146 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. 93 



the steep creek banks. The trees on the ridge were present as far back 

 as any settler Hving near here can remember. Some of the trees would 

 seem to be well over a hundred years old, but whether the ridges were 

 wooded when the prehistoric lodges were occupied is a matter on 

 which I have no positive evidence. The north end of the village 

 site, like the creek bottom, is heavily wooded, but the south end is 

 more open and at present is used for pasture. Maples over 5 feet 

 in circumference grow in certain of the house circles, and all of the 

 latter were thick with brush. None of the houses are more than a few 

 hundred yards from the creek, which is very small at present. 

 Mr. Gates told us that the flow has decreased markedly in the last 

 20 years, and where there was a good swimming hole 10 years ago, 

 it is hardly ankle-deep at present. A few artifacts have been picked up 

 along the creek, and one large piece of elk antler was exposed about 

 4 feet deep in the bank some years ago. Careful searching along the 

 creek bed and its adjoining banks, however, failed to reveal any evi- 

 dences of human occupation. About 100 yards north of the most 

 northerly house pit a small stream flowing from the west joins the 

 one which flows past the old village. The houses, therefore, are strung 

 along a spur or ridge in the forks of these two streams. The elevation 

 of the ridge, according to the United States Geological Survey map, 

 is 1,100 feet. The creek bed is about 50 feet lower down at this point. 

 The first four house pits in which we worked have been numbered 

 from I to 4 and the others, 5 to 9, which were unworked, are num- 

 bered in order from south to north (fig. 15). House pit i was by 

 far the largest in the village, being 60 feet in diameter, 3 feet deep 

 in the center, and having a slight rise or 6-inch rim around the north 

 side. The thick brush and the large size of this house pit after clear- 

 ing but before excavation are shown in plate 12, figures i, 2. Two 

 maple trees each about a foot in diameter grew in the west-central 

 part of this pit. The remaining vegetation was smaller. House pit 2 

 had a diameter of 30 feet and a depth of i foot 3 inches in the center. 

 It was free of any very large trees. House pit 3, near and connected 

 with house 2, was ;^t, feet in diameter, having a greatest depth of 

 10 inches. There were six large trees in this pit (see fig. 19, 1-6) 

 respectively 7 inches, 3 feet 2 inches, 3 feet 2 inches, and the last three 

 averaging 32 inches in circumference. Needless to say, the soil be- 

 tween was a network of roots. House pit 4 w-as 30 feet in diameter 

 and I foot 6 inches deep. The pit was filled with a mass of small trees 

 and brush. No excavation was attempted in the remaining houses, nor 

 were the trees or brush removed. 



