38 



BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY 



[Boll. 176 



was a corral stockade (fig. 2). The area thus located by testing was 

 the latter of these two and no evidence of the former was found either 

 in the tests or the excavations. Tliis negative evidence resulting from 

 considerable testing and searching probably indicates the removal of 

 post buildings and stockade timbers by the settlers of the 1870's. 



Following the discovery of the corral stockade, an exploratory 

 trench 92.5 feet long (pi. 5, h) disclosed a row of cedar-post butt re- 

 mains bisecting the north-south axis of the cultivated fields. The bot- 

 tom of this trench was 2.5 feet below the existing surface of the field. 

 The original depth of the trench in which the posts had been set is 



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WHETSTONE ARMY POST 

 PALISADED AREA , SITE NO. 39GR4 



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Figure 2. — Site plan of the Whetstone Indian Agency and Army Post, corral area, showing 

 locations of the various features. 



unknown owing to the disturbed condition of the ground resulting 

 from 20 years of cultivation and the recent flood damage. This 

 proved to be the north wall of the corral area and had been destroyed 

 by fire, as indicated by the charred remains of the proximal ends of 

 the posts. Continued excavation of the area to the south of this 

 north wall provided a clearly defined trench (pi. 4, a, and fig. 2) that 

 formed an irregular rectangle surromiding the confines of the site. 

 This trench, 2.5 feet deep, averaged 1.3 feet in width. It was 102.5 

 feet in length on the north side and 100.5 feet in length on the south 

 side. The west side was 24.0 feet in length and the east side was 26.0 

 feet in length. These dimensions coincide closely with those indi- 

 cated on the ground plan of Whetstone Indian Agency and Army 

 Post as being the stockade that enclosed the corral, stables, teamster 

 grounds, and harness shop. 



It was only in the north wall and southeast comer of the stockade 

 that post remains were found. The absence of post remains in the 

 trenches of the east, south, and west walls may be due to their removal 



