/S SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. 93 



center posts, and a third 8 feet east of the latter. There were un- 

 doubtedly other posts missed in the excavation and, as before men- 

 tioned, some of the pocket caches may actually represent post molds 

 retaining no traces of their former wood content. 



To judge from the pestholes located, it would seem that the four 

 center posts formed the central framework of the lodge. It should 

 be noted, however, that this central framew^ork, as well as the fireplace 

 itself, occurs about 3 feet west of the exact center. The 4-inch post to 

 the east may be one of a pair on either side of the east entrance, 

 but if so no trace of its mate was found. The other 4- and 6-inch posts 

 above mentioned may have served as markers for cache pits, as par- 

 titions, or for both purposes. 



Clearly defined entrance ways were encountered leading out from 

 the center of both east and west walls. They were marked by a heavy 

 layer of hard-packed ash and clay averaging 3 feet in width and 5 

 inches in thickness. The eastern passage was traced out 12 feet and the 

 western 20 feet. Starting from floor level (26 inches below ground 

 level on the west, 27 inches on the east) the east passage sloped very 

 gently up about 6 inches in 12 feet. The west passage likewise left 

 the house at floor level just beyond the outer posts, but was level 

 throughout its length. At 20 feet, owing to the westward slope of the 

 ground, it was only 15 inches below the surface. Beyond this, earlier 

 burrowings along the creek bank prevented tracing it. Only one bor- 

 dering post hole was noted on the north edge of the west passage, 

 18 feet from the west wall. This contained a very badly disintegrated 

 4-inch charred post. However, the two narrow, clearly defined pas- 

 sageways extending with even width so far beyond the house walls 

 indicate that they were originally closed in. Possibly all the posts 

 would have been noted had the floor been entirely cleared off instead 

 of being cut through by trenches. 



The fire place consisted of a bowl-shaped depression at floor line 

 about 3 feet in diameter. Some 12 inches of white ash and charcoal 

 rested upon 5 inches of red baked clay in the center of the depression. 

 Traces of burned clay, ash, charcoal, burned bone, and other debris 

 extended about 12 inches beyond the fireplace proper. 



Storage or Cache Pits 



In all, 21 subfloor storage or cache pits were distinguished in house 

 I. These ranged from large, carefully excavated pits, lined with stone 

 slabs, to small scooped-out pockets hardly to be distinguished from 

 rodent or other burrowings. No cache pits were encountered in any of 

 our trenches outside house i, although they may have been present. 



