THe 1950 ExcavATION 
Since the Bat Cave site and its environs were described 
in detail in the 1949 report as well as in a more recent 
publication (Dick, 1965) there is no need to repeat the 
description here. 
The 1950 expedition comprised three members all from 
the University of Colorado; Herbert W. Dick, who 
directed the excavation, Francis Olson and Allen Olson. 
The excavation was made from August 1 to September 6. 
The main purpose of the second expedition was to 
obtain additional prehistoric vegetal material, especially 
of maize, and charcoal from all levels for radiocarbon 
dating. Stone and other artifacts were collected as by- 
products. Except for finding a new type of knotted-fiber 
container these proved to be similar in virtually all re- 
spects to those turned up in the 1948 excavation. 
Because there was no obvious stratigraphy in the cave 
corresponding to cultural phases, the material was re- 
moved in arbitrary strata of 12 inches each: 0-12’, 12- 
24/’, ete. Since three different sections of the cave were 
excavated and since the sterile sand representing Antevs’ 
dry level on which the cave deposits rest, occurs at dif- 
ferent levels in different parts of the cave, it might be 
supposed that arbitrary levels in one section would not 
correspond to those in another. In Section IB for ex- 
ample, the sterile sand occurs at 86’’ while in IC it is 
found at 60’. However, the cobs in the 24-36” level of 
IB are similar to those in the 24-86” level of other sec- 
tions. Consequently we have averaged the data on cobs 
and kernels according to the arbitrary levels in which the 
specimens were found. Although this procedure lacks 
refinement it still demonstrates an evolutionary sequence 
of the maize remains from the lower to the upper levels 
of the deposit. 
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