278 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. 93 



trace the development of various types from the early to the late 

 periods. One marked break between historic and prehistoric cul- 

 tures is the method of interment practiced by each, the people of the 

 first period exposing their dead and eventually depositing them in 

 hilltop ossuaries, whereas the historic Pawnee buried individually in 

 hilltop cemeteries. When Pawnee burial sites of the protohistoric 

 period are explored, it is probable that a transition between the two 

 types can be demonstrated. It will suffice for the present to point 

 out the strong probability that the Upper Republican culture, which 

 undoubtedly precedes the historic period by several centuries, repre- 

 sents the prehistoric stage of Pawnee development in \ebraska. 



In the Sterns Creek culture we have a still earlier culture type in 

 eastern Nebraska. Direct superimposition of layers proves that it is 

 considerably older than the Nebraska culture and presumably than 

 the Upper Republican culture. There is very little resemblance be- 

 tween the Sterns Creek culture and the two prehistoric cultures that 

 succeed it. Since the Sterns Creek culture has so far been reported 

 from only one site on the extreme eastern border of Nebraska and 

 bears little resemblance to any later cultures in the State, it now ap- 

 pears as the westernmost thrust of an early trans-Missouri River 

 culture whose roots will be found to the east of our region. Of its 

 possible northeastern affiliations we will speak in a moment. It as- 

 sumes importance as the oldest known horizon containing evidence 

 of horticulture and the use of pottery so far distinguished in Nebraska. 



The stratified site at Signal Butte in the extreme western part of 

 the State presents a similar situation, involving, however, different 

 prehistoric cultures than those represented at the Walker Gilmore 

 site. At Signal Butte a subtype (focus) of the Upper Republican 

 culture, mixed with ceramics and other artifacts of the poorly defined 

 Dismal River culture, overlies two distinct horizons (Signal Butte 

 II and I), each of which is totally without pottery. The wider affilia- 

 tions of the upper level (Signal Butte III) cultures have already 

 been discussed and the essential characteristics, so far as known, of 

 the two lower and older cultural horizons listed. Since this remark- 

 able site gives a favorable opportunity to demonstrate cultural changes 

 occurring at definite intervals over a long space of time, an attempt 

 has been made to jjoint out the major cultural trends from older to 

 later horizons on the butte. These can be noted in the earlier and 

 more detailed section on Signal Butte, but a brief recapitulation may 

 make them clearer. 



In general features, there are a few definite changes from bottom 

 to top. Signal Butte I has no definite burials so far as known, Signal 



