82 ANNUAL REPORT SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 1953 



illustration, 504; completion of restoration of pottery vessels, 32; 

 vessels or rim sections restored, 84. 



Temporary interpretative displays showing the scope and results 

 of archeological investigations in the Missouri Basin were installed 

 in the windows of the laboratory in the business section of Lincoln 

 in November 1952, and in the windows of a large Lincoln department 

 store in February 1953. A special display illustrating and interpret- 

 ing the archeology of the Oahe Reservoir area was installed for the 

 Corps of Engineers by the Missouri Basin Project in the registration 

 building for visitors at the Oahe Dam observation point. Special 

 archeological and paleontological displays were prepared for the 

 meetings of the Interior Missouri Basin Field Committee held at the 

 headquarters and laboratory in May. 



Paul L. Cooper, consulting archeologist, was in charge of one exca- 

 vating and survey party in the Oahe Reservoir basin from July 1 

 until October 16. He supervised the digging at the Black Widow 

 site and toward the end of the season participated in the reconnais- 

 sance work. During the fall and winter months in the laboratory he 

 correlated the records of the Oahe reconnaissance with previous 

 records, summarized information from published and unpublished 

 sources of varied nature, made use of data obtained from excavations 

 by the Missouri Basin Project and other agencies, and prepared "An 

 Appraisal of the Archeology of the Oahe Reservoir." He also worked 

 on a summai-y report of the activities of the Missouri Basin Project 

 during the calendar years 1950 and 1951. This is concerned with 

 investigations in 42 reservoir areas, the work of 2 full-season survey 

 parties and other shorter-term parties, the activities of a paleontolog- 

 ical party during 2 field seasons, and the excavations carried on by 

 12 full-season parties in Indian and historic sites in 6 different reser- 

 voir basins. The specimens obtained from the Black Widow site 

 received preliminary study and a provisional classification was made 

 of the pottery found there. Mr. Cooper participated in the Tenth 

 Conference for Plains Archeology at Lincoln in November and at- 

 tended the sessions of the Society for American Archeology at 

 Urbana, 111., in May. 

 ' Robert B. Cumming, Jr., archeologist, was in charge of the Indian- 

 site excavations and survey in the Fort Randall Reservoir area in 

 South Dakota from July 1 to September 26. He supervised the dig- 

 ging at the Oldham, Hitchell, and Pease Creek sites. During the 

 months at the laboratory in Lincoln he made analyses of the material 

 and data obtained during the 1951 and 1952 seasons at the Oldham 

 site and prepared a technical report on the results of his investigations 

 at that location. In addition he completed a supplementary report for 

 the previously issued "Appraisal of the Archeological and Paleon- 

 tological Resources of the Lower Platte Basin," and finished the first 



