Riv. Bas. Snr. hICKEY SITE — CALDWELL, MADISON, GOLDEN 275 



I'ap. Pso. oDj ' 



Zone 2 — 0.4-0.8 foot to 1.0-1.4 feet below surface is limited to a dark-brown 

 humus horizon. It is lacking in some portions of the site so that locally, 

 zone 1 may be in direct contact with zone 3. Artifacts were present in 

 this layer together with small quantities of recent material. 



Zone 3 — 1.0-1.4 feet to limit of excavation is a dry, compact, silty deposit (loess), 

 light gray in color. Aboriginal material was found in the upper part 

 of this layer. 



As noted above, the majority of excavation units reached a depth 

 of only 4.0 feet below surface ; however, the central pit in Feature 8 

 was carried to 12.0 feet. Here there was a gradual transition (3.5-5.0 

 feet) from the matrix of zone 3 to a layer of silt and sand. The sandy 

 texture increased from 5.0 to 6.6 feet. From 6.6 to 7.5 feet the deposit 

 consisted of brown clay with areas of dark carbon staining. The pit 

 terminated in gravel at 10.0 to 12.0 feet. 



In the section of the defensive ditch excavated adjacent to Feature 

 4, the southeast bastion, there was a black midden deposit slightly 

 below the present ground surface. It undoubtedly accumulated as 

 refuse thrown in the ditch (see p. 276) . 



FEATUKES 



The term "Feature" was applied to anything at the site which 

 required description or discussion. After designating the site as 

 Feature 1, and the defensive system as Feature 2, numbers were as- 

 signed consecutively to cultural phenomena and to each excavation 

 imit (i.e., trench or test pit) (see fig. 53). Actually, only a small 

 proportion of the features represent the former ; the majority desig- 

 nate excavation units. 



In the course of the 1958 season, a number of the surface depressions 

 were examined and a large portion of the site was investigated by 

 means of test pits. In addition, one bastion was excavated, a section 

 of the palisade wall was exposed, and two transverse trenches were 

 cut across the defensive ditch. 



Test trenches. — Four trenches were excavated; three of them (Fea- 

 tures 8, 10, and 11) were intended to test well-marked depressions 

 within the village enclosure. Feature 9 was excavated beyond the 

 southern limits of the defensive ditch in order to test for cultural 

 material outside of the fortified area. The test trenches were 5.0 

 feet wide and ranged from 35.0 to 50.0 feet long. Each was dug to a 

 depth of 2.0 feet below surface, then a 5.0 by 5.0 foot section in the 

 center of the trench was continued downward to ascertain if cultural 

 material lay at a greater depth. 



In Features 8 and 9, the fill was entirely sterile. Metal, brick, 

 crockery, and other objects of recent origin were present on the sur- 



661-932-- 64 20 



