12 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY 



After completing the survey at Center Hill, Dr. Willey proceeded 

 to Knoxville, Tenn., where he discussed archeological problems with 

 members of the Department of Anthropology at the University of 

 Tennessee. From there he returned to Washington and prepared his 

 report. He returned to his regular duties as a member of the Bureau 

 staff on October 1. 



Ohlahoma. — ^David J. Wenner, Jr., was appointed field assistant 

 on July 29, 1947, and proceeded to make a survey of the Hulah Reser- 

 voir basin on the Caney River in Oklahoma. The area to be in- 

 undated by this project is not large and he was able to cover it in a 

 few days' time. He found four sites, all apparently camping places, 

 and because of their meager nature, did not believe them worthy of 

 further investigation. From the Hulah region he proceeded to the 

 Fort Gibson Reservoir project on the Grand (Neosho) River. A 

 rapid survey of that basin located 24 sites consisting of 1 mound 

 group, 1 bluff shelter, and the remains of 22 villages or camps. All but 

 three of the sites will be covered by water. The most important is the 

 mound group known as the Norman site. It originally consisted of 

 six earth mounds and a large surrounding village area. Some work 

 was done in four of the lesser mounds a number of years ago by the 

 University of Oklahoma. One of the two remaining mounds is the 

 largest at the site and is connected to an adjacent low mound by a 

 ramp. Small test excavations have been made in the low mound 

 but the large one is virtually intact. It represents a stage of cultural 

 florescence in the southern United States about which very little is 

 known and may be comparable in scientific wealth to the famous Spiro 

 mounds, located in an adjacent county, destroyed by treasure hunters 

 some 15 years ago. Excavation of the Norman mound probably 

 would provide information essential to dating the Spiro-type culture 

 which presumably was the forerunner of the native Caddo culture of 

 the southern Plains at the beginning of historic times. For this 

 reason thorough investigation of the remaining manifestations at the 

 Norman site was recommended. 



Mr. Wenner completed his field investigations on August 15 and 

 proceeded to Norman, Okla., where the University of Oklahoma pro- 

 vided him with facilities for studying the material collected and writ- 

 ing his reports. During the period of the surveys and the prepara- 

 tion of the reports. Dr. Robert E. Bell, of the Department of An- 

 thropology at the University, assisted Mr. Wenner as an advisor and 

 consultant. After completion of the work Mr. Wenner left the Sur- 

 veys to return to college. He again joined the staff on June 28, 1948, 

 and at the close of the fiscal year was engaged in making a survey of 

 the Tenkiller Ferry Reservoir on the Illinois River in the eastern part 

 of the State. Robert Shalkop and William Mayer-Oakes, student as- 

 sistants, were aiding in this work. 



