264 



BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY 



[Bull. 189 



DISCUSSION 



Because there were no cultural artifacts associated with the burials, 

 no positive cultural identification can be assigned. However, a com- 

 parison of the morphological characteristics of the crania may give 

 some indication of possible cultural affiliation. Table 2 compares 

 selected cranial measurements and indices for two adult males from 

 39P07 with samples of Arikara, Mandan, Pawnee, and Central Plains 

 Phase associated skeletons. The Arikara and Mandan were inhabit- 

 ants of the region around the Hosterman site. Recently, summaries of 

 anthropometric measurements of skeletal material for protohistoric 

 Arikara (Bass, 1961) and Mandan (Bass and Birkby, 1962) have 

 been published. 



One of the major areas of cranial difference between the Arikara 

 and Mandan is in the index. The Mandan are dolichocranic, whereas 

 the Arikara are mesocranic. The only individual from 39P07 upon 

 which a cranial index could be calculated gave an index of 77.40 or 

 mesocranic. On the basis of both the length-height and mean height 

 indices, the single male from the Hosterman site falls closer to the 

 Arikara means. Although cultural associations based on cranial 

 measurements of only one individual are quite speculative. Individual 

 6 seems to be related most closely morphologically to the Arikara. 



» Bass, 1961. 



» Bass and Bh-kby, 1962. 



• The sample size varies with the Individual measurement but In no case are there less than 49. 



• In no case Is the sample size less than 17. 



• In no case is the sample size less than 14. 



REFERENCES CITED 



Bass, Whxiam M. 



The variation in physical types of the prehistoric Plains Indians. 



Ph. D. dissertation. University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, 1961. 



Bass, William M., and Birkbt, Walter H. 



1962. The first human slieletal material from the Huff site, 32M011, and 

 a summary of putative Mandan skeletal material. Plains Authrop., 

 vol. 7, No. 17, pp. 164r-177. 



