28 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY 



Virginia. — During the period September 10-November 18, 1962, 

 Carl F. Miller conducted excavations in four sites in the Smith Moun- 

 tain and Leesville Keservoir areas. Data obtained indicate that the 

 cultural range represented extended from the terminal phase of Late 

 Archaic around 4000 B.C. to the Middle Woodland Period at about 

 A.D. 500. One of the characteristic artifacts normally associated 

 with such remains, namely, stone projectile points, was scarce, while 

 ceramics and bone tools were rather plentiful. There were numerous 

 portions and fragments from clay tobacco pipes. As a matter of fact, 

 those particular objects were much more numerous than has been 

 indicated by evidence from that general area. 



Mr. Miller returned to the Smith Mountain Project area on May 

 15, 1963, and from that date until the end of the fiscal year was 

 occupied in the excavation of the Hales Ford site (44FR15). In 

 the work there thirty-seven 10-foot squares were dug to a depth of 

 5 feet ; 136 features and 1 partial burial were recovered. The burial, 

 representing an early Middle Woodland Phase, was that of a male 

 who was about 60 years of age at the time of death. Mortuary ojffer- 

 ings consisted of two turtle-shell dishes. The use of turtle shells 

 for dishes apparently was a well-established trait at that location. 

 At least two new pottery types were found at the Hales Ford site, 

 and they were apparently correlated to a similar textile-impressed 

 type found in the John H. Kerr Eeservoir area farther south on the 

 Eoanoke River. The latter, however, produced much less of this 

 type than the Smith Mountain Reservoir. The significance of this 

 will need to be determined by further studies in the laboratory. The 

 projectile points recovered are sufficient in number to illustrate a 

 developmental series. This also is true of clay pipes. The bone mate- 

 rial was particularly well preserved, and several new types of arti- 

 facts were recovered. Potsherds number into the thousands, and it 

 will be possible to restore a number of vessels from them. No Euro- 

 pean material was found at the site, which apparently was abandoned 

 well before the White man's influence reached that part of 

 Virginia. No evidence was obtained relative to habitations and con- 

 sequently nothing is known of the type of dwelling used at that 

 locality. 



The material from the combined work in the fall of 1962 and the 

 spring of 1963 will give an excellent source of information about a 

 fairly long period of occupation in the upper reaches of the Roanoke 

 River. 



ARCHIVES 



The Bureau archives continued under the custody of Mrs. Margaret 

 C. Blaker, archivist. She was assisted throughout the year by Miss 



