4 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL. MUSEUM vol. 79 



the 21/^-foot depth of the trench) was a regular series of post holes, 

 as shown on the plan (fig. 1). The larger holes, spaced usually 

 about 5 feet apart, were 12 to 15 inches in diameter. Between these 

 were one and sometimes two smaller post holes, averaging 6 inches 

 in diameter. On the west side was a break in the trench 5 feet wide, 

 representing the entrance, where two posts larger than usual had 

 been set up. In front of the opening, on the outside of the circle, 

 were other post holes arranged as shown on the plan, apparently the 

 remains of an entrance structure of some kind. 



On the south side of the trench was found the flexed skeleton of a 

 child, the skull of which had been destroyed a few years earlier when 

 excavation for a pecan tree had been made. 



Within the outer trench were two other trenches, A and B, one of 

 which, B, joined the outer trench on the west side. At the line of 

 junction of the two trenches on the south side of the entrance the 

 inner wall of C continued to be traceable through the refuse of B, 

 indicating that the outer trench C had been dug at a later time. The 

 second trench B was smaller than C, being about 15 inches wide and 

 16 inches deep. Extending through the refuse of the trench and 

 into the clay bottom for about 6 inches were both large and small 

 post holes, 8 to 12 inches in diameter, and spaced about 4 feet apart. 

 These post holes continued on the south side of the entrance, but not 

 on the north side, paralleling those in the outer trench to the 

 entrance even though the trench itself had been annexed by the 

 larger outer one. The smaller trench B contained what appeared 

 to be an intentional fill, consisting of mixed material — clay and black 

 earth — with clay predominating, and an occasional potsherd or 

 animal bone. Through this mixed fill the post holes could be easily 

 traced, for they contained softer, blacker soil than the rest of the 

 trench. This could not be done in the case of the larger outer trench, 

 for there the entire fill was of such soft black material that the post 

 holes afforded no contrast and so could not be detected until the 

 bottom of the trench was reached. A and B, containing mixed earth, 

 had apparently been refilled very soon after having been dug, with 

 clay from the excavation and refuse from the surface. This would 

 account for the scarcity of potsherds and other refuse contained in 

 these two trenches. It might be thought that trench C, containing 

 only soft black material, had likewise received an intentional fill 

 but of surface refuse entirely instead of refuse mixed with clay 

 as in the case of A and B. However, when we consider that the 

 trench held a richer content of potsherds, shells, and animal bones 

 than was characteristic of the surface refuse generally, a better 

 explanation seems to be that the trench had remained open after 

 the posts were set up in the bottom of it and that it became grad- 

 ually filled with refuse during the occupancy of the house. 



