Rlv. Bas. Sur. hICKEY SITE— CALDWELL, MADISON, GOLDEN 273 



Pap. ivo. rfoj ' 



the distance from the southern end), where it swings to the northeast 

 in a wide curve back toward the terrace edge. 



The seven bastions are all similar in form and size. Each is roughly 

 semicircular, averaging 40 feet wide and projecting outward about 

 40 feet from the moat line. Bastions were built at the comers of the 

 village enclosure and in the intervals between. The distances sepa- 

 rating bastions, proceeding in a clockwise direction from the southeast 



comer, are as follows : 



Feet 

 No. 1 to No. 2—310 

 No. 2 to No. 3—310 

 No. 3 to No. 4—310 

 No. 4 to No. 5—250 

 No. 5 to No. 6—240 

 No. 6 to No. 7—230 



The distance between adjacent bastions decreases along the curved 

 portion of the ditch that forms the northern edge of the village. 

 This fact suggests that the location of each defensive feature was 

 carefully planned in relation to the whole. Eeducing the distance be- 

 tween the bastions on a curved section of wall was a necessity if the 

 enfilade was not to be lost. Otherwise there would be blind areas 

 along the wall which could not be reached by the defenders' fire. It 

 is worth noting that the bastions at the Black Partizan site (39LM 

 218), a short distance to the south of the Hickey Brothers site, average 

 only 150 feet apart. Here the ditch forms a great oval, thus demand- 

 ing a shorter bastion interval. The fortifications at the Hickey 

 Brothers site, from a functional point of view, were efficient and well 

 thought out. 



Within the area enclosed by the defensive ditch are a number of 

 shallow, circular depressions of various sizes. The largest are about 

 50 feet in diameter and seldom deeper than 0.5 foot at the center. 

 Such depressions are scattered widely over the site but with no ap- 

 parent pattern of arrangement. Since they appeared to be house 

 depressions, a number were tested, both by area excavation and trench 

 or pit tests. In only three cases was there firm evidence of aboriginal 

 occupation (see below). 



EXCAVATION PKOCEDURE 



A grid system was utilized in conjunction with a detailed map of 

 the site made by a Missouri Basin Project reconnaissance party in 

 1956. A north-south base line, paralleling the long axis of the site, 

 was established from a primary datum located at the southwest cor- 

 ner of the ranchhouse foundation mentioned above (fig. 53) . An east- 

 west line, perpendicular to the initial base line was extended from 

 the primary datum to a point beyond the western edge of the ditch. 



