ARCHEOLOGICAL mVESTIGATIONS IN MISSOURI 67 



Table 7. — Summary of dimensions and contents of pits at Steed-Kisker site 



No. 



Contents 



Incomplete human mandible and 

 skull fragments, projectile points, 

 socketed antler object, awl, sherds, 

 6-inch ash layer over flat floor. 



Hematite, charred deer jaw, portions 

 of two bone implements, few sherds, 

 1-2 inch layer of charred corn, 

 husks, grass, etc., on flat floor. 



Shell hoe, unworked shells, aw^l point, 

 flint knife, projectile points, sherds, 

 bones; 6-inch ash layer on flat floor. 



Sherds, abrading stones, deer man- 

 dible; depressed floor. 



Sherds, abrading stones, carnivore 

 maxilla, charred corn just under 

 plow sole; intrusive into 5 A. 



Burnt limestone boulders, fragments 

 of straight-walled bowl; northwest 

 side cut out by pit 5. 



Sherds, flints, animal bones, charred 

 vegetal material, and fragments of 

 twisted cordage. 



Sherds, hematite, abraders, charred 

 wood on floor; partiallj^ intrusive 

 into pit 6. 



Very poor yield; bits of wattling clay, 

 sherds, flint blade. 



Sherds mostly grit-tempered, scrap- 

 ers, projectile points, wattling clay. 



Sherds, flints, scrapers, burnt bone, 

 wattling clay ; depressed floor. 



Originally midden 1, pit 1; 10 inches 

 into subsoil. 



Originally midden 1, pit 2; sherds, 

 hematite, pumice, scrapers, stone disk 

 fragments, scrapers, charred organic 

 matter; flat bottom. 



Originally midden 1, pit 3. 



Originally midden 1, pit 4. 



The house had been built within or over a subrectangular round- 

 cornered excavation 22 to 23 feet across (fig. 9 and pi. 21, h). The 

 outer edge of the floor lay 2 to 2.5 feet below the surrounding ground 

 surface, being slightly deeper on the uphill portions, and the floor 

 sloped downward about 6 inches to the rim of the fireplace at the 

 center. The fireplace was dug out before its nature was recognized, 

 but it measured about 30 inches in diameter by 5 to 6 inches in depth. 

 A few traces of ash and charcoal were noted in the basin. Four 

 large central post holes 7 to 8 feet from the center of the fireplace 

 formed a quadrilateral roof support 10 to 11 feet on each side. Each 



