72 ANNUAL REPORT SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 1953 



dling materials from the time they arrive from the field until their 

 analysis and study have been completed and the covering report has 

 been written. Most of the session on May 19 was devoted to a pre- 

 sentation of the work and results of the Inter- Agency Archeological 

 and Paleontological Program. Howard W. Baker, regional director 

 of the National Park Service, Kegion 2, at Omaha, Nebr., served as 

 chairman. Frederick H. Johnson, secretary of the independent- 

 advisory Committee for the Kecovery of Archeological Remains, 

 sketched briefly the general background and importance of the re- 

 covery program and explained the activities and purpose of his com- 

 mittee. Dr. Frank H. H. Roberts, Jr., then discussed the Smithsonian 

 Institution's part in the program as a whole, both from the standpoint 

 of the Missouri Basin and other areas throughout the country. Dr. 

 Gordon C. Baldwin, archeologist, Region 2, National Park Service, 

 explained the part his organization has played, told what had been 

 accomplished as of that date, and outlined the needs for the future in 

 a 6-year program. Robert L. Stephenson told about the plans for 

 the remainder of the fiscal year in the Missouri Basin and explained 

 the reasons for the proposed projects. Dr. C. Bertrand Schultz, di- 

 rector of the Nebraska State Museum of the University of Nebraska, 

 summarized the work that his institution had been carrying on as a 

 cooperative effort in the paleontological phase of the investigations 

 and stressed the need for such studies in a proper understanding of the 

 Missouri Basin. Dr. John L. Champe, director of the Laboratory of 

 Anthropology, University of Nebraska, commented on the status of 

 archeology in the Plains area before the salvage program was started 

 and spoke about the current activities from the viewpoint of the 

 cooperating institutions. The historical aspects of the program were 

 presented by Merrill Mattes, regional historian of the Region 2 office. 

 National Park Service. He outlined the historical background for 

 the area, described the current activities and the methods used in mak- 

 ing the studies, and made clear the relationship between that subject 

 and those discussed by the other speakers. As a result of the session 

 the members of the Committee undoubtedly left Lincoln with a much 

 better understanding of the salvage program and its aims. 



During the year IP field parties operated in the Missouri Basin. 

 One of them made a series of extensive tests in 4 archeological sites, 

 while 7 were primarily occupied in conducting full-scale excavations 

 in 19 sites. In comiection with that work, however, some reconnais- 

 sance was carried on in the areas where their investigations were 

 underway. One of the parties was concerned mainly with archeo- 

 logical surveys and another with paleontological studies. The exca- 

 vations were in 2 reservoir areas in North Dakota, 2 in South Dakota, 

 and 2 in Kansas. The survey party operated in 5 reservoir areas in 

 Kansas, 3 of them being covered for the first time and 2 being revisited 



