Riv. Bas. Sur. jene 
Pap, No. 27] STAR VILLAGE—METCALF 109 
(32ML2) and were abundant at the Nightwalkers Butte in the Bull 
Pasture site, 32ML39. From South Dakota they have been reported 
from the Dodd and Phillips Ranch sites (Lehmer, 1954, pp. 68, 111). 
Bones showing cutting marks—A fragment of deer or antelope 
rib from Feature 1 shows hacking marks on the posterior edge. The 
narrow cuts are such as might have been produced by several blows 
from a sharp, heavy knife. From the large ceremonial structure, 
Feature 12, came the fragmentary horn core of an immature bison. 
A smooth, slanting cut along one side of the portion of skull still at- 
tached to the core shows it to have been removed by sawing. The 
core shows several ax-cuts at the base, suggesting an unsuccessful 
attempt to chop the core from the skull, after which it was removed 
with asaw. River Basin Surveys collections from such undocumented 
early contact sites as Phillips Ranch (39ST14), Buffalo Pasture 
(389ST6), and Cheyenne River (39ST1) contain a large number of 
bison horn cores which have been removed from the skull with some 
care. 
WORKED SHELL 
River mussels evidently played a very minor part in the economy 
of the Arikara of 1862. Only four fragments of such shells were 
found at the site. One of these, from Feature 8, shows a few marks on 
one edge which may have resulted from cutting or scraping. All have 
been identified as Anodonta grandis plana Lea, by Dr. J. P. E. Mor- 
rison, Division of Mollusks, United States National Museum. This 
species is widespread in the streams of the Plains area and prefers 
streams with relatively clear water and with sandy or sandy mud 
bottoms. They were probably gathered from the small tributary 
streams rather than from the Missouri. 
The one definitely worked shell object from the site is a broken 
abalone shell pendant from Feature 1. Although the base has been 
broken away it appears originally to have been trianguloid in outline, 
with the apex cut squarely across (pl. 12,7). It has been shaped by 
sawing with a sharp flint or by scratching grooves with a sharp stone 
or metal point which occasionally slipped, marring the surface of the 
object about the edges. The oval perforation, which is near the small 
end, was drilled from the exterior surface. There is little or no polish 
on the object except for such as might be produced by use. It meas- 
ures, broken, 3.2 cm. in length, 2.2 cm. in maximum width, and 1.1 
em. in width at the smaller end. Denig, writing of the Crows, prob- 
ably in 1856, says: “In large slits through the ears are tied sea shells 
cut into angular shapes, which are of a changeable blue and green 
color. These shells find their way from the coast of California through 
the different nations until handed to the Crows in exchange for other 
property” (Denig, 1953, p. 33). Although the Arikara may have 
obtained these and other West Coast marine shells in this way, it is 
