BULLETIN, PUBLIC MUSEUM, MILWAUKEE. [Vol. III. 



PREFACE 



Early in the summer of 1917 the Board of Trustees of the Public 

 Museum of the City of Milwaukee directed its Department of An- 

 thropology to survey and excavate a group of mounds in Wisconsin. 

 Upon the recommendation of Trustee George A. West, himself the 

 author of several valuable works on Wisconsin archeology, a pre- 

 liminary reconnaissance was made of the shores of Buffalo lake, in 

 Marquette County, on June thirteenth and fourteenth. Mr. West's 

 judgment concerning the desirability of choosing this region as a 

 site for excavations was amply justified by the wealth of aboriginal 

 remains which were found. 



After a cursory investigation of these shores two sites were se- 

 lected as the most favorable. One of these was the large group lo- 

 cated on the Neale farm on the south shore of the lake and directly 

 opposite the town of Packwaukee. The owners, Messrs Samuel R. 

 and William H. Neale, very kindly consented to allow the survey 

 and excavation of this site. As matters developed this was impos- 

 sible in the time available but it is hoped that this work may be done 

 later. 



The second site is what is known as the Kratz Creek group. 

 This is located largely on the property of Mr. Ferdinand Kratz, 

 who very generously gave his consent to its excavation. The west 

 end of this group lies on property belonging to Mr. L. J. Dartt, to 

 Mr. G. Zarbrook and in the county highway. Mr. Dartt very kindly 

 permitted excavations to be conducted on his property, while the 

 four mounds on the Zarbrook premises were only surveyed. 



On July sixteenth our party left Milwaukee for the Kratz Creek 

 site, equipped with all necessary tools for excavating and with the 

 requisite instruments for making a careful survey. 



The party comprised four members of the department: Mr. J. 

 A. Jeske, Mr. W. O. Johnson, and the two authors. 



First a very careful survey was made with the transit and an 

 adequate cross section system of stakes was established. From 

 these the reckonings, both horizontal and vertical, were made as 



