webb] ARCHAEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF NORRIS BASIN 1Q5 



neath Feature No. 16. In this structure the symmetry of the place- 

 ment of four large molds, one near each corner, should be noted. 

 These probably were made by roof supports. 



Feature No. 13. — Near stake 3.4 was a burned-clay fireplace associ- 

 ated with Feature No. 12. This fireplace was 3.3 feet above the hard- 

 pan, and was approximately 34 by 32 inches, with a maximum depth 

 of 9 inches. The pit was well defined but irregular in shape. It was 

 constructed of burned yellow clay. It was located near the north 

 side of structure Feature No. 12. It was filled with ashes and char- 

 coal and there was one stone discoidal close by. 



Feature No. 1^. — South of stake 4.4 was a well-defined pit of 

 elaborate construction. The top of this pit was 3.3 feet above the 

 hardpan. This pit was 53 inches long, 48 inches wide, and had an 

 interior depth of 34 inches. Figure 47 is a plan of this pit. The 

 red clay sides of this pit extended about 2 inches above the floor of 

 the structure Feature No. 12. When the pit was cleared of ashes it 

 was found that the clay walls had been burned to a depth of 3 feet. 

 The floor was lined with pine bark which had been charred. Charred 

 wood — evidently small posts set on end — was found around the south 

 end of the pit. It was later determined that this vertical-post wall 

 had been placed around the whole pit. The south portion of the 

 floor was heaped with chunks of burned clay, under which was found 

 a layer of split cane weaving. When the top layer of weaving was 

 removed four stone discoidals, one large, were found. Two of these 

 had been cracked by heat. Pieces of a charred bone tool and a large 

 chunk of graphite were also found. This bone implement, when 

 restored, appeared to be a spear point (pi. 68, b) quite similar to 

 others found on this site. These articles were embedded in a charred 

 black mass of light and porous material. No structure remained. 

 This black carbonaceous material seemed to have been fused by heat 

 and then reduced to carbon. Nothing remained to suggest its origi- 

 nal form. Under this mass was more cane weaving, lying on the 

 bark-covered floor. 



No charred bones, either human or animal, other than the tool 

 mentioned, could be found in the ashes, although a careful search 

 was made on the supposition that this might have been a cremation. 



From the fact that there was charred cane matting both above 

 and below the artifacts, it appeared that these objects, with some 

 form of carbonaceous material, had been placed in a bag or box of 

 woven fabric and put on the bark-covered floor of the pit, which was 

 lined with small vertical posts. The whole was then burned, and as 

 the walls of wood were consumed in part, portions of the clay wall 

 fell off in chunks on top of the material in the pit. Finally the pit 

 was filled with ashes. Plate 60, a, shows this pit with walls extend- 



