de Lagnna] ARCHEOLOGY, YAKUTAT BAY AREA, ALASKA 39 



contain small flakes of mussel shell. Mammal bones and fire-cracked 

 rocks are relatively scarce. 



Brown sandy midden (Bm. SAI) consists of beach sand, stained 

 light brown. A darker phase of the same midden (JDk.Bm. SM) was 

 also recognized. It contains occasional flecks of shell, small charcoal 

 fragments, and a few fire-cracked rocks. 



Tan sandy midden (TSM) is light tan in color, and contains only 

 an occasional speck of charcoal or sheU. 



Shell midden (SM) of ahnost pure shell: mussel (Mytilus) by far 

 the most common, with clam (Saxidomus), cockle (Protothaca) , and 

 sea urchin (Strongylocentrotus purpuratus) also common. These 

 layers contain a high percentage of animal bones, mostly well pre- 

 served, and also a good deal of thermal-fractured rock and charcoal. 

 Considerable amounts of rotted bark were also found, often at the 

 bottom of the layer. The shell midden is distinctive in lacking sand. 



Orange-hrown midden {OBAd) is almost exclusively associated with 

 burned wooden structures such as houses and storehouses. It is 

 made up of minute fragments of calcined shell, with occasional flecks 

 of charcoal mixed with ash and sand. 



Clean sand {CS) occurs in lenses or layers of unstained beach sand, 

 ranging from light gray to light tan in color. It is similar to the 

 sterile sand which underlies the midden deposits. 



The maximum depth of Mound A is 40 inches. It is capped by 

 the same type of black rocky midden that covers Mound B. No 

 predominantly shelly strata were encountered, and the stratigraphy 

 is not as complex as that of Mound B. While an upper and a lower 

 layer could be distinguished, there was no evidence to suggest that 

 this indicated different periods of cultural importance. AU of Mound 

 A would appear to be of the same age as the upper part of Mound B. 



The maximum depth of Mound C is 32 inches. The deposit is not 

 capped by black rocky midden, and there are no prominent shell 

 layers, although occasional shell lenses occur. The second layer 

 from the top is composed of black rocky midden, but this does not 

 extend into the adjacent House Pit 7 (see fig. 9) except in one part 

 of the fiU. This layer contains a lower percentage of fire-cracked 

 rocks than that overlying Mound B, and is much less extensive. 



Mound D has a maximum depth of 30 inches. There is some black 

 rocky midden in the top levels, and it also contains shell strata, 

 so that in most respects it resembles Mound B, although it lacks 

 the intrusive pits so characteristic of the latter. 



Upper and lower levels could be distinguished in both Mounds 

 C and D, but there appeared to be no cultural differences between 

 them. Together with the fill in House Pit 7, they probably represent 

 the oldest part of the site. 



