plp.Nalsf ' ^*^^'^ PIERRE II — SMITH 125 



The remnants of floor sills and joists found here reveal that this 

 building had originally been furnished with a flooring of planks or 

 puncheons, but no remnants of such flooring were found, and it may 

 have been destroyed by the fire that destroyed the building, or subse- 

 quently removed for use as fuel. In addition to evidence of the fact 

 that the building had been floored, several small subfloor pits were 

 found on excavation. These pits may have been in use prior to the 

 construction of the flooring (which may itself have been introduced 

 after the completion of the exterior) , and the pits may not have been 

 accessible after the flooring was provided. These small shallow pits, 

 which varied in diameter from II/2 to 3% feet, and in depth from 1 

 to 3 feet, were uninformative, some being void of specimen material, 

 others containing only random bits of construction or household debris. 

 They did not appear to have been made specifically for storage or 

 refuse pits, and their use is obscure. 



The excavation of this building site produced larger quantities of 

 small specimens, derived from both construction and use of the struc- 

 ture, than were obtained from the dwelling site (House-site A). 

 Quantities of nails were found, of various sizes (though lacking large 

 spikes), fragments of window glass, some scorched and melted and 

 some undamaged, two plaster fragments, and numerous bits of adobe- 

 clay chinking, originally used between wall timbers), some of which 

 had been partially fused by the action of fire. Relatively few of the 

 objects obtained were derived from ordinary household debris, though 

 a quantity of sherds of glazed earthenware was found, with fragments 

 of various glass bottles (one of them the seal of a wine bottle) and a 

 quantity of food-refuse bones. Personal possessions and trade goods 

 were present in some numbers, including fragments of firearms, gun 

 flints, cartridge cases, a jackknife, clay-pipe fragments, small glass 

 beads, and garment buttons of various kinds (including a few military 

 buttons, which may be derived from the use of the site by military 

 personnel, or from the use of surplus military garments by Indians). 

 Unusual objects found include the foot of a china doll and two U.S. 

 silver coins, a quarter of a dollar and a dime, both bearing the mint 

 date 1857, such as would have been in general circulation during the 

 years in which Fort Pierre II was used. 



Objects of special interest from this site are some probably derived 

 from visits to the building of Indian customers, during trading ses- 

 sions. They include a group of cut antler-tine objects (similar to those 

 used by many native peoples for pressure-flaking of stone), several 

 incomplete catlinite tobacco pipes, and small rounded gaming pieces 

 made of glazed earthenware. A pear-shaped catlinite object and a 

 catlinite ball are perhaps souvenir "pocket pieces" of White traders 

 and visitors. 



