68 ANNUAL REPORT SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 1948 
tions had been made at a number of these projects by Western State 
College, Gunnison, students under the direction of Dr. C. 'T. Hurst of 
that institution. Working in conjunction with Dr. Hurst and under 
his general direction, Eastman and Yundt completed the surveys of 
the Cottonwood, Cebolla, Gateview, and Almont reservoir areas and 
at the close of the year were engaged in a reconnaissance of the Taylor 
Lake project. The four basins where investigations were completed 
contained 16 sites consisting of both rock shelters and open camps. 
None appeared to be of sufficient importance to warrant recommenda- 
tion for further study by the River Basin Surveys. However, Dr. 
Hurst and Western State College volunteered to take over such of 
the units as indicated the possibility of contributing some knowledge 
and assume responsibility for the additional work needed to obtain it. 
Arnold M. Withers was appointed to the Surveys staff on June 13 as 
archeologist and on June 21 left Denver accompanied by W. W. 
Thompson and M. F. Sullivan, student assistants, to begin the recon- 
naissance of a number of reservoir projects in the mountains west of 
Pueblo. This work was going ahead at the close of the fiscal year. 
Mr. Withers and his associates used space made available by the De- 
partment of Anthropology of the University of Denver as their base 
of operations. 
Missouri Basin—The Missouri Basin project continued in full 
operation throughout the year. On July 1, three archeological surveys 
and one paleontological reconnaissance were under way and the head- 
quarters and laboratory at Lincoln, Nebr., were actively engaged in 
processing data and specimens received from the field parties. Most 
of the activities were of a survey nature, but some digging was done 
at Birdshead Cave in the Boysen Reservoir, Wyo., at Medicine Creek 
Reservoir, Nebr., and at several paleontological sites in Wyoming. 
By the end of the first week in November weather conditions were such 
that it was necessary to stop explorations for the season and all regular 
personnel returned to Lincoln. From then until conditions again 
became favorable in the spring, the time was devoted to the study of 
materials and data collected and the preparation of reports. Field 
work was initiated March 29, 1948, when an extensive series of exca- 
vations was started at sites soon to be destroyed by construction oper- 
ations at the Medicine Creek Dam in western Nebraska. This work 
was in accordance with an agreement with the Bureau of Reclamation 
whereby the River Basin Surveys provided the technical supervision 
and the Bureau of Reclamation furnished the necessary labor and 
equipment. This undertaking was still in progress at the end of the 
fiscal year. On June 1 one archeological party left Lincoln for the 
Angostura Reservoir, S. Dak., for further survey and excavation, and 
on June 3 another left for Heart Butte Reservoir, N. Dak., to begin 
similar activities. A paleontological party departed on June 1 for the 
