NO. lO NEBRASKA ARCHEOLOGY STRONG 285 



similar published data, Dr. Keyes has already defined several im- 

 portant prehistoric cultures. 



Of the known prehistoric cultures in this State, the variant of the 

 Hopewell culture found in eastern Iowa finds no direct analogies in 

 Nebraska so far as present indications are concerned. Widespread 

 over the Iowa region, however, is another culture termed the "Algon- 

 kian ", which, according to Dr. Keyes (1929, p. 138), includes perhaps 

 nine-tenths of all prehistoric evidence in the State. This " Algonkian " 

 culture is of the western woodland type and is manifested along the 

 eastern border of the State by effigy mounds and elsewhere by oval 

 and linear and many conical mounds. In addition, there are village 

 sites and rock shelters which contain remains of the same type. In the 

 village sites definite house remains and large refuse heaps seem to be 

 lacking. The pottery of this culture is distinctive. It is rather soft, 

 porous, and unpolished ware, usually brown or red in color, and tem- 

 pered with coarsely crushed granite. Ornamentation consists of fabric 

 impressions as well as stamped, punched, rouletted, and occasionally 

 incised designs. The vessels have rounded or round-pointed bases 

 and are without definite handles, though small tabs or lugs sometimes 

 occur. Often they are marked by smoothly perforated holes in rims 

 or bodies. The other phases of the artifact complex are not clearly 

 defined as yet, but a strong development of stone work, both chipped 

 and ground, and a correspondingly weak development of bone work 

 has been noted. Of the ground stone artifacts, polished grooved axes 

 are particularly notable, and in the realm of chipped stone a very wide 

 variety of artifact types are present. The name " Algonkian " has 

 been tentatively applied to this culture, owing to its woodland charac- 

 teristics and its similarity to other complexes in known Algonkian 

 areas to the east. 



In northeastern and northwestern Iowa a third prehistoric culture 

 has been designated as the Oneota after the old name for the Iowa 

 River. The Oneota culture is marked by rather large villages in the 

 open, by conical and oblong mounds, deep and large refuse pits and 

 primary burials in mounds and nearby cemeteries. The burials are 

 usually simple, extended, and accompanied by considerable amounts 

 of pottery. The mortuary pottery is small and globular, though larger, 

 cruder cooking pots are found in dwelling sites and refuse heaps. 

 The Oneota ware is shell-tempered and is apparently rather soft in 

 texture with but little polishing."' In color it is characteristically a 

 slate-black or ashy color, though in many cases burned red. In shape 



"^Orr, 1914, pp. 231-239, figures and describes a number of these pots. 

 19 



