APPENDIX 



SKELETAL REMAINS FROM PLATTE AND CLAY 

 COUNTIES, MISSOURI 



By T. D. Stewart 



The skeletal remains assembled by Dr. Wedel from about Kansas 

 City, Mo., comprise two distinct lots, culturally speaking. One of 

 these came from so-called stone-vault mounds and is presumptively at- 

 tributed to the Hopewellian culture; the other group of skeletons 

 came from a cemetery in association with Middle Mississippi cultural 

 objects. From the fact that Middle Mississippi potsherds were found 

 intrusive in a stone vault (Pearl mound C), it is concluded that the 

 Hopewellians were the earlier of the two groups. However, the 

 attribution of the skeletons from the stone vaults to the Hopewellian 

 cultural period is based upon rather slender evidence, and this point 

 will be emphasized here through a summary of Dr. Wedel's account 

 of the circumstances surrounding their recovery (cf. p. 188 herein). 



During the summer of 1937 Dr. Wedel investigated an archeological 

 site on Line Creek about 5 miles northwest of Kansas City, Mo. This 

 work resulted in establishing the fact that the culture at this village 

 site, now known as the Renner site, was predominantly Hopewellian 

 in type, with a lesser representation of Woodland elements (Wedel, 

 1938). Unfortunately, no skeletal remains were recovered here. 

 However, up to that time the Hopewellian culture had not been 

 reported this far west. 



During the winter of 1937-38 Dr. Wedel secured for examination 

 from A. H. Hansen, of Kansas City, Mo., some nearly complete pots 

 that the latter had removed from a small mound (Babcock mound B) 

 near that city, and about 12 miles from the Renner site. This pottery 

 proved to be Hopewellian. 



Learning that Hansen had found these pots in association with 

 skeletal material in a stone chamber within the mound, Wedel suc- 

 ceeded in having this material likewise submitted for examination. 

 Unfortunately, very little skeletal material was recovered by Hansen; 

 it consisted chiefly of portions of five skulls, two (Nos. 1 and 2) with 



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