Page 9 - philipmillsjones1923

120 University of California Publications in Am. Arch. and Ethn. [Vol. 20
Third: a stratum of black adobe 6 inches in thickness on the upper
surface of which were the ash deposits mentioned. It is noteworthy
that this stratum is not parallel with the'upper surface of the top
layer or surface stratum, but that it has a much greater radius of
curvature-is more nearly level-than the surface, and that it is
very even in thickness, varying not more than 1 inch in this respect.
Fourth: underlying the black adobe is a thin layer of sandy clay
light yellow in color and imperceptibly shading into a mass.of ashes,
flint chips, worked flints, bone flakes, broken baked clay balls, and
fragments of game and fish bones.
Fifth: a stratum of clayey sand, similar to the upper soil of the
fourth stratum, and varying in thickness from 1 to 3 inches.
Sixth: another layer of sandy soil about 3 inches thick mixed with
ashes, bones, worked flints, etc., and containing an immense number
of minute flint and obsidian chips, such as would be pressed off in
retouching.
Seventh: the soil forming the mass of the mound, which appar-
ently had not been disturbed. It is a very tough and tightly packed
yellowish brown clay and is hard to dig. It extends to the water
level of the slough.
The fourth and sixth strata were evidently formed by the slow
accumulation of house refuse and what appeared to be the sweepings
from the shop of some aboriginal manufacturer of flint and obsidian
tools. Several good arrow joints were found in these strata, together
with a few bone and horn implements, a fish spear, and numerous
baked clay balls.
Excavation was carried forward to the edge of the levee and the
strata as enumerated were found to be continuous and unbroken up
to the point where the work was stopped by the embankment. At no
place had any of the strata been disturbed, nor had this portion of
the mound been dug into either by the natives for burial or by
collectors. To make sure, however, that nothing was being over-
looked, I had the bottom layer dug to a depth of 1 foot. It was
exceedingly tough and tightly packed and rather difficult to dig;
it contained no ashes, charcoal, bones of'animals, shells, flint chips,
or implements of any sort, and in fact nothing which showed the
slightest trace of use by man, with the following exception:
At a point one-third of the distance from A toward B, where the
width of the part of the mound between the edge of the cutting and
the levee was about 8 feet, and some 4 feet from the edge of the