Child burial in a stone box grave defined by slabs of limestone in Test Units 62 and 54. Feature 36, Burial CC. Westcott (2007:Table 1) identified the skeletal remains from this grave as a child.
Child burial in a stone box grave defined by slabs of limestone in Test Units 62 and 54. Feature 36, Burial CC.
Westcott (2007:Table 1) identified the skeletal remains from this grave as a child.
Map of burials prepared by Professor Westcott; Burial CC is located along the north edge, central portion of the mound.
Map of burials prepared by Professor Fuller showing three large posts. Two were the corners of a charnal house.
Adult burial in a stone box grave defined by slabs of limestone in Test Units 65. Feature 40, Burial EE.
Westcott (2007:Table 1) identified the skeletal remains from this grave as an adult female.
Professor Westcott's map of burials plotted by gender. Burial EE is situated along the north edge of the mound.
Adult burial in a stone box grave defined by slabs of limestone in Test Units 62 and 54. Feature 41, Burial FF.
Westcott (2007:Table 1) identified the skeletal remains from this grave as an adult male.
Professor Westcott's map of the Large Mound shows Burial FF as a primary burial in the southwest corner of the mound.
Adult burial in a stone box grave defined by slabs of limestone in Test Units 38. Feature 13, Burial K.
Westcott (2007:Table 1) identified the skeletal remains from this grave as multiple individuals: 1 infant, 1 adolescent, and 2 adult males.
Adult burial in Test Units 15. Feature 22, Burial T.
Westcott (2007:Table 1) identified the skeletal remains from this grave as an adult female, aged 15 to 20. A drilled animal tooth,
the lower canine of a Black bear (Ursus americanus)was placed on the cover stones of this burial near the location of the
woman's feet.
Burial T with cover stones still in place. This was not a Mississippian style stone box burial, but an extended burial with cover stones.
Its depth, placement and associated grave offering suggests that it belongs to the Middle Woodland Period. It is not surprising to find multiple phases in the Large Mound at Gravois Bluffs. One of the three Westhaven Mounds (in Boone County, Missouri) had several Late Woodland burials and
a single Early Woodland burial that was several centuries earlier.
Two of the Westhaven Mounds were totally destroyed by development of a housing subdivision and only one mound was hastily rescued.
Drilled bear tooth pendant (both sides shown). It measures 52.3 mm in legnth and 14.9 mm at maximum width. It is 8.6 mm thick
at the middle point. The drill hole starts on both sides with a diameter of 5.3 mm and tapers to a joining that is 3.7 mm in diameter.
The tooth weighs 5.6 grams. It was found at a depth of 113 cm below the southeast corner of test unit 15 and is catalog number 1351.
Bundle burial in a stone box grave defined by slabs of limestone in Test Units 21, 22 and 58. Feature 25, Burial W.
Westcott (2007:Table 1) identified the skeletal remains from this grave as multiple individuals: 10 adult.
Burial B in a stone box grave defined by slabs of limestone in Test Unit 10 (skeletal remains removed).
Westcott (2007:Table 1) identified the skeletal remains from this grave as the bundle burial of an adult male.
Burial DD in a stone box grave defined by slabs of limestone in Test Unit 67 (skeletal remains removed).
Westcott (2007:Table 1) identified the skeletal remains from this grave as the burial on an infant.
Burial G covered by slabs of limestone in Test Unit 20.
Westcott (2007:Table 1) identified the skeletal remains from this grave as the bundle burial on an infant.
Burial GG in a stone box grave defined by slabs of limestone in Test Units 43 and 67 (skeletal remains removed).
Westcott (2007:Table 1) identified the skeletal remains from this grave as the burial on an infant.
Burial J in a stone box grave defined by slabs of limestone in Test Unit 8 (skeletal remains removed).
Westcott (2007:Table 1) identified the skeletal remains from this grave as the burial on an indeterminate.
Burial M in a stone box grave defined by slabs of limestone in Test Unit 50 (skeletal remains removed).
Westcott (2007:Table 1) identified the skeletal remains from this grave as the burial of an adult.
Burial L in a stone box grave defined by slabs of limestone in Test Unit 16 (skeletal remains removed).
Westcott (2007:Table 1) identified the skeletal remains from this grave as the burial of a child.
Burial O in a stone box grave defined by slabs of limestone in Test Unit 46 (skeletal remains removed).
Westcott (2007:Table 1) identified the skeletal remains from this grave as the burial of an adolescent and an adult.
Burial QQ in a stone box grave defined by slabs of limestone in Test Unit 68 (skeletal remains removed).
Westcott (2007:Table 1) identified the skeletal remains from this grave as the burial of an adolescent and an adult.
Burial 1 of the Small Mound in a stone box grave defined by slabs of limestone (skeletal remains removed).
Burial S in a stone box grave defined by slabs of limestone in Test Unit 52 (skeletal remains removed).
Westcott (2007:Table 1) identified the skeletal remains from this grave as the burial of a child.
Burial U was covered under slabs of limestone in Test Unit 57.
Westcott (2007:Table 1) identified the skeletal remains from this grave as the burial of an adolescent.
Burial X in a stone box grave defined by slabs of limestone in Test Unit 52 (skeletal remains removed).
This grave had been disturbed by looters.
Westcott (2007:Table 1) identified the skeletal remains from this grave as the burial of a child.
Burial OO was buried in a stone box grave defined by slabs of limestone in Test Unit 51. The adult burial was
articulated from the skull to the pelvis and extra adult bones had been added to form of the crossed leg bones motif
found with other adult burials in the Large Mound. Of great interest were three bird bones associated with the skull of the
burial. Two bones (bottom and middle) were placed by the side of the skull while the smallest bone (top) had been inserted
into the foramen magnum of the skull. The bottom bones (radius and ulna) measures 93.6 mm in length, 17.4 mm at greatest width and weighs 3.7 grams.
The middle bone, a humerus or possibly another radius, measures 86.8 mm in length and 19.0 mm at greatest width with a weight of 4.1 grams. The top bone measures
76.9 mm in length and 11.7 mm at greatest width with a weight of 3.1 grams. The bones are still being studied for species identification;
they are large enough to be eagle bones, but there are other possibilities. Burial OO was situated at the western end of the line of stone box burials. It is a tantalzing idea that he was like a dance leader, carrying a sacred eagle feather fan.
Webpage constructed by Michael Fuller, 28 June 2010
Updated 4
October 2016