de Lacuna] ARCHEOLOGY, YAKUTAT BAY AREA, ALASKA 63 



was a hole cut through the wall planks at the opposite end of the 

 house closer to the water. However, the timbers at this end were 

 not preserved, so we do not know how the house was entered. We 

 should remember, also, that temporary openings were made in the 

 back or side of the Tlingit house by removal of one or more wall 

 planks in order to carry out a corpse, since a dead body should not 

 be taken out through the ordinary door. 



ROOF 



The only evidence for a roof beam or rafter is the timber (C) 

 which has fallen into the southern edge of the house. This is about 

 2 inches thick. 



FLOOR 



Apparently the center of the floor was not covered with planks, 

 only an area around the walls. This planking was about 2 feet 3 inches 

 wide at the sides, and from 2)^ to 3 feet wide at the northwest end. 

 In the reconstruction it has been suggested that the flooring covered 

 a space 6 feet wide at the southeastern end, but there is admittedly 

 uncertain evidence for this. The carbonized planks that were pre- 

 served {D to L) varied in thickness from % to 2 inches. Almost 

 every one had been damaged by intrusive pits {S, W, Z), postholes 

 {X, Y), or holes for small poles {1 to 6). 



HEARTH 



A concentration of ash, charcoal, and fire-cracked rocks was found 

 in the center of the floor, and was probably the hearth for House 

 9, where food was cooked. This area was not clearly delimited by 

 slabs of stone. 



INTRUSIVE FEATURES 



The remains of House 9 had been injured by a number of holes 

 made at a later period, presumably associated with some structure 

 erected over the area after House 9 had burned down. Thus, a 

 number of small holes {1 to 6) were made when poles, 2 to 3 inches in 

 diameter, were thrust through the carbonized floor planks {A, J, L) 

 to depths of 2 to 7 inches. A large posthole (W), perhaps 20 inches 

 in diameter, had been dug through two planks (/ and J). A nearby 

 plank {K) was damaged by a large excavation (Z) of undetermined 

 extent, and by two postholes {X and Y). Outside the limits of the 

 house were postholes {R, T, U, V) from 10 to 15 inches in diameter. 



The largest intrusive feature was a rectangular bed about 6 inches 

 thick, composed of sandstone fragments similar to the fire-cracked 

 rocks in House 8. The northern end of this layer of orange-red rocks 



