webb] ARCHAEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF NORRIS BASIN 129 



to the needs of primitive people in search of shelter. It is situated 

 at the base of a rocky hill which rises precipitately from a culti- 

 vated field which sloped downward toward the base of the hill, with 

 opening on the west 



The mouth, shown in plate 84, a, situated as it was at the lowest 

 elevation, had had to accept the drainage from the field, with the 

 result that about one-third of the width of the floor along the south 

 wall had been washed down to bedrock. Many large rocks cum- 

 bered the floor at a point beginning about 60 feet from the mouth 

 and extending several hundred feet. Beyond the rocks it was im- 

 possible to make explorations, due to the deep clay mud and water 

 which covered the floor. The presence of an old boat suggested the 

 possibility of a rather extensive cavern containing much water. 



The mouth of the cave faces the road, which is not more than 300 

 yards distant. Several stone mounds were reported a short way 

 down the road, but when these were located it was discovered that 

 they had been so badly disturbed that they were hardly recogniza- 

 ble as mounds. It would have been interesting to determine whether 

 the same people who built the cairns (stone mounds) occupied the 

 neighboring caves. Unfortunately such a small amount of material 

 was recovered from the stone mounds that it seemed quite impossible 

 to make any worth-while comparisons with the specimens which had 

 been recovered from the caves. 



Excavation was begun along the edge of the wash, following the 

 bedrock toward the north wall. The midden material consisted of 

 ashes, charcoal, shell, animal bones, and humus. Eight pestles were 

 recovered from the small space excavated. In addition, 2 mortars, a 

 deer-antler chisel, 53 bone implements, 2 antler-tip arrow points, a 

 steatite potsherd, and a sandstone potsherd were found. 



At the south side of the mouth and beneath a shallow deposit of 

 talus and earth the partial remains of a child and an adult were 

 found. Of the child burial, only a few fragments of the cranium 

 remained. In the case of the adult the skull was missing and a few 

 badly decayed fragments of long bones remained. A local inhabi- 

 tant informed us that several men had done some digging in the 

 cave 2 years before and had recovered several skulls, which fact 

 probably accounts for the disturbed condition of the burials. 



Pottery 



Typical sherds are shown in plate 84, b. This picture includes 

 sherds of carved steatite and drilled sandstone. All pottery is gravel 

 tempered, fairly hard, coarse texture, plain rims, with no lugs or 

 handles. Surface decorations show: (1) cord- wrapped small cylin- 



154676—38 10 



