RIVER BASIN SALVAGE PROGRAM — ROBERTS 527 



Throughout the period from 1946 to July 1, 1952, the Smithsonian 

 Institution conducted or generally supervised the archeological and 

 paleontological investigations throughout the various areas, while 

 the National Park Service made the historical and recreational 

 studies. Beginning in July of 1952, however, the National Park 

 Sendee took over the archeological activities in the Columbia Basin 

 and Pacific Coast areas, in the Southwest including Texas, part of 

 Georgia, and other portions of the Southeast. The Smithsonian 

 Institution concentrated its efforts in the Missouri Basin and in cer- 

 tain areas in Virginia, Georgia, and Tennessee. The Smithsonian 

 Institution, however, has served in an advisory capacity for the proj- 

 ects under the National Park Service, and the results obtained by 

 that agency as well as those of the State and local institutions are 

 being correlated with those of the Kiver Basin Surveys. Because of 

 the lack of funds, work in most areas outside the Missouri Basin, 

 except for a few agreements with local institutions, came to a virtual 

 stop in late 1954. Efforts to obtain additional help from some of 

 the large foimdations were unsuccessful. The situation was bettered 

 somewhat in the fiscal year beginning July 1, 1955, by a special ap- 

 propriation for investigations in the Table Rock Reservoir area in 

 the White River drainage in southern Missouri and northern Arkan- 

 sas. There were still no funds, however, for many projects outside 

 the Missouri Basin. 



The program as originally outlined and which has been followed 

 throughout the 15 years of its existence was divided into four phases : 



(1) Preliminary reconnaissance or survey of each area where con- 

 struction was planned or underway for the purpose of locating sites 

 which would be involved and choosing those to be recommended for 

 excavation. This phase includes the preparation of appraisal reports 

 which summarize the archeological and paleontological manifesta- 

 tions observed and contain specific reconunendations for future work. 



(2) The excavation of sites. (3) Processing the collections obtained 

 from the digging, study of the materials, and preparation of scientific 

 reports on the results. (4) Publication of the completed reports.^ 



Actual fieldwork got underway in the summer of 1946 and has 

 continued to the present. Surveys have been made in 255 reservoir 

 areas located in 29 States, while 1 lock project and 4 canal areas were 

 also investigated. As a result some 4,948 sites have been located and 

 recorded. The sites recorded by the survey parties represent the whole 

 range of such remains loiown throughout the United States. They 

 include localities attributable to occupation by some of the early 

 hunting food-gathering peoples, camping places intermittently oc- 



^ A list of published materials pertaining to the Salvage Program Is to be found In the 

 appendix to Bulletin 179 of the Bureau of American Ethnology. 



