196 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. 93 



flat at the Walker Gilmore site indicates an occupation at least 350 

 years ago. This, according to Sterns' minimum estimate, would allow 

 only 1 50 years for all the physiographic changes involved in covering 

 up the remains of the Sterns Creek culture with from 10 to 15 feet of 

 stratified clay and redeposited loess. This is possible, but, it seems 

 to me, rather improbable. 



On the other hand, I do not presume to offer any other estimate. 

 That set forth by Sterns has the undeniable virtue of conservatism and 

 is founded on detailed observation by a man familiar with the local 

 geology. Many a Nebraska farmer can tell of remarkable cases of 

 rapid soil deposition observed during his own lifetime. Such ex- 

 amples of rapid erosion and corresponding soil accumulation are 

 nearly always due to the breaking up of the prairie grass soil cover 

 through plowing and the resulting rapid run-off. Such factors were 

 absent in the prehistoric periods we are considering. However this 

 may be, it appears that we can safely accept Sterns' minimum estimate. 



SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER WORK 



On our last visit to the Walker Gilmore site, April 2. 193 1, Loren 

 Eiseley made a discovery which may greatly facilitate the excavation 

 of houses belonging to the Sterns Creek culture. Following up the 

 north branch of Sterns Creek to the place marked A (map, fig. 24) 

 he found several large fragments of Sterns Creek culture pottery 

 projecting from the east bank at a depth from the surface of only 2 

 feet 8 inches (pi. 19, fig. 4). There was likewise a little scattered 

 ash and charcoal at about this level. The lower soil here appeared from 

 a hasty examination to be of the original clay rather than of recent 

 sedimentary origin, and it seems the most probable explanation that 

 the old soil level prevailing at the time of the Sterns Creek culture 

 occupation rises at this place almost to the present surface. If this is 

 so, trenching in this vicinity might reveal houses of the latter culture 

 only 3 feet below the surface of the ground. It would therefore be 

 possible to excavate some of these completely, revealing their form, 

 the position of the posts, and all other details which are hopelessly 

 obscured when burrowing into such strata under some 20 feet of 

 overhanging bank. This may be too optimistic an interpretation, but 

 it is hard to imagine how this type of pottery might occur in situ at 

 such a place unless the level at which it occurs was at one time 

 occupied by people of the Sterns Creek culture. Later people might 

 have picked up the old pottery revealed by the cutting of Sterns 

 Creek and dropped it on the higher ground where it was later covered 

 up, but this seems rather improbable. 



