THE ARCHEOLOGIST.

VOL. II.

WATERLOO, INDIANA, NOVEMBER, 1894.

No. 11

THE "OLD FORT" OF CROSS COUNTY, ARKANSAS.

T. H. LEWIS.

CRO ROWLEY'S Ridge is an elevated strip of land extending in a southerly direction through the northeastern part of the State of Arkansas, from a point on the west side of the St. Francis River at the Missouri State line, and terminating abruptly near Helena on the Mississippi River. Bloomfield and Commerce Bluffs in Missouri are probably continuations of the Ridge extending in a northeastern direction toward Cape Girardeau on the Mississippi. In Arkansas the Ridge is broken at a point some eighteen miles north of Helena, where the L'Anguille River crosses it. There is another break at the Missouri State line where the St. Francis river has cut through, and also at two other points in Missouri, where Castor and Little Rivers cross it. The Ridge proper is a back-bone, broad in some places and very narrow in others, from which many lateral winding ridges or spurs and deep ravines break off and extend in almost every direction. Some of the ravines broaden out into beautiful valleys, and some of the ridges terminate in fine plateau slightly elevated above the adjacent bottom lands, while others end very abruptly.

In these beautiful valleys and on these plateau are to be found many remains, in addition to the mounds, that are attributable to the Mound Builders, and even the ridges are not wanting in this regard; for mounds are to be found at many points, and nearly every ridge shows evidence of former occupancy in the way of village debris of various kinds. The only exception to the rule is at those points where gravel or broken chert protrude and form the surface of the ridge. But the most notable points of prehistoric occupancy are to be found on the plateau and sloping lands along the eastern and western sides of the Ridge, and in the broader creek valleys. This is especially true as regards those localities where creeks flow out from among the ridges and enter the rich alluvial bottoms. At such places, as a general rule, mounds are to be found, and nearly every available spot suitable as a dwelling place is more or less covered with village debris. In some instances these remains extend for miles, not only along the plateau, but also up the valleys.

On the northeast quarter of the northwest quarter of section 8, township 9 north, of range 4 east, in the northern part of Cross County, about nine miles in an air line east of south from Harris

burg, and two miles south of west from Bay village, there is a fortified town site occupying the major portion of a plateau, the southern part of which is some thirty-five feet above the general

level of the adjacent bottom land lying to the south and southeast. The northern part rises from fifteen to twenty feet higher, having a general trend or slope to the southward. The position, both as a place of residence and for defense, was well selected, and in the latter regard is somewhat above the average; for there are no commanding positions in the immediate vicinity. This plateau is on the east side of Crowley's Ridge, between the two "forks of Sugar Creek," a tributary to the bayou of St. Francis River, and practically speaking is at the head of the main valley, which extends to the southward for nearly one mile, and then turns, almost abruptly, to the eastward. The valley here is about one-half of a mile in width, shut in by ridges that gradually increase their elevation as they recede from it.

The defensive portions of the works consist of embankment, artificial slope or "escarp," and ditches. The embankment along the west side follows the edge of the plateau, and is twelve feet in width and from one to two feet in height. At the southwest corner it leaves the edge of the plateau and crosses it in an easterly course, leaving a strip of land on the south side that is without defense. The embankment along this side is from twenty-two to twenty-four feet in width, and from two to two and one-half feet in height. On the east side the embankment is from eighteen to thirty feet in width, and from one to seven feet in height. The increased breadth and height in places is caused by carrying the embankment down gradual slopes to points near the bottom of two natural ravines. On this side near the northeast corner the embankment has been destroyed for a distance of about one hundred feet. Sugar Creek, which now flows some distance away, and cannot be seen on account of timber, etc., on the bottom that intervenes, has evidently washed the base of the plateau at some time in the dim past, causing it to cave off and carry with it that portion of the embankment. The embankment on the north side is twelve feet in width and from one to two feet in height, and for the greater part of the distance follows the edge of the higher land, where it breaks off in a gentle slope before reaching the steeper slope of the side of the ravine. The entire embankment of the fort was probably palisaded at the time necessity caused its construction, though there is no evidence at the present time to indicate that such was the case. This being the only part of the work that forms a complete enclosure-excepting the opening left as gates-in the absence of palisades, the major portion of the embankment would be utterly useless as a means of defense.

On

The escarp extends along the northern and western sides, and for a short distance along the east, near the northeast corner. the north side (at A on the map) it is only four feet in height, but at all other points it is from six to seven feet in height, and has a regular and well-defined slope.

The ditch extends nearly the whole length of the western side, and along that portion of the northern side where there is a connection with a long ridge or hog-back, of which the plateau is the southern terminus. It also cuts off a small spur directly to the east

of the ridge, which is only slightly lower than the adjacent ground within the enclosure. Near the southeast corner there is a long spur projecting out from the plateau which is cut off by a ditch extending across the top and down the northeast slope. There is also another short ditch extending around the northeast corner of the enclosure, but this one is of doubtful utility. These ditches vary in width from ten to nineteen feet, and from one to two and one-half feet in depth.

There is an old passage-way down through a deep natural ravine (at B), which apparently served as the main exit to reach the bottom lands along the creek. On the south side of this ravine the embankment was started at the bottom and built upward in an almost perpendicular line, and an end view of it gives one the impression of an earthen column rising to the height of eighteen feet. At the point where the edge of the gradual slope of the plateau is met with the embankment, is seven feet in height. On the north side the embankment at the edge of the gradual slope is four feet in height, and only extends out far enough to continue the naturally steep face of the bank to the top of the embankment. The passage at the bottom between the natural wall and the end of the embankment is nine feet in width, and near the top between the end of the embankments, some fifteen feet. The surface of the passage-way has been washed out to the depth of one foot, but farther down towards the mouth of the ravine it has been cut out to the depth of three or four feet in places.

A short distance to the northward (at C) there is another gateway built on exactly the same plan, but the descent to it is much more steep and the bottom is washed out to a greater depth. A part of the end of the embankment on the south side is gone. The depth from the top of the embankment is now about twenty feet, but formerly it was not over sixteen feet. There is a third opening or gateway on the south side near the southwest corner which is five feet in width.

At the northwest corner of the enclosure (at D) there is a causeway over the ditch, and while there is hardly any evidence that it was used as an exit, yet it was probably left for that purpose; for it gave access to the high ridges to the northward. Within recent years this causeway has been used as a wagon road to get to and from the field, but previously the slope of the terrace was the same as at other points, the top being full and well defined. On the opposite (north) side it is evident that the surface of the ridge for a short distance had been graded down by the builders or occupants of the fort in order to give an easier approach to the causeway. This fact alone would indicate that it was intended for use. A short distance to the east there is another similar one, but in this case there is no graded approach, the nature of the ground not requiring it.

Within the enclosure when first broken up by the plough were the remains of about 150 huts. These locations were indicated by slight circular depressions, with a hearth consisting of burned clay, located near the centre of each. There were also about 180 other

locations where the burned natural surface and debris indicated the former existence of huts, but there were no depressions discernible. As there is quite a strip of uncultivated land in the northern part of the enclosure where the huts were the most numerous, it is presumable that there are at at least 100 or 150 other hut locations that cannot now be traced on account of the leaf-mould, etc., that has accumulated over the whole surface since the place was abandoned. In addition to the hut sites noted above there were some fifty or sixty located on the outside of the south wall-between it and the edge of the plateau-which could only be traced by the burned surface of the soil and the debris. There were also a number of similar sites located on the higher portions of the adjacent bottom land. There is another plateau directly to the west of the one on which the enclosure is located, one prong of Sugar Creek-on the sides of which there is a narrow strip of bottom land-filling the intervening space. On this plateau there were formerly some 300 hut sites that could be traced, and probably half as many more that had been destroyed by cultivation.

In the northwest corner of the enclosure there is a flat-topped mound which is four feet in height. About one foot beneath the surface of the top there is a bed of burned clay, which is broken up into small pieces of various sizes and shapes. On the west side, toward the southwest corner, there is another flat-topped mound that is two and one-half feet in height, which is constructed on the same plan. It is impossible to determine whether these were originally built as burial mounds or not, but the probabilities are that they were, for similarly constructed mounds in this region have proved to be such. It is an open question, however, why the burned clay was placed near the top of mounds of this class. In some instances it is in fragments, and gives the impression that it is the remains of a clay hut or house which had become disintegrated and fallen in, but if so, why is there no floor or indications of one? And why was the debris covered with from one to three feet of soil? If the latter fact be accounted for by a natural and gradual accumulation of material, this class of works would be very ancient, but it is probable that they were constructed with some particular design in view. There are other instances where a convexed bed of burned clay having an even top surface is found near the top of the mound, which, in the latter case, would bar the theory that they are the remains of slightly elevated houses. But there is yet another class in which the bed of burned clay has a concave top; these are the so-called "altar" or "sacrificial" mounds.

In the eastern part of the enclosure there is a truncated mound which is rine feet in height, that is undoubtedly a burial mound. The only other mound in the neighborhood is located on the bottom land nearly one mile distant to the southward.

This place must have been a very important stronghold in prehistoric times; for while there are other town sites located in this and adjoining valleys, and several very extensive ones a few miles. distant along the "Bay Road" which skirts the Ridge to the east, yet