wbbb] ARCHAEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF NORRIS BASIN 195 



The Interior of the Town House 



On the floor of a number of these "small-log" town houses, under the 

 burned structures, there have been found quite similar and rather 

 permanent forms of furniture, constructed of baked clay, which seem 

 to be characteristic of this type of town house. They have been 

 called "seats" and "altars" for lack of better terms, but with no at- 

 tempt to assert any positive knowledge as to their purpose. They 

 definitely suggest a very similar use for these houses on Sites Nos. 2, 

 5, 6, 8, 9, and possibly others. The manner of construction of these 

 clay objects and their general uniformity in dimension and placement 

 within the town house would appear to indicate that very similar 

 ceremonies were conducted on these seemingly related sites. Clay 

 seats to the number of six, from five different sites, have been found. 

 Each seat was built with its back against the structure wall, generally 

 near the center of the wall, and it appears to have been designed for 

 use by the "presiding officer." While slight variations in size and 

 minor variations in form of these seats occur, the outstanding fact that 

 each is made of two broad flat steps, the top one not so thick as the 

 lower, seems significant. It is believed that they were designed to be 

 used by the chief or presiding officer, sitting cross-legged on the top 

 shelf with feet resting on the second shelf. The whole intent seems 

 to have been to raise this person, when seated, several feet above the 

 level of any others who might sit in similar fashion on the cane 

 matting spread in a strip on the floor against the remaining walls of 

 the structure. In several cases split-cane impressions have been 

 found in strips about 5 feet wide, against the walls inside and com- 

 pletely encircling the building; starting at one side of the "chief's 

 seat" and ending on the other side. The center of the floor, a rectangle 

 about the "altar", does not show such impressions, but presents a 

 definitely smooth, hard surface. 



For purposes of comparison, photographs of these seats are shown 

 together in plates 128-131, inclusive. In general appearance they are 

 quite similar. All definitely show the top step less in height than the 

 lower step. The lower steps may vary in height and in form, but the 

 top steps are fairly uniform in all dimensions, especially in height. 



The method of construction seems to have been to build up clay to 

 the approximate form desired, and, by kneading and pounding while 

 soft, to make it very compact. The clay selected for these seats was 

 always of a pure variety — red, yellow, or white — but containing no 

 humus or midden material. The body of the construction was quite 

 hard and uniform. Over this hard and well-formed structure a layer 

 of clay from 0.5 to 0.75 inch in thickness was plastered while it was 

 quite plastic. This coating was troweled to a smooth surface and 



