EIGHTY-FIRST ANNUAL REPORT 9 



At the end of the fiscal year the permanent staff consisted of 19 

 persons; these were, in addition to the chief, 7 archeologists, 1 ad- 

 ministrative officer, 1 secretary, 1 administrative clerk (typist), 1 

 clerk-typist, 1 scientific illustrator, 1 photographer, 4 museum aides, 

 and 1 laborer. The temporary staff consisted of 73 persons. There 

 were 2 archeologists, 5 cooks, and 66 field crewmen. 



During the year there were 24 Smithsonian Institution, Eiver Basin 

 Surveys, field parties at work in the Missouri Basin. Eleven of these 

 were in operation during July and August, 2 during October and No- 

 vember, and 11 during June. 



At the beginning of the year John J. Hoffman and a crew of 10 

 men were excavating at the La Roche sites (39ST9, 39ST232)2 in the 

 Big Bend Eeservoir of central South Dakota. Site 39ST9, on the 

 right bank of the Missouri near the mouth of P L creek, consists of 

 about 90 house depressions scattered over an area of about 80 acres. 

 Seven circular houses were excavated, all of which were essentially 

 similar and which appear to be representative of the Chouteau Aspect. 



The site also produced evidence of the Grand Detour Phase, an 

 early development within the prehistoric Middle Missouri Tradition, 

 as well as a small oval structure assignable, on the basis of the ceramics, 

 to the Plains Woodland Phase. Fortunately, the stratigraphic evi- 

 dence is clear. The Plains Woodland component precedes the Grand 

 Detour component which in turn underlies the principal Chouteau 

 occupation. While these temporal relationships have been recognized 

 for some time, there have been few instances of such satisfactory super- 

 imposition. 



Site 39ST232 occupies something less than 40 acres of level terrace 

 iy2 miles north of 39ST9. Of the six or seven depressions visible, two 

 were investigated. Both proved to contain circular houses of the 

 Chouteau Aspect. However, one was distinctive in its large diameter 

 (75 feet) and in the presence of six central support posts instead of the 

 usual pattern of four. On the basis of artifacts and architectural 

 evidence, the Chouteau components of 39ST232 and 39ST9 appear 

 to be intimately related. The field party completed work on August 

 30, after 79 days in the field. 



A second field party of nine men, directed by Richard E. Jensen, 

 was at work in the cul-de-sac in the central part of the Big Bend 

 Reservoir. This region, on the left bank of the Missouri, within the 

 great bend that gives the reservoir its name, contains a large number 



2 Site designations used by the River Basin Surveys are trinomial in character, con- 

 sisting of symbols for State, county, and site. The State is Indicated by the first number, 

 according to the numerical position of the State name in an alphabetical list of the 

 United States ; thus, for example, 32 indicates North Dakota, 39 indicates South Dakota. 

 Counties are designated by a two-letter abbreviation ; for example, ME for Mercer County, 

 MN for Mountrail County, etc. The final number refers to the specific site within the 

 indicated State and county. 



