18 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY 



floors of the circular houses were li^ to 21/^ feet below the surface, 

 while those of the rectangular structures were 3% to 4 feet. Other 

 features excavated in this site include a burial pit with the remains of 

 five individuals, and evidence of burning over the top of the corpses. 

 The party also excavated a circular house and a large portion of the 

 stockade line at the nearby site, 39ST50. This small fortified village 

 of the late 18th or early 19th century may possibly be the Truteau vil- 

 lage of the mid-1790's. Glass bottles and considerable metal were 

 found in the site. Dr. Wedel's party disbanded on August 19, after 8 

 weeks of excavation. 



The fourth Eiver Basin Surveys party in the Oahe Reservoir area 

 was directed by Donald D. Hartle. It consisted of a crew of seven and 

 shared a joint field camp with the Wedel party. This party dug test 

 excavations in three sites during the season. At 39ST11, two houses, 

 nine cache pits, and several other features were excavated. The houses 

 were small rectangular structures with single end posts, evenly spaced 

 side-wall posts, and entrance ramps. Of especial interest was the 

 small size and short-rectangular shape of these houses, distinguishing 

 them from the long-rectangular structures of more usual occurrence. 

 Architecture and artifact collections suggest affiliation with the 

 early sedentary Anderson Focus of the 14th or 15th centuries. An- 

 other interesting feature was the remains of three people who had died 

 within a corner of one of the houses. With them were a whole pottery 

 vessel and some fragments of basketry. In 39ST23, a dwelling house, 

 a ceremonial lodge, several cache pits, a palisade and fortification 

 ditch, and several other features were excavated. The pottery and 

 circular houses suggest an Arikara occupation of perhaps the 17th or 

 18th century. The ceremonial house contained an altar, and the wall 

 posts were set in a trench around the base of the wall. At 39ST45, 

 three houses, several cache pits, two palisade bastions, and several 

 other features were excavated. This site was occupied at two differ- 

 ent tunes at least, since one house was rectangular and two were circu- 

 lar. The rectangular house was short and smaU and represents an 

 occupation very closely related to that of site 39ST11. The circular 

 house occupation was not entirely clear, but appears to have been 

 representative of a culture pattern somewhat earlier than that of site 

 39ST23. The two palisade bastions were oval in pattern and ex- 

 tended laterally from a fortification palisade. This field party ended 

 its work on August 24, after 9 weeks in the field. 



The River Basin Surveys' mobile survey and testing crew of three, 

 under the direction of Harold A. Huscher, moved from the Big 

 Bend Reservoir area on September 3 and began a site survey and 

 testing operation in the Oahe Reservoir area between the mouth of 

 the Cheyenne River and Whitlocks Crossing on the right bank of the 

 Missouri River. Heavy vegetation growth and much rain during 



