webb] ARCHAEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF NORRIS BASIN \ffl 



Feature No. %. — Along the south wall at stake 6.1 to 6.4 there was 

 a layer of burned clay which appeared to be a portion of an old 

 floor or roof made of bark or wood which had clay over it. Fire 

 burned on the clay had charred the wood and bark. Unfortunately 

 the layer extended into the wall of the trench away from the mound, 

 and thus lay under a portion of the area which could not be exca- 

 vated. Also it was already covered over by tons of earth from 

 the mound when discovered. The conditions under which permis- 

 sion had been given by the owner for the excavation did not permit 

 unlimited exploitation in this direction, and it was not possible to 

 trace this layer as far as it would have been desirable. However, 

 a small extension of the trench under a portion of this burned layer 

 uncovered a pit which had been dug into the old village floor and 

 in which Burials Nos. 4 and 7 had been placed. Before the bodies 

 were placed in this pit sand had been sprinkled and bark had been 

 laid on the bottom and upright on the sides. After the bodies had 

 been deposited more bark and wood had been laid over them and 

 over this had been placed a layer of clay upon which a fire had 

 been burned. 



Feature No. S. — From stakes 4.1 to 5.1, on the south side of the 

 mound, there was a series of eight horizontal posts, laid parallel, 

 each succeeding one being at a higher level. They formed a stair- 

 way starting on the village floor level and gradually ascending to 

 the prepared floor of the tertiary structure. From the top step a 

 short ramp led to the floor, as shown in plate 111. The length of 

 the entire stairway was 11 feet and the width 6.5 feet. The average 

 rise per step was 6 inches. The logs were about 18 inches apart. 

 The preservation of the lower logs was poor, but the upper logs 

 were in much better condition. They were preserved in the hope 

 that they might be useful in determining the age of this structure. 

 It should, perhaps, be pointed out that such steps might have been 

 used to gain access to the roof of a "town house." It is well known 

 that among certain tribes in the early colonial time persons regularly 

 went upon the roof of the town house when occasion demanded. 1 



Feature No. 4-- — Scattered in groups from 6 inches to 14 inches 

 above the primary floor were more than 200 irregular rocks. One 

 pile, containing 58 stones, associated with midden was found. This 

 stone pile is shown in plate 112. Nothing was found under these 

 stones and no reason was discovered for their presence in this site. 



Feature No. 5. — On the village floor and approximately in the 

 center of the primary structure there was a clay pit. The pit was 45 

 inches in diameter and 10 inches deep. It was well made and was 

 found filled with ashes, burned animal bones, and potsherds. While 



i Timberlake, 1927, pp. 101-105. 



