pI^.N^alTf EXCAVATIONS AT FORT LOOKOUT II — MILLER 59 



the ubiquitous glass trade beads. The top and the upper portions of 

 the vertical walls were fire stained, while the lower portions lacked the 

 discoloration. The pit probably was partially filled with debris before 

 the structure burned. It measured 3.8 feet in length, 2.3 feet in width, 

 and was 0.5 foot in depth. For a "wine cellar" it would have been 

 rather shallow, but it is possible some of the upper portions were 

 removed in the earlier excavations before the feature was recognized. 

 Feature 11 was somewhat more regular in outline and deeper. The 

 pit was 6.5 feet long, 4.0 feet wide, and 0.8 foot deep. In the top layer 

 of the fill were pieces of charred beams lying parallel to each other and 

 to the long axis of the pit. Beneath them in the well-mixed ash-laden 

 debris was an abundance of glass trade beads, none of which had 

 suffered from the action of the fire. There were some gi-eenish-colored 

 beads which retained their shape until touched or disturbed, w^hen 

 they immediately crumbled into powder. Apparently there was some- 

 thing in the soil which affected them. 



Adjoining firepits. Features 16a and 16b, were found near the north- 

 ern limits of the structural area. Both had consisted of a shallow, 

 excavated basin with an encircling rim of mud plaster. Feature 16a 

 showed considerable use in that the pit was filled with a whitish ash. 

 A portion of it was subsequently destroyed when the later firepit, 16b, 

 was placed alongside it. The second pit was almost filled with ash and 

 bits of charcoal, showing that it too had functioned for some time. 

 The upper portions of both pits contained the usual deposits : ash-filled 

 soil, bits of charcoal, glass trade beads, and a few square-cut nails. In 

 16a was a single brass earring of the type used for pierced ears. 



The last features found on this level were three circular basin-shaped 

 midden pits, Nos. 12, 20, and 22, ranging from 2.5 to 4.0 feet in diam- 

 eter. They probably were not cache pits since their depths, 0.3 to 0.5 

 foot, were so shallow. Rather, they appeared to have been dug pri- 

 marily for the disposal of refuse. The material in them consisted of 

 ash-filled soil, scraps of buffalo bones, square-cut nails, and a few glass 

 trade beads. There were a few scattered post molds throughout the 

 area, but they formed no definite pattern and could not be correlated 

 with any of the other features. Their purpose is problematical. 



After this level was thoroughly investigated, the area was lowered 

 another 0.2 foot and a number of shallow hemispherical trenches filled 

 with ash, small particles of clay briquettes, and darkened soil were 

 encountered. Some of them formed a definite pattern, as shown on the 

 plan for the third level (fig. 5), while others started and ended ab- 

 ruptly without appearing to follow any particular plan. The eastern 

 limits of the trenches were well defined, but the western and northern 

 ends could not be traced since they petered out in both directions. 

 There is little question that they indicate some form of structure. 



