Site:
Provenience:
Provenience Type:
Burials in Same Grave:
Primary Source:
Fort Ancient Earthwork
North Fort Stone Mound, Mass Burial Area
Burial
Unknown
Mills 1908
Feature Description:
- Large fireplace measuring seven feet north-south by 4 ½ feet east-west
- In center of mound
- Human remains were placed around the fireplace
- [Given size of fireplace, probably multiple individuals buried here]
Contents:
1. Charred human remains (several?)
2. Mica (“some”)
- east side of fireplace
Site:
Provenience:
Provenience Type:
Burials in Same Grave:
Primary Source:
Fort Ancient Earthwork
Middle Fort, Crescent Gateway Burial
Burial
None
Mills 1908
Feature Description:
- At center of mound
Contents:
1. Human skeletal remains (1)
- badly decayed
2. Flint knives (“some”)
- large
3. Spear point (1)
- very good
- pure chalcedony
4. Pottery fragments (“bits”)
5. Flint chips
Site:
Provenience:
Provenience Type:
Burials in Same Grave:
Primary Source:
Fort Ancient Earthwork
West Terrace, Burial 47a
Burial
None
Moorehead 1889:2525
Feature Description:
- Beneath stone covering 15 feet by 17 feet, one foot thick
- On third terrace above river valley
- 8 – 10 inches below ground surface
- Near center of burial area
Contents:
1. Human skeletal remains (1)
- bones were broken
- vertebrae and skull were missing
- adult
2. Banded slate ornament (1)
- near skeleton’s leg
Site:
Provenience:
Provenience Type:
Burials in Same Grave:
Primary Source:
Fort Ancient Earthwork
West Terrace, Burial 47b
Burial
Burials 47b & 47c
Moorehead 1889:2526
Feature Description:
- Beneath stone covering 15 feet by 17 feet, one foot thick
- On third terrace above river valley
- 8 – 10 inches below ground surface
- Near Burial 47a
- Apparently a double burial with Burial 47c
Contents:
1. Human skeletal remains (1)
- child
No Artifacts
Site:
Provenience:
Provenience Type:
Burials in Same Grave:
Primary Source:
Fort Ancient Earthwork
West Terrace, Burial 47c
Burial
Burials 47b & 47c
Moorehead 1889:2526
Feature Description:
- Beneath stone covering 15 feet by 17 feet, one foot thick
- On third terrace above river valley
- 8 – 10 inches below ground surface
- Near Burial 47a
- Apparently a double burial with Burial 47b
Contents:
1. Human skeletal remains (1)
- fragmentary, less than 15 pieces remained
- adult
2. Unknown objects (2)
- not described
Site:
Provenience:
Provenience Type:
Burials in Same Grave:
Primary Source:
Fort Ancient Earthwork
West Middle Terrace, Mass Burial Area
Burial
19 individuals
Moorehead 1890:39-40
Feature Description:
- large stone grave, covering 20 feet by 50 feet
- stones were laid down over this space to two feet in thickness
Contents:
1. Human skeletal remains (20)
- most bones were broken
- at least one child approximately age 7 years
2. Clay dish (1)
- five inches high
3. Slate pendant (1)
- black, with hole drilled through it
4. Celt (1)
- stone
5. Arrowheads (several)
Note: These may have been discrete burials, but the description is unclear and artifact
associations are only provided for the group of burials.
Site:
Provenience:
Provenience Type:
Burials in Same Grave:
Primary Source:
Fort Ancient Earthwork
West Terrace, Moorehead 1890:41a
Burial
Possibly Moorehead 1890:41a, 41b, 41c
Moorehead 1890:41
Feature Description:
- Covered by stone
- 10 – 12 inches below the surface
Contents:
1. Human skeletal remains (1)
- “tolerably well preserved”
2. Flint spearhead (1)
- large
- near head
Site:
Provenience:
Provenience Type:
Burials in Same Grave:
Primary Source:
Fort Ancient Earthwork
West Terrace, Moorehead 1890:41b
Burial
Possibly Moorehead 1890:41a, 41b, 41c
Moorehead 1890:41
Feature Description:
- Covered by stone
- 10 – 12 inches below the surface
Contents:
1. Human skeletal remains (1)
- “tolerably well preserved”
2. Shell beads (several)
3. Arrowhead (1)
- small, but finely made
4. Ocean shell ornaments (“some”)
- perforated
- apparently worn
Site:
Provenience:
Provenience Type:
Burials in Same Grave:
Primary Source:
Fort Ancient Earthwork
West Terrace, Moorehead 1890:41c
Burial
Possibly Moorehead 1890:41a, 41b, 41c
Moorehead 1890:41
Feature Description:
- Covered by stone
- 10 – 12 inches below the surface
Contents:
1. Human skeletal remains (1)
- “tolerably well preserved”
No Artifacts
Site:
Provenience:
Provenience Type:
Burials in Same Grave:
Primary Source:
Fort Ancient Earthwork
West Terrace, Moorehead 1890:86a
Burial
None
Moorehead 1890:86
Feature Description:
- Under thick cover of stones
Contents:
1. Human skeletal remains (1)
- slightly flexed, lying on side
- decayed
- heavy tooth wear suggests an old adult
- male
2. Shell beads (19)
- polished shell
- large and finely finished
- at neck
3. Spearheads (2)
- large
- yellow flint
- by side
4. Celt (1)
- greenstone
- by side
Site:
Provenience:
Provenience Type:
Burials in Same Grave:
Primary Source:
Fort Ancient Earthwork
West Terrace, Moorehead 1890:86b
Burial
None
Moorehead 1890:86
Feature Description:
- Under thick cover of stones
Contents:
1. Human skeletal remains (1)
- slightly flexed, lying on side
- decayed
2. Copper beads (several)
- quite rough
- under head
3. Grooved axe (sandstone)
- small
- under head
4. Slate ornament or pendant (1)
- two perforations
- under head
Site:
Provenience:
Provenience Type:
Burials in Same Grave:
Primary Source:
Fort Ancient Earthwork
West Terrace, Moorehead 1890:86c
Burial
None
Moorehead 1890:86
Feature Description:
- Under thick cover of stones
Contents:
1. Human skeletal remains (1)
- slightly flexed, lying on side
- decayed
2. Paint stone (1)
- circular depressions on each side
3. Hematite (small bit)
- “for paint”
4. Spearheads (3)
- small
Site:
Provenience:
Provenience Type:
Burials in Same Grave:
Primary Source:
Fort Ancient Earthwork
West Terrace, Mass Burial Area
Burial
Perhaps 12 individuals
Moorehead 1890:87-88
Feature Description:
- Stone cover
- About one foot below ground surface
Contents:
1. Human skeletal remains (12)
- all mixed together
2. Snail shells (hundreds)
- small
- perforated
3. Beads (a few)
- polished
- type unknown
4. Bone awls (2?)
- finely made
5. Prong of deer antler
6. Arrowheads and spearheads (14)
- stone
7. Flint chunks (2)
- rough
8. Axes (2)
- stone
9. Celts (4)
- stone
10. Slate ornaments (3)
- small
11. Yellow jar (1)
- fragmentary
12. Hematite ore
- bits
Site:
Provenience:
Provenience Type:
Burials in Same Grave:
Primary Source:
Fort Ancient Earthwork
Southwest Terrace, Burial 48a
Burial
None
Moorehead 1889:2527
Feature Description:
- Beneath stone covering 12 feet by 20 feet
- 10 inches below ground surface
Contents:
1. Human skeletal remains (1)
- bones smashed flat by weight of stones above
- no vertebrae were found, probably decayed away
- adult
No Artifacts
Site:
Provenience:
Provenience Type:
Burials in Same Grave:
Primary Source:
Fort Ancient Earthwork
Southwest Terrace, Burial 48b
Burial
None
Moorehead 1889:2527
Feature Description:
- Beneath stone covering 12 feet by 20 feet
- 10 inches below ground surface
Contents:
1. Human skeletal remains (1)
- no vertebrae found, probably decayed away
- adult
2. Arrowhead (1)
- small
- under femur
3. Flint disk (1)
4. Flint chips (4)
Site:
Provenience:
Provenience Type:
Burials in Same Grave:
Primary Source:
Fort Ancient Earthwork
Southwest Terrace, Burial 48c
Burial
None
Moorehead 1889:2528
Feature Description:
- Beneath stone covering 12 feet by 20 feet
- 10 inches below ground surface
Contents:
1. Human skeletal remains (1)
- no vertebrae found, probably decayed away
- adult
2. Celt (1)
- presumably stone
- small
- not placed with regularity
3. Flint chips (4)
- not placed with regularity
4. Pottery vessel (1)
- thick walled and made of “course sand”
- not placed with regularity
Site:
Provenience:
Provenience Type:
Burials in Same Grave:
Primary Source:
Fort Ancient Earthwork
Southwest Terrace, Burial 48d
Burial
None
Moorehead 1889:2528
Feature Description:
- Beneath stone covering 12 feet by 20 feet
- 10 inches below ground surface
Contents:
1. Human skeletal remains (1)
- no vertebrae found, probably decayed away
- child, 9-10 years old from teeth
No Artifacts
Site:
Provenience:
Provenience Type:
Burials in Same Grave:
Primary Source:
Fort Ancient Earthwork
South Terrace, Mass Burial Area
Mass Burial
Unknown
Moorehead 1890:38-39
Feature Description:
- large stone grave
Contents:
1. Human skeletal remains (unknown)
- fragmentary and decayed
2. Celts (?)
- apparently stone (described as “broken”)
3. Flint chips (many)
Note: Given that this burial area was covered with 40 wagonloads of stone, and was
associated with a number of stone celts, it is presumed to be a mass burial rather than an
individual one.
Site:
Provenience:
Provenience Type:
Burials in Same Grave:
Primary Source:
Other Relevant Sources:
Fort Ancient Earthwork
East Terrace, Mass Burial Areas 1, 2, 3
Burial
Unknown
Moorehead 1890:37-38
Moorehead 1889:2536
Feature Description:
- large stone covering measuring 30 feet wide and 80 feet long
- less than ten inches below surface
- skeletons taken from three large segments of a pile of stones covering an area 20
feet by 80 feet
Contents:
1. Human skeletal remains (18-20)
- fragmentary, broken into pieces no greater than 6 inches long
2. Potsherds (many)
- scattered throughout the stone pile
2. Celt (1)
- 7 inches long by 4 inches wide
- material not indicated
3. Flint flake knife (several)
- very fine
- long and curved
4. Limestone tablet (1)
- weighed 20 pounds
- three cup-shaped depressions on one side
- three deep grooves on other side
- “probably [for] grinding paint”
Note: These may have actually been 18-20 individual burials, but they are not clearly
described as such.
Site:
Provenience:
Provenience Type:
Burials in Same Grave:
Primary Source:
Fort Ancient Earthwork
Mound 50, Deposit
Unknown
Unknown
Moorehead 1890:36
Feature Description:
- Near “pocket” containing pottery fragments
- Below a 2 – 3 inch layer of burnt bone [type unknown, could be human] located six
inches above baseline and extending across half the mound.
- Near the mound center
Contents:
1. Mica sheets (3)
- yellow
- edges neatly trimmed
- disk-shaped, 6 inches diameter
Note: This provenience could be considered a mass cremation if the layer of burnt bone
was human.
Site:
Provenience:
Provenience Type:
Burials in Same Grave:
Primary Source:
Fort Ancient Earthwork
Mound 50, Burial 1
Burial
None
Moorehead 1890:36
Feature Description: No information given.
Contents:
1. Human skeletal remains (1)
- fragmentary
2. Arrowhead (1)
3. Red ochre mass
- in right hand
Site:
Provenience:
Provenience Type:
Burials in Same Grave:
Primary Source:
Fort Ancient Earthwork
Southerly Mound, Moorehead 1890:60
Burial
None
Moorehead 1890:60
Feature Description: No information given.
Contents:
1. Human skeletal remains (1)
2. Mica plates (3)
3. Celts (2)
- stone
4. Copper plate (1)
- 4 ½ inches by 7 inches
- 1/8 inch thick
- semi-circular notch at center of long side rested over nose
- two perforations were equal to eye level, possibly worn as a mask
- on face
Site:
Provenience:
Provenience Type:
Burials in Same Grave:
Primary Source:
Other Relevant Sources:
Fort Ancient Earthwork
East Gateway Area, Cowen-Wolfe Cache
Ceremonial Deposit
Not applicable
Mills 1900:333
Morgan 1979:39; Cowan n.d.; Mills 1899:290
Feature Description:
- In northeast section of “village area” in front of East Gateway
- 18 inches by 24 inches, 12 inches deep
- Deposit was covered by mica sheets
- Copper pieces were hammered together
- 58-59 copper pieces total
Contents:
1. Mica sheets (100+)
- over top of deposit
- ground and polished
- re-examination of site after initial excavation raised this number to 500 sheets, but
many were likely broken during the excavation
2. Breastplates (?)
- copper
- at least one was embossed
- one measured 25cm by 14cm
3. Celts (?)
- copper
4. Earspools (?)
- copper
5. Reel-shaped gorget (1)
6. Bracelet (1)
7. Button-shaped ornaments (?)
- copper
7. Galena ore (59 pieces)
- ground and polished
- [Cowan (n.d.) tabulates 37 pieces while Griffin (1979:276, Table 34.1) lists 59
pieces].
8. Slate ornaments (7)
Site:
Provenience:
Provenience Type:
Burials in Same Grave:
Primary Source:
Other Relevant Sources:
Fort Ancient Earthwork
Parallel Walls Area, Powell Cache
Ceremonial Deposit
Not applicable
Cowan et al. 2004:110
Cowan n.d.
Feature Description:
- In shallow, 50 cm wide pit
- Materials were clustered in pit by raw material type
- Found on east side of parallel walls, perhaps 100m southwest of enclosed end
Contents:
1. Chert bifaces or disks (12+)
- Harrison County/Wyandotte chert (southern Indiana)
- each about 20cm long
2. Chert points (2+)
- Flint Ridge chert
3. Chert bifaces (2)
- Flint Ridge chert
4. Chert bladelet core (1)
- Flint Ridge chert
5. Chert bladelet (1)
- Flint Ridge chert
6. Chert flake (1)
- Flint Ridge chert
- bear claw shaped
7. Obsidian points (11)
- thin
8. Obsidian curved bifacial knives (4)
9. Obsidian blade (1)
- [fancy prismatic blade]
10. Obsidian flakes/chunks (32)
11. Quartz points/knives (5)
- some call these bifacial blades
- each around 7 cm long
12. Quartz crystals (5)
- small