SECRETARY'S REPORT 77 



lions were carried on in 6 of the 53 known sites which will be inun- 

 dated. At the start of the year the Indian-site party was centering its 

 activities in village remains where considerable digging had been done 

 the previous field season. At that location, the Oldham site (39CH7) , 

 there was evidence for three periods of occupation. The latest was 

 an earth-lodge village with palisade and moat where most of the 

 digging was done during the 1951 season, the middle period was an 

 earth-lodge village with a palisade but no moat, and the earliest was 

 an occupation level underlying both of the others. At the start of 

 the 1952 field season, in May, activities were centered on the portion 

 of the site representing the middle period. Begiiming with the new 

 fiscal year attention was turned to the area where there was some over- 

 lap between the remains of the last two periods. During the course 

 of the digging 2 earth lodges, 3 drying racks, 2 infant burials, 270 

 feet of stockade, including 1 bastion, 76 pits, most of which were cache 

 pits, and numerous fire pits were uncovered. Tubular copper beads 

 were found in one of the infant burials. The specimen yield from the 

 site was great and study of the material shows that when the results 

 are completely tabulated there will be much new information about 

 the material culture of the people who inhabited that area. The mid- 

 dle period apparently correlates with what is known as the Great Oasis 

 Aspect in Minnesota. Although less than half of the site was ex- 

 cavated, sufficient data were obtained to warrant stopping the work in 

 August and moving the laborers to a new location. The latter, the 

 Hitchell site (39CH45), consisted of the remains of a semipermanent 

 village characterized by circular, hutlike, pole-framed structures 

 which probably were covered with skins or brush. The site was 

 stratified and preliminary analysis of the materials from it indicates 

 that it was related to the latest and the earliest periods at the Oldham 

 site. While work was underway at the Hitchell site some of the 

 laborers, under the supervision of a field assistant, dug 1,698 feet of 

 test trenches at the Pease Creek site (39CH5) several miles down- 

 stream. The evidence revealed by the trenches shows that there were 

 two occupations. The latest was by a group using the location mainly 

 as a camping area, while the earlier presumably had a more permanent 

 type of settlement. Pottery found there suggests Upper Republican 

 and Nebraska cultural influences. The artifact complex as a whole 

 is unique in the Fort Randall area. During the summer season addi- 

 tional testing was carried on at a campsite (39CH51) where some 

 digging had been done during a previous year. Those investigations 

 completed the studies at that location. The activities of the Fort 

 Randall Indian party were brought to a close in late September. 



During July the historic-site party completed the excavation of 

 the Fort Whetstone site (39GR4) on the west bank of the Missouri 

 River near the mouth of Whetstone Creek. The palisade was traced 



