SECRETARY'S REPORT 55 



earth-lodge village on the river, and two objectives were accomplished 

 during the season. First, a detailed map was made of the area and 

 the site itself was staked off in 100-foot blocks. Second, a 5-foot- 

 square test was excavated at each 100-foot stake along the north, south, 

 east, and west base lines. In addition, two test trenches were dug and 

 a house quadrant was excavated. The testing procedure was to obtain 

 both horizontal and vertical distribution patterns of specimens and 

 features over the entire site. From the analysis of such distributions, 

 it was possible to plan for the recovery of a maximum amount of in- 

 formation about the site as a whole from a minimum amount of excava- 

 tion in the 1957 season. The site is nearly 4,000 feet long and 1,500 

 feet wide and may contain the remains of as many as 400 house 

 structures. More than half that number are identifiable on the surface 

 as unquestionable structures, and an almost equal number appear as 

 possible house structures. They range from 25 feet to over 60 feet in 

 diameter. What were probably four ceremonial lodges are each almost 

 90 feet in diameter. There is clear stratigraphy in the site, with struc- 

 tures underlying a sterile zone, which in turn underlies a refuse heap. 

 Cache pits are abundant and range from small pocket caches to large 

 bell-shaped pits 7 feet deep and of equal diameter. Artifact material 

 is abundant, and pottery sherds found there suggest at least three, and 

 probably four, occupations. An outstanding specimen, a catlinite 

 plaque with animal designs engraved on both sides, was found in one 

 cache pit. Two certain burial areas, possibly several others, were 

 located but not tested. No fortification ditch or stockade was observed. 



Cooperating institutions in the Oahe Reservoir area at the beginning 

 of the fiscal year included a party from the University of South 

 Dakota directed by Roscoe Wilmeth, a party from the University of 

 Wisconsin directed by Dr. David A. Baerreis, and a party from the 

 State Historical Society of North Dakota directed by Alan R. 

 Woolworth. 



At the start of the 1957 field season in mid-June, there were four 

 River Basin Surveys parties in the Oahe Reservoir area. Dr. Waldo 

 R. Wedel, again detailed to the project by the United States National 

 Museum, and a party of 10 were excavating the Black Widow site and 

 testing six others nearby in the Fort Bennett area on the right bank 

 of the Missouri River. The Black Widow site was sampled in 1952 

 by a River Basin Surveys party. Since the material from it suggested 

 affiliations with the site completed by Dr. Wedel in 1956, an extensive 

 excavation was deemed advisable. The adjacent sites to be tested dur- 

 ing the 1957 season seem to be a part of the same complex. Donald 

 D. Hartle and a party of eight were making test excavations in a series 

 of 30 sites on the right bank of the Missouri River in the Fort Bennett 



451800—58 5 



