NO. 2 SALVAGE PROGRAM, I95O-I95I — COOPER 23 



in careful examination of the lower end of the reservoir area and in 

 spot checks along the right side of the river (Wedel, 1953b, pp. 84- 

 85). In 1950 the reconnaissance of the area to be inundated was com- 

 pleted during a period of approximately a month which was punctu- 

 ated by bad weather. In all, 18 locations of archeological significance 

 were recorded within or at the border of the future pool. Three of 

 these are sites composed of from one to three "tipi rings," and the 

 remainder are camp sites varying in size and in the abundance of 

 cultural materials found on the surface. All the sites appear to be 

 nonceramic. Cultural debris was lacking on the surface of the "tipi- 

 ring" sites, while the other sites yielded lithic remains including 

 scrapers, knives, flakes, cores, and — rarely — fragmentary projectile 

 points, mainly stemmed and of medium size. A few fragments of 

 obsidian occur in the collections. Locally owned collections, reputedly 

 from the vicinity of the reservoir area, include projectile points which 

 appear to relate to various time levels, from fairly early to the his- 

 toric period. Several bison kills are reported from the region and 

 artifacts from some of them are in the local collections. Most of the 

 objects seem to refer to other than very ancient horizons, but collec- 

 tions reportedly made from the surface include occasional specimens 

 which suggest early contexts. 



Two of the camp sites in the reservoir, 24PR8 and 48CA6, appear 

 to have deposits of some depth and have been recommended for 

 excavation. 



Nilan Reservoir site. — As proposed, this reservoir will be an en- 

 largement of a small existing natural body of water, Beale Lake. It 

 is in a rolling section of the high plains within view of the continental 

 divide, a few miles to the west. Only two locations of archeological 

 interest, a rock cairn and a "tipi ring," were found during the re- 

 connaissance in July 1950, and they were both above the full pool line. 

 No artifacts were recovered from either. 



Red Gulch Reservoir site. — The dam, as proposed, will be on Red 

 Gulch, an intermittent tributary of Shell Creek, a stream which enters 

 the Bighorn River just below GreybuU, Wyo. The very small lake, 

 less than 450 acres in extent at flood level, will be entirely within a 

 badland area and over a valley floor which now supports exceedingly 

 scanty vegetation. The brief but comprehensive reconnaissance in 

 June 195 1 revealed that the surface of the entire reservoir area bears 

 the litter of flint-working activities and possibly of camping. In 

 addition, cultural deposits were observed in cut banks at depths of 

 as much as 3 feet beneath the surface. Few artifacts were found by 



