114 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. 93 



latter purpose admirably, and with a similar shell bowl lashed on 

 the other side of the handle it would have been doubly effective. The 

 artifact is 70 mm in length and 50 mm across at the widest end. It 

 was found at a depth of 10 inches on the eastern border of the pit 

 in soil undisturbed by any recent digging. The shell retains con- 

 siderable luster and is in an excellent state of preservation. 



Work in Copper 



Two very similar copper artifacts from the Graham ossuary pit are, 

 to the best of my knowledge, the first aboriginal specimens of this 

 material reported from Nebraska. The first of these (pi. 9, fig. 2, g) 

 was found on our dump heap, and although it came from the central 

 portion of the pit its exact provenience is unknown. The second 

 was found at a depth of 12 inches also near the center of the pit. Un- 

 fortunately, the site here had been badly torn up by previous digging, 

 and it is probable that the artifact had been disturbed at this time. 

 The first object found was a thin disk of much oxidized copper with 

 a small (3 mm) hole punched through the center. The second speci- 

 men is of the same type but is much more complete, as the illustra- 

 tion (pi. 9, fig. 2, /) indicates. The outer edges of this disk have been 

 hammered around a similar disk of wood, and the hole has been 

 punched through from the copper face. The complete disk is 54 mm 

 and the hole is 3 mm in diameter. The first fragmentary disk (pi. 9, 

 fig. 2, g) is not part of the second artifact, for it overlaps the opening 

 above the wood filler. It was probably part of a similar object, one 

 side of which had been broken ofif. The specimens are somewhat ir- 

 regular in thickness, much oxidized, and dull green in color. Although 

 no analysis of the metal has been made, the nature of the artifacts 

 and of the site generally suggest purely native provenience. Their 

 purpose is unknown, but they would have served admirably as ear 

 ornaments, pendants, or plume holders. 



Besides the two artifacts just described, several very small frag- 

 ments of copper were found nearby. They were probably parts of 

 the same specimens. The only other metal object was a small piece 

 of galena encountered at a depth of 12 inches on the south side of 

 the pit. 



NEGATIVE EXCAVATIONS IN VICINITY OF GRAHAM OSSUARY 



At the conclusion of the main excavation in the Graham ossuary 

 a considerable number of trenches and pits were sunk in various parts 

 of the summit and upper slopes of the hill in order to determine 



