NO. 2 MISSOURI VALLEY DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM — WEDEL 4I 



and for paleontological work with the University of Nebraska State 

 Museum. All these State agencies conducted field work, in varying 

 degree, during 1947. 



The Nebraska State Historical Society carried on archeological 

 excavations at Medicine Creek Reservoir from July 25 to September 

 10. This work was under the personal supervision of A. T. Hill, 

 director of the museum, who was assisted by students and local work- 

 men. Excavations were made chiefly at two sites near the proposed 

 location of the dam, with test work at several other points in the 

 future reservoir area. Near the west end of the proposed dam axis, 

 on site 2SFT16, the floors of two rectangular, semisubterranean earth 

 lodges were uncovered. The floors were approximately 30 feet long, 

 slightly less in width, and lay at a maximum depth of about 18 inches 

 underground. Each had a central firepit, post molds showing four 

 primary roof supports and others showing straight walls, rounded 

 corners, and a covered entrance passage opening to the south. From 

 the floors and the fill immediately above, and from caches within and 

 nearby middens outside the structures, were recovered pottery frag- 

 ments, chipped- and ground-stone work, shell and bone artifacts, 

 charred corn, and refuse animal bone. The materials can probably 

 be safely assigned to the prehistoric semihorticultural Upper Republi- 

 can horizon. 



Just above the mouth of Lime Creek, some 2 miles northwest of 

 the proposed dam site, a third house floor was opened at site 25FT28. 

 Except in its somewhat smaller size, this differed in no important 

 particular from those at site 25FT16. Several restorable vessels were 

 found on the floor, along with other artifacts and miscellaneous 

 materials, and these again indicate an Upper Republican complex, 

 though with some variations in details. 



Limited tests were made at other sites in the locality. The materials 

 collected and the basic field data were placed at the disposal of the 

 River Basin Surveys office at Lincoln for processing and study. As 

 indicated elsewhere in this report, archeological excavations were 

 continued in the Medicine Creek area by the River Basin Surveys 

 after cessation of the work by the Nebraska State Historical Society. 



A one-day reconnaissance of the proposed Bellwood and Shell Creek 

 Reservoirs was made by Dr. J. L. Champe, University of Nebraska 

 Laboratory of Anthropology, and Mr. Hill, of the Historical Society. 

 Subsequently, rapid preliminary reconnaissance was made of the 

 proposed Clearwater, Loretto, Davis Creek, Cushing, and Plum Creek 

 Reservoirs in the Lower Platte Basin, by Dr. Champe in company 

 with Dr. T. E. White, paleontologist for the River Basin Surveys. 



