ARCHEOLOGICAL INVESTIGATIONS IN MISSOURI 71 



disclosed similar evidence on the point of a low hill about 200 yards 

 north of house 1 and south of the east-west road. Generalization from 

 the single example actually worked out is, of course, hazardous, but, 

 from the surface materials found nearby at the time of our investiga- 

 tions and since, it seems safe to conclude that the aboriginal occupants 

 of the terrace dwelt frequently, probably characteristically, in semi- 

 subterranean earth-covered pithouses. These further seem to have 

 been very similar in type to those regularly used by peoples of the 

 Nebraska Culture along the Missouri from its great bend to Thurston 

 County, Nebr. 



Three refuse pits, originally no doubt dug for storage purposes, were 

 opened near house 1. Pit 8 lay 80 feet east-northeast of the fireplace ; 

 pits 7 and 9 were respectively 57 and 44 feet southeast from the hearth 

 and about 16 feet apart. Their dimensions and contents have been 

 summarized in table 7. It is possible that one or more of these 

 belonged to the house ; there is nothing to prove or disprove such an 

 association. 



FOOD REMAINS 



Evidences as to the food habits of the natives were relatively meagre, 

 but suggestive. It is certain that they had corn, since charred kernels, 

 cobs, ear-stalk fragments, and husks were recovered from pits 2, 6, 

 and 11. The cobs were all small (pi. 25, e), complete specimens vary- 

 ing from 3 to 7.5 cm. in length and from 1.2 to 2.3 cm. in diameter. 

 Usually they appear to have had 10 rows of kernels, though in one or 

 two specimens 8 rows are indicated. Kernels included in a small lot 

 of vegetal remains sent to the Ethnobotanical Laboratory of the Uni- 

 versity of Michigan "are more or less distorted from fire and mostly 

 fragmentary. They vary from 6 to 9 mm. in width and from 5 to 8 

 mm. in depth. The typical shape is more or less crescent." (V. H. 

 Jones, letter of February 2, 1940.) Finding of the stalk fragments 

 and husks may be taken as proof that the plant was grown on the 

 spot, probably on the fertile flats south of the village terrace or on 

 small patches of mellow ground at the lower ends of the nearby side 

 valleys. 



Other cultivated food plants (Jones, op. cit.) were represented in 

 pits 2 and 6 by remains of sunflower and pumpkin. These include "a 

 quantity of charred seeds (achenes) of sunflower {Ilelianthus an- 

 nutis) . The shells or seed coats of most of these are missing and either 

 had been removed or were burned away in charring. A few still have 

 the seed coats intact and these complete seeds are about 9 mm. in length. 

 Since these seeds are much larger than the seeds of any wild sunflower, 

 they must be from cultivated sunflowers." 



From pit 2 came "two small pieces of pumpkin rind, one showing 

 the point of stem attachment. These appear to be of some small 

 variety of pumpkin of the species Cnmirbita pepo.^'' 



