burnt clay, in each chambor, were found the remaiiis of seyeral human skeletons, all of which had been burnt to such au extent as to leave but sinall fragmenta of tlie boues, which were mixed with the as'ues and charcoal; Mr. Uurliss tliouht that in oue chamber he fouud the reinains of live skeletons, and in anothci' thirtecn. A larue mound near tho chambered ones was also opened, but no chainbers were ibun 1 thut'üin ; neither had tlio bodies been burnt. This mound proved very rich i ji l'i rro il i nf 1 1JU)1"M i.l ■ ■ tained well [ñaue uottory, and a peculiar "garget" oí' red stone. Tiie connectiou of the people Who placed Lhe ashes of their dead in stone chanibers with tliose who buriod their dead in the earth mounds is, of course, yet to bo discovered.