RIVER BASIN SURVEYS — F. H. H. ROBERTS 371 



While the question of funds for doing the work was still under 

 consideration, a University of Oklahoma summer field party went to 

 the Norman site and found that nearly all the village area and all 

 mounds with the exception of the largest double unit had been re- 

 moved by the bulldozers of the construction contractor. Even the 

 large double unit had been damaged. The western periphery of the 

 large mound had been cut away and several feet of the smaller mound 

 had been removed. With the assistance of the resident and district 

 engineers of the Corps of Engineers, the University of Oklahoma was 

 able to have the operations stopped until some archeological work 

 could be done. The University of Oklahoma field party then pro- 

 ceeded to excavate portions of several house sites still remaining near 

 the large mound. While this was under way cooperative arrange- 

 ments were made between the River Basin Surveys and the University 

 of Oklahoma whereby excavations were started in the large double 

 mound. 



The initial digging consisted of cutting a trench across the saddle 

 between the two parts of the unit. The side of the trench toward the 

 larger mound was then carried forward with the purpose of removing 

 the entire mound by cutting a continuous vertical face. It soon became 

 apparent, however, that time would not permit the use of such a tech- 

 nique and accordingly a 10- foot trench was driven through the north- 

 south axis of the mound in order to reach its base and to obtain 

 a complete profile of the structure. Contrary to previous ideas con- 

 cerning the mound, it yielded very few specimens. It was learned, 

 however, that its main portion was composed of six superimposed 

 platforms, which must have been the placements for public buildings. 

 No complete post-hole patterns were discovered on any of the platform 

 levels, however. The top of the fifth stage above the base showed that 

 it had been divided into two nearly equal areas by a single row of posts 

 and there was evidence of a severe conflagration which undoubtedly 

 had taken place in pre-Columbian times. The top level contained the 

 remnants of four human burials. The bones were in such an advanced 

 stage of decomposition, however, that little remained to indicate their 

 character or the form of burial that had been followed. The top 

 level also contained a number of glass beads which presumably indi- 

 cate a historic contact during the final days of the occupation of the 

 adjacent village. The information contained in the mound is not 

 of particular significance in itself but when added to that obtained by 

 earlier work at the site rounds out the body of data for the area. At 

 the present time the top of the large mound is the only part of the 

 Norman site that may be seen above the waters of the Fort Gibson 

 Reservoir. 



Test excavations were made in two mounds in the area to be flooded 

 by the proposed Buford Reservoir on the Chattahoochee River in 



