. Bulletin. Ethnology. bushnell] ITATIVE CEMETERIES AND FORMS OF BURIAL, 53 stream to the Illinois, wlio undoubtedly crossed back and forth as wants and desires made necessary. Across from Kaskaskia, a few miles northward, was the Saline River, a small stream along which were many salt springs, and these served to attract both Indians and French, who, by evaporating the brackish waters, secured a supply of salt. An extensive camp site stood near the mouth of the Saline, and stone-lined graves cov- ered the summits of the sur- rounding hills. Four graves were encountered on the highest point ju
. Bulletin. Ethnology. bushnell] ITATIVE CEMETERIES AND FORMS OF BURIAL, 53 stream to the Illinois, wlio undoubtedly crossed back and forth as wants and desires made necessary. Across from Kaskaskia, a few miles northward, was the Saline River, a small stream along which were many salt springs, and these served to attract both Indians and French, who, by evaporating the brackish waters, secured a supply of salt. An extensive camp site stood near the mouth of the Saline, and stone-lined graves cov- ered the summits of the sur- rounding hills. Four graves were encountered on the highest point just south of the site and proved of more than ordinary interest. None of the small group contained an extended burial, but in one which measured 5 feet in length and 18 inches in width were seven skulls and a large quantity of separated bones, all in a greatly decom- posed condition. Another of the graves presented several very interesting and unusual features. " The pieces of limestone used in forming the walls and bottom were rather smaller than were often emploj^ed. The ex- treme length was just 6 feet, and the width at the widest point 15 inches. This was divided into two compart- ments, the larger being 4 feet 6 inches in length. In this were the bones of a single skeleton, disarticulated be- fore burial. Near the skull lay a small earthen vessel (Cat. No. 278697, ), which was saved. The smaller compartment was occupied solely by a skull, facing upward, and resting upon the stone which formed the bottom of the grave. It was quite evident that both sections were constructed at the same time, as stones on the bottom extended on both sides of the partition, and likewise the stone on the north wall. Another curious feature of this grave was the converging of the north and south walls to complete the inclosure. Pig. -Stone-lined grave, Ste. Genevieve, Please note that these images are extracted from scanned page images that may have been digitally enhanced for
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