SECRETARY'S REPORT 63 
floors of the circular houses were 114 to 214 feet below the surface, 
while those of the rectangular structures were 31% to 4 feet. Other 
features excavated in this site include a burial pit with the remains of 
five individuals, and evidence of burning over the top of the corpses. 
The party also excavated a circular house and a large portion of the 
stockade line at the nearby site, 39ST50. This small fortified village 
of the late 18th or early 19th century may possibly be the Truteau vil- 
lage of the mid-1790’s. Glass bottles and considerable metal were 
found in the site. Dr. Wedel’s party disbanded on August 19, after 8 
weeks of excavation. 
The fourth River Basin Surveys party in the Oahe Reservoir area 
was directed by Donald D. Hartle. It consisted of a crew of seven and 
shared a joint field camp with the Wedel party. This party dug test 
excavations in three sites during the season. At 39ST11, two houses, 
nine cache pits, and several other features were excavated. The houses 
were small rectangular structures with single end posts, evenly spaced 
side-wall posts, and entrance ramps. Of especial interest was the 
small size and short-rectangular shape of these houses, distinguishing 
them from the long-rectangular structures of more usual occurrence. 
Architecture and artifact collections suggest affiliation with the 
early sedentary Anderson Focus of the 14th or 15th centuries. An- 
other interesting feature was the remains of three people who had died 
within a corner of one of the houses. With them were a whole pottery 
vessel and some fragments of basketry. In 39ST23, a dwelling house, 
a ceremonial lodge, several cache pits, a palisade and fortification 
ditch, and several other features were excavated. The pottery and 
circular houses suggest an Arikara occupation of perhaps the 17th or 
18th century. The ceremonial house contained an altar, and the wall 
posts were set in a trench around the base of the wall. At 39ST45, 
three houses, several cache pits, two palisade bastions, and several 
other features were excavated. This site was occupied at two differ- 
ent times at least, since one house was rectangular and two were circu- 
lar. The rectangular house was short and small and represents an 
occupation very closely related to that of site 39ST11. The circular 
house occupation was not entirely clear, but appears to have been 
representative of a culture pattern somewhat earlier than that of site 
39ST23. The two palisade bastions were oval in pattern and ex- 
tended laterally from a fortification palisade. This field party ended 
its work on August 24, after 9 weeks in the field. 
The River Basin Surveys’ mobile survey and testing crew of three, 
under the direction of Harold A. Huscher, moved from the Big 
Bend Reservoir area on September 3 and began a site survey and 
testing operation in the Oahe Reservoir area between the mouth of 
the Cheyenne River and Whitlocks Crossing on the right bank of the 
Missouri River. Heavy vegetation growth and much rain during 
