20 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. IO3 



logical levels. In no case was the hearth an actual fire pit lined with 

 stones or stone slabs. They were simple basins in former surfaces 

 of occupation, were roughly circular or oval in outline, and were 

 comparatively shallow. They ranged from diameters of i foot 4 

 inches (40.6 cm.) and i foot 6 inches (45.7 cm.) to 2 feet (61.0 cm.) 

 and 3 feet (91.4 cm.), and from depths of 5 inches (12.7 cm.) to 

 8 inches (20.3 cm.). All of those examined contained ashes, char- 

 coal, pieces of fire-burned rock, and sporadic chips and spalls from 

 implement making. In a few cases charred fragments and splinters 

 of bone, even complete small bones, were found mixed with the other 

 debris. No traces of a habitation, tent circle, or shelter occurred 

 in the vicinity of any of these hearths. As a matter of fact no such 

 indications were found in any of the excavations. The probabilities 

 are that any dwellings used by these people were of a temporary 

 nature, tents made from buffalo skins being the most likely form, 

 and as a consequence little evidence remains of their former placement. 



GEOLOGICAL STUDIES ^ 



Considerable progress was made in the study of the deposits and 

 their possible age. This phase of the investigations was carried on 

 by Dr. Bryan and Mr. Judson. Two lines of approach were followed. 

 The first pertained to the belt of plains between the Staked Plains 

 escarpment and the Canadian River, and the second to the archeo- 

 logical site at the basin. In the plain three stages of alluviation fol- 

 lowed by periods of erosion, arroyo cutting, and the formation of 

 sand dunes were established. This sequence has many similarities 

 to deposits in the Hopi country in Arizona (Hack, 1942) and the 

 Big Bend region in Texas (Albritton and Bryan, 1939) but because 

 of insufficient field work is subject to revision. 



Interesting items appear in the sequence, even though the results 

 are regarded as still tentative. 1lie last cycle of erosion, continuing 

 at the present time, is characterized by arroyos and sand dunes. The 

 beginning and heavy cutting of the arroyos representing this stage 

 appears to belong to the decade from about 1900 to 1910. The forma- 

 tion of the first dunes in the present series started about 1910. The 



•'• The present summary is mainly for the purpose of rounding out the account 

 of the expedition's activities and to indicate the archeological concomitants of 

 the results. It is based on notes furnished by Bryan and Judson and on state- 

 ments made during discussions of the problems in the field camp. The authori- 

 tative and detailed geologic report will be issued by Bryan and Judson when 

 their studies are completed. 



