72 SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION 



when the butte was connected with the main escarpment to the south 

 (fig. 69). Thus the earliest occupation on the surface of the butte 

 occurred at a time when the process of aggradation had been arrested 

 and a local upbuilding process inaugurated through wind action. 

 Studies bearing on the age of the deposits are now in progress. 



Articles of Caucasian origin were found only above the grass roots 

 on the butte. Below this for 2 feet were evidences of sporadic occu- 

 pation by pottery-using peoples. Potsherds of two types were found in 

 this upper level (fig. 72, a, b). These later peoples were apparently 

 attracted to the butte by its unusual appearance and the protection it 

 afforded. Occasionally they buried their dead here in crude, stone-lined 

 graves. Particularly characteristic of the upper-level peoples were 

 beautiful little triangular arrow points and bevelled, diamond-shaped 

 knives (fig. 72, c, c) . An unusual find was a fishhook (fig. 72, h) re- 

 covered by G. L. Waters from the upper level and kindly presented to 

 the writer. The middle level was too thin to offer many clues as to the 

 nature of its inhabitants, but the bottom level was thick and contained 

 much material bearing on the life of these early people. Apparently 

 they had no fixed habitations but lived around stone-lined hearths 

 which occur at frequent intervals. Near the fireplaces are small pits 

 dug into the gravel containing animal bones and a few implements. 

 Vast numbers of animal bones, often split for the marrow they con- 

 tained, are scattered throughout this layer. Numerous awls and 

 scrapers testify to working in skins (fig. 73, c, g, I) ; hence it can be 

 assumed that these Signal Butte people were warmly dressed. Hunt- 

 ing was apparently done with the bow and arrow (fig. 73, b, d) though 

 the spear thrower may also have been employed. The lighter side of 

 life is suggested by large amounts of varicolored mineral paints, while 

 geometrically incised bone fragments and a cut shell testify to their 

 artistic efforts (fig. 73, i. /). That they ground stone is clear from 

 the hammerstones, polishing stones, and other artifact types recovered 

 (fig. 73, m, n, o). 



After our work on top of the butte several artifacts were discovered 

 below it in the banks of Spring Creek, 300 yards to the north, in as- 

 sociation with the remains of an extinct species of bison. 2 This dis- 

 covery, made by a paleontological field party of the University of 

 Nebraska, may add a still earlier chapter to the human record at 

 Signal Butte. Thus the story, written with the tools of generations of 

 men from the Ice Age to the present, is at last being read by the 

 paleontologist and anthropologist of today. 



3 Science Service, Research Announcement No. 140, Aug. 8, 1932. 



