FOREWORD 



The report that follows is based primarily on data gathered for 

 the U. S. National Museum in course of field work in western Mis- 

 souri during the summers of 1937 and 1938. The first season's 

 investigations were an outgrowth of correspondence with J. M. 

 Shippee, an amateur collector of long experience residing in North 

 Kansas City. This correspondence was begun in February 1937, 

 v.'hile plans were being formulated for extended work in Kansas, and 

 the investigations in Platte County, Mo., were in a sense incidental. 

 Actual excavations at the Renner village site occupied 4 weeks 

 between May 28 and June 28, resulting in the delineation of an 

 archeological complex whose existence in the Missouri Valley had 

 heretofore escaped general scientific notice. 



During the following winter and spring, several communications 

 from Mr. Shippee invited my attention to additional mound and vil- 

 lage remains near Kansas City. The mounds offered a possibility 

 for identifying certain puzzling types of burial structures, whereas 

 the village sites suggested still another cultural complex of which 

 only fragmentary hints had previously been noted along the Mis- 

 souri. Accordingly, work was resumed in the locality on May 21 

 and was closed on August 7, 1938. 



The 1937 party included Marvin Kivett, University of Nebraska, 

 and the following as volunteers : Kenneth Orr, Columbia University ; 

 Gates Slattery, University of Maryland; and Hugh Stabler, Wash- 

 ington, D. C. Kivett and Slattery were also members of the 1938 

 expedition, which further included Mr. Shippee; Richard Cooke, 

 Harvard University; and Karl Schmitt, George Washington Uni- 

 versity. Orr and Cooke were in charge of all surveying and map- 

 ping during the 1937 and 1938 seasons, respectively. 



Alvin Peterson, National Bureau of Standards, volunteered 2 weeks' 

 assistance in 1938, beginning on July 20, Without exception these 

 men gave good account of themselves and contributed their full 

 share toward making the work a success. I must express my appre- 

 ciation especially for the unfailingly excellent services rendered at 

 all times by Kivett, my assistant during both seasons. 



It is a genuine pleasure to acknowledge here our indebtedness to 

 Mr. Shippee, whose intelligent interest, whole-hearted cooperation, 

 and thorough familiarity with the region involved were prime factors 

 in the initiation and prosecution of the investigations. Sliippee's 

 cooperation has continued since termination of the field work, in the 

 form of frequent lengthy and commendably full letters describing 



