174 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Ball. 179 



yards from it. Both exposures were fairly high on the steep hillsides, 

 and were 40 or 50 feet above the normal river level. Extensive testing 

 of the west bank uncovered cultural material beneath the pumicite, 

 but the pumicite stratum itself had been almost decimated by rodent 

 burrowing. Since nearly ideal conditions were found on the opposite 

 bank, the material on the west bank may be ignored. 



The exposure of the volcanic ash on the east bank was merely 6 or 8 

 feet of badly slumped material. Initial excavation, after the estab- 

 lishment of a grid pattern for horizontal control, was in the form of a 

 broadf ace 10 feet wide. It was soon extended to 30 feet after cultural 

 materials began to appear under the volcanic ash (pi. 31, a). 



The ash stratum sloped slightly toward the river and slightly more 

 toward the creek, thus dipping toward the northwest at about 3 

 degrees. Its mean thickness in the excavated area was 17 inches, but 

 a few hundred yards up the creek, in a small depression, it had accu- 

 mulated to a thickness of 7 feet. The later deposit was due to wind 

 redistribution. Beneath the ash was a stratum of sandy loess soil 

 thinly scattered with broken rock, charcoal, animal bones, and an occa- 

 sional hearth. This midden, averaging 3 feet in depth, rested on a 

 hardpan of undetermined thickness. Some charcoal flecks and bone 

 fragments were embedded in the hardpan, but below the first tenth 

 of a foot, it was sterile. 



Eecent erosion has eliminated part of the site, the extent of which is 

 not known. As excavation proceeded and the broadface advanced 

 some 20 feet, the thickness of the overburden increased to serious 

 proportions, 5 and more feet of sterile coarse sand. The eastern 

 extremity of the site was not reached. 



Primary consideration was given to the maintenance of strati- 

 graphic controls. Every effort was made to be absolutely certain 

 that the excavated material was unquestionably older than the ash 

 stratum. This involved a careful inspection of the ash stratum to 

 detect any penetration before the midden beneath it was excavated. 

 By using a step pattern of excavation, 1 foot wide along the length 

 of each 10-foot square, the overburden was removed. The ash along 

 a 10-foot horizontal strip was examined and then removed to expose 

 the midden. This procedure was repeated as each section of the 

 broadface advanced. No penetrations other than small rodent bur- 

 rows were found. 



The coarse sand overburden was tested repeatedly by screening and 

 found to be absolutely sterile of cultural materials. The coarse sand 

 rested conformably upon the ash, so that there was no possibility of 

 the cultural materials having fallen down through the rodent burrows. 



If the sheer volume of burned bones, flakes, and firecracked rock 



