A CADDO BURIAL SITE AT NATCHITOCHES, 

 LOUISIANA 



By WINSLOW M. WALKER 



Formerly Associate Anthropologist, Bureau of American Ethnology 



(With Six Plates) 



INTRODUCTION 



One of the most important phases of current work in southern 

 archeology consists of the location and excavation of sites that can be 

 definitely proved to have been inhabited by known historic tribes. It 

 is always possible that stratigraphic evidence of earUer occupations 

 may be detected in definite relationship with such known sites. Until 

 more is discovered concerning the nature of archeological remains 

 that may be attributed to the Caddo, Natches, Tunica, Arkansas, 

 Chickasaw, Choctaw, and the several Creek tribes, we shall be unable 

 to draw conclusions as to the part their various ancestors played in the 

 building of the mounds in the Lower Mississippi Valley known to be 

 of pre-Columbian origin. New evidence recently brought to light may 

 now perform this service for the Caddo of northwestern Louisiana. 



ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 



The writer wishes to express his appreciation to the many persons 

 who rendered assistance while this investigation was being carried on 

 at the Natchitoches site. W. A. Casler, superintendent at the Fish 

 Hatchery, generously granted permission to investigate the scene of 

 the discovery even while the work of preparing the ground for a 

 new hatchery was still in progress. To Prof. George Williamson and 

 Edward Payne, of Natchitoches, thanks are due for the readiness with 

 which they placed their collections at the writer's disposal for study, 

 and acknowledgment is here made for the sketches and photographs 

 furnished by them. IMrs. Cammie G. Henry kindly permitted the 

 writer to examine her valuable library of Louisiana historical ma- 

 terial at her home, Melrose Plantation. During the survey of archeo- 

 logical sites in that section of the state, headquarters was established at 

 Briarwood, near Chestnut, the home of Miss Caroline Dormon and her 

 sister, Mrs. Miller, and these women rendered valuable assistance in 

 many ways. Miss Dormon contributed generously of her time, and 



Smithsonian Miscellaneous Collections, Vol. 94, No. 14 



