34 



BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY 



[Bull. 176 



the Fort Randall Dam. It is on the first terrace of the right bank 

 of the Missouri River in Gregory County, S. Dak. 



EXCAVATION 



During the summer of 1952 the writer and a party of six con- 

 ducted archeological excavations in the area of site 39GR15 for a 

 period of 4 weeks. Tlie structural remains excavated, a brickkiln, in- 

 dicated temporal and physical association with the Fort Randall 

 military post. The main excavations were undertaken in a low hum- 

 mock area located near the center of the cornfield. This area was 

 marked by a surface concentration of broken brick (pi. 1, a) and a 

 marginal distribution of glass, chinaware, and metal fragments. A 

 small ground elevation 160 feet north of this hummock was also in- 

 vestigated but proved to be sterile of cultural remains. 



Structural features were located immediately below the topsoil of 

 the hummock. Two parallel rows of brick were uncovered, each 24 

 feet long and separated from each other by a 9-inch width of 

 sterile clay. The northernmost row was formed by alternating pat- 

 terns of brick, lateral sides together or butt ends positioned against 

 lateral sides (fig. 1). The succeeding fragmentary rows to the south 

 were of single pattern, the brick joined with lateral sides together 



39GRI5 



PLAN OF EXCAVATED FEATURES 

 OF FORT RANDALL BRICK KILN 



MORTAR STRIP 

 BRICK 



ASH CONCENTRATION 

 ^ _J 



Figure 1. — Site plan of the Fort Randall brickkiln showing locatlonsof the various features 



