64 ANNUAL REPORT SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 1948 
After completing the survey at Center Hill, Dr. Willey proceeded 
to Knoxville, Tenn., where he discussed archeological problems with 
members of the Department of Anthropology at the University of 
Tennessee. From there he returned to Washington and prepared his 
report. He returned to his regular duties as a member of the Bureau 
staff on October 1. 
Oklahoma.—David J. Wenner, Jr., was appointed field assistant 
on July 29, 1947, and proceeded to make a survey of the Hulah Reser- 
voir basin on the Caney River in Oklahoma. The area to be in- 
undated by this project is not large and he was able to cover it in a 
few days’ time. He found four sites, all apparently camping places, 
and because of their meager nature, did not believe them worthy of 
further investigation. From the Hulah region he proceeded to the 
Fort Gibson Reservoir project on the Grand (Neosho) River. A 
rapid survey of that basin located 24 sites consisting of 1 mound 
group, 1 bluff shelter, and the remains of 22 villages or camps. All but 
three of the sites will be covered by water. The most important is the 
mound group known as the Norman site. It originally consisted of 
six earth mounds and a large surrounding village area. Some work 
was done in four of the lesser mounds a number of years ago by the 
University of Oklahoma. One of the two remaining mounds is the 
largest at the site and is connected to an adjacent low mound by a 
ramp. Small test excavations have been made in the low mound 
but the large one is virtually intact. It represents a stage of cultural 
florescence in the southern United States about which very little is 
known and may be comparable in scientific wealth to the famous Spiro 
mounds, located in an adjacent county, destroyed by treasure hunters 
some 15 years ago. Excavation of the Norman mound probably 
would provide information essential to dating the Spiro-type culture 
which presumably was the forerunner of the native Caddo culture of 
the southern Plains at the beginning of historic times. For this 
reason thorough investigation of the remaining manifestations at the 
Norman site was recommended. 
Mr. Wenner completed his field investigations on August 15 and 
proceeded to Norman, Okla., where the University of Oklahoma pro- 
vided him with facilities for studying the material collected and writ- 
ing his reports. During the period of the surveys and the prepara- 
tion of the reports, Dr. Robert E. Bell, of the Department of An- 
thropology at the University, assisted Mr. Wenner as an advisor and 
consultant. After completion of the work Mr. Wenner left the Sur- 
veys to return to college. He again joined the staff on June 28, 1948, 
and at the close of the fiscal year was engaged in making a survey of 
the Tenkiller Ferry Reservoir on the Illinois River in the eastern part 
of the State. Robert Shalkop and William Mayer-Oakes, student as- 
sistants, were aiding in this work. 
