76 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [boll. 118 



corners. Each corner was finished in a different manner, as shown 

 in figure 32. The horizontal molds of this structure, as is generally 

 the case where they are found, are of smaller diameter than the ver- 

 tical posts, and they are often crooked, as if the logs which formed 

 them had been pulled out of shape by being tightly bound to the 

 vertical posts. There were no horizontal molds inside the post-mold 

 pattern. 



The outstanding feature of this secondary floor were a clay seat 

 and an elaborate fireplace or altar. The clay seat, Feature No. 7, 

 is shown in plate 130, a. The dimensions of this two-step seat are 

 given in figure 33. The seat was made of hard-packed clay, seem- 

 ingly baked by fire. The surface was smooth and the whole 

 well preserved. It was located against the east wall nonsym- 

 metrically, as shown in figure 32, and thus faced the west. The post 

 molds of the wall came up directly against the back of the top step. 

 The dimensions of the steps, particularly the 6-inch elevation of the 

 top step over the lower, which was 9 inches thick, did not make a 

 convenient seat when used as one might use a modern chair. How- 

 ever, when one sat cross-legged on the top step, the lower step was in 

 just the right position to be quite comfortable. Both the steps had 

 slightly concave surfaces. It would seem that this seat was used by 

 the "presiding officer" at functions conducted within this building. 

 It is easy to imagine that the comfort of such a seat would be in- 

 creased by covering it with a skin of deer or bear when used on 

 occasions of ceremony. In addition, one can imagine that the wall 

 immediately behind served not only as a "back" for the seat, but 

 on occasions of moment was decorated with the emblems of sig- 

 nificance and implements of service, as reported by early travelers in 

 other parts of the country. 



Feature No. 6 was a clay fireplace or altar on the secondary floor. 

 This altar was made of hard-baked clay and was 6 feet square. The 

 top surface was raised 3 inches above the secondary floor. The cor- 

 ners were slightly rounded, and near each was a circular concave 

 basin 19 inches in diameter and 2 inches deep, as shown in plate 

 133, a. Portions of this altar were well preserved, but some of the 

 corners were cracked and broken away, in a manner suggesting in- 

 tentional partial destruction by their last associates. A portion of 

 these fragments was removed by workmen before its nature was dis- 

 covered. The basins had been very carefully wrought. The surfaces 

 were smooth and of regular curvature, and all four were remarkably 

 uniform in size and symmetrically placed. Further, while the altar 

 was near the center of the structure it was not symmetrically placed 

 with reference to the wall, but was so nearly oriented along the car- 

 dinal directions as to show no deviation therefrom by field methods 



