pip. ?fo^.' S^/' HOSTERMAN SITE — ^MILLER 151 



double stockade was erected at the same time or represented an in- 

 terval of time could not be determined, for both lines of posts 

 originated on the same level. It is suspected that the two struc- 

 tures were contemporaneous, since the site appeared to have been 

 occupied for only a short time. 



HOUSES 



Houses were of two general shapes : round or circular and rectangu- 

 lar. Apparently the rectangular house, which was partially uncov- 

 ered, was of an earlier period than the circular houses. One circular 

 house was completely excavated, and only a part of another was 

 exposed. 



Circular structures. Features 22 and 34, are characterized by a cir- 

 cular pit that was excavated at various depths, depending upon the 

 inclination of the builder, into the sterile native soil. We found no 

 signs of any plaster being used on the walls of the pit, and the floor 

 was firmed by trampling. There were four centrally placed roof sup- 

 ports set in a rough square surrounding the centrally placed firepit. 

 Such pits were basin shaped. When these were uncovered we found 

 them completely and firmly packed with a whitish ash that could have 

 resulted from the burning of cottonwood or buffalo chips. Cotton- 

 wood, which does not burn with a high heat, was likely used, since 

 not only the basin itself but the area around the basin was burned a 

 brick red. Scattered over the floor between the central four supports 

 and the edge of the floor were a number of smaller postholes and a 

 number of pits, some of which were used as cache areas and others 

 for midden disposal. Placement of the wall posts showed some varia- 

 tion, which also must have been true for the superstructure. 



In Feature 22 there were 10 large peripheral posts incorporated 

 within the wall that were more or less evenly spaced around the cir- 

 cumference of the structure. The intervals between these were filled 

 with fairly evenly spaced smaller posts. Precedent indicates that the 

 round houses of the Plains were entered by way of a roofed and walled 

 entranceway constructed at right angles to the line of the two pri- 

 mary roof supports. Such a structure was not found connected with 

 this house. 



Postholes appeared as either soft spots or darkened circular areas 

 in the house floor. Their diameters varied from 0.25 foot to 2.1 feet 

 and in depth from 0.3 foot to 3.5 feet. In most cases the holes were 

 filled in with a light, fluffy soil, and sometimes the butt end of the 

 former posts still rested therein. In several of the larger postholes 

 were sections of bison bones and ribs or waterworn cobbles that were 

 inserted as wedges to stabilize the posts. Field examination of the 

 wooden fragments indicated that most of the posts were of cotton- 



