NO. 2 SALVAGE PROGRAM, I95O-I95I — COOPER 89 



season and other mutual assistance materially expedited the work of 

 the Surveys and, it is hoped, were of aid to the University as well. 



Boysen Reservoir site. — In 1950 the Wyoming party operated in 

 the Boysen Reservoir from Tune 20 to August 15, during which time 

 excavations of varying magnitude were accomplished in nine sites 

 and a number of petroglyph sites were studied. Two of the sites 

 consisted of groups of stone circles, while the remainder were camps 

 containing hearths. At 48FR16, where dozens of stone circles lie on 

 terraces on the east side of the Bighorn River, the entire site was 

 mapped, as were individual circles, and the circles were examined in 

 detail both by minute inspection of the surface and by excavation. 

 Although there were central clusters of stones within some of the 

 rings, none appeared to have been subjected to intense heat; in fact, 

 no evidence of fire was found anywhere within the site. Nor were 

 any indications of floors observable. Artifacts were found in exceed- 

 ingly small numbers. Flakes and percussion-flaked quartzite cores 

 were most common and there were only occasional blades and 

 projectile points. 



Site 48FR25, on the north side of Poison Creek, was the other 

 group of stone circles investigated. The circles were mapped and a 

 surface collection was made. Near this site, but on the opposite bank 

 of Poison Creek in an area sheltered by considerable sand dunes, 

 were stone hearths, often containing mano and metate fragments. 

 Both surface and basin-shaped hearths were included. This site, 

 48FR25, yielded artifacts, including corner-notched projectile points, 

 in rather small quantities. Because of their proximity and a similarity 

 in the artifact assemblages from these two sites, Mulloy has suggested 

 the possibility that they are related and that the stone circles served 

 some special function for the inhabitants of the camp site. 



Other camp sites in which excavation was done include 48FR33, 

 48FR55, and 48FR59, all of which contained hearths and yielded 

 artifact collections apparently rather similar to that from 48FR5. 

 Sites 48FR8, in the sand dunes along the north bank of Muddy 

 Creek, and 48FR34, at the base of a sandstone outcropping on which 

 there are numerous petroglyphs, appear to be continuous, but the 

 latter consists of two occupational levels separated by a sterile sand 

 layer. Both levels produced corner-notched points which exhibit some 

 differences. 



Keyhole Reservoir site. — During a month in June and July, 195 1, 

 Mulloy, with a force of 6 workers, partially dug site 48CK7 (McKean 

 site) on the Belle Fourche River in the Keyhole Reservoir area. This 

 site, unimpressive as far as surface evidence is concerned, proved 



