Feature 27 (Burial 10)

Description

by H. Trawick Ward

Pit Morphology

Feature 27 (Burial 10), located at the northwestern end of the cemetery at 316.5R53.2, was aligned along a northwest-southeast axis like the other cemetery graves. The rectangular pit measured 3.5 ft long by 2.8 ft wide and was 2.9 ft deep. At the base of the plowzone, the pit appeared as a rectangular stain of dark gray soil that contained numerous fragmented animal bones, pottery sherds, and small pebbles. This upper fill zone (Zone 1) was approximately 2 ft deep and covered a mottled orange clay (Zone 2) with pockets of dark gray fill at the northeast and southwest ends of the pit. Zone 2 extended 0.9 ft to the floor of the pit where several patches of preserved matting were encountered. The walls of the pit were straight and the bottom was flat.

Body Deposition

The poorly preserved skeletal remains in Burial 10 were from a sub-adult who was 4.5 years +/- 16 months old at the time of death. The body was loosely flexed and lying on its left side.

Grave Goods

Artifacts accompanying the burial included a cluster of three broken clay pots (first, second, third) just west of the skull. Three pieces of lead shot were found beneath the sherd matrix. A concentration of white, red, and blue glass trade beads were found near the skull in the area of the pots, and there were white glass trade beads on the skull itself. Immediately southeast of the skull, lying together, were a greenstone celt and an iron hoe blade. South of the body was a turtle carapace cup, and lying between the legs were nine brass bells. In addition to the artifacts, there were large patches of fiber matting along the bottom of the pit, indicating that the individual was wrapped prior to interment.