NO. 10 NEBRASKA ARCHEOLOGY STRONG 35 



The Loess Plains, or the " tall grass prairie," include a large area 

 comprising something more than the entire southern half of the State. 

 Originally, the entire region was covered by a dense sod with a grass 

 cover I to 3 feet in height, of which bluestem, prairie, and spear grasses 

 were the most abundant species. Beyond the boundaries of Nebraska 

 the tall grass prairie extended into Iowa and Missouri to the east and 

 Kansas to the south. In the former State the region is drained by large 

 rivers such as the Republican, Big and Little Blue, and Platte River 

 system. These rivers flow through broad valleys having extensive 

 bottom lands and flood plains marked by alluvial benches and terraces 

 above them. The soil of all these riparian areas is exceptionally rich 

 and fertile and at present produces great crops of corn and winter 

 wheat. Characteristically, the Loess Plains are rolling and open be- 

 tween the river valleys, presenting vast vistas in all directions. In the 

 west, however, steep-walled ravines are common. Elsewhere, along the 

 Republican River especially, are great loess bluffs over lOO feet in 

 height, but in certain places the loess mantle has been removed by 

 natural forces of erosion, revealing the underlying Dakota sandstone or 

 Pennsylvanian limestone. This was the heart of the old buffalo range, 

 and here the incredibly numerous herds had almost unlimited pas- 

 turage. Of the smaller mammals, elk, deer, antelope, wolves, coyotes, 

 badgers, beaver (along the streams), and numerous small species 

 occurred. The soils of the Loess Plains as a rule are deep, fertile, and 

 (once the prairie cover has been removed) easily cultivated. In addi- 

 tion to the loess which forms the subsoil of most of the uplands and 

 the alluvial soil of the bottom lands, there are several additional kinds 

 of soil, each with a local distribution. In the eastern part the annual 

 rainfall is sufficient for crop production, though it decreases to only 

 1 7 inches in the west. Similarly, the run-off is greater in the east than 

 in the west. Except on the western portion of the plains trees grow 

 well but under natural conditions the native timber followed the water- 

 ways. Cottonwoods, oaks, elms, willows, ash, box elders, and walnut 

 are the main species. The grass grows higher in the east than in the 

 west, but pasturage can be obtained on the wet flood plains, rougher 

 grounds, and drier uplands as well. This region and the Glacial Area 

 along the Missouri are the most thickly settled portions of Nebraska 

 at the present time. They likewise would seem to have offered greater 

 inducements for aboriginal occupation. 



Much that has been said regarding the Loess Plains applies equally 

 well to that region along the eastern border of Nebraska next to the 

 Missouri River, here designated as the Glacial Area. Throughout the 

 glacial area the loess mantle also occurs, and high loess bluffs are char- 



