SIXTY-FIFTH ANISTUAL REPORT 15 



Belclier, and Frankston Foci (ca. A. D. 1450 to 1600) , and 1 is a historic 

 site. At many of these locations there are evidences of occupation 

 through two or more cultural periods and they are important for that 

 reason. Out of the group 31 sites have been recommended for fur- 

 ther testing or more extended excavation. 



NeAD Mexico. — The only work done thus far in New Mexico con- 

 sisted of the excavation of portions of two shallow rock-shelters 8 

 miles southeast of Tucumcari. The manifestations at that location, 

 the Hodges site, were outside of the area directly involved by the 

 Tucumcari project and were in no danger of destruction either by 

 jjonstruction work or flooding. They were being dug, however, on 

 week ends and holidays by workmen from the project and by settlers 

 attracted to the district by the development of the irrigation program. 

 In order to salvage as much as possible of what still remained, the 

 excavations were initiated by Herbert W. Dick, temporary field assist- 

 ant, who was employed by the Surveys for that purpose. Mr. Dick 

 worked at the Hodges site from August 18 to 26. He found that 

 both shelters contained a homogeneous lot of archeological material 

 representing a late pre-Columbian cultural period in that part of the 

 Southwest. On the basis of potsherds, found in association with the 

 stone and bone artifacts, a late fourteenth or early fifteenth century 

 dating is given to the archeological manifestations. After completing 

 the digging Mr. Dick went to Albuquerque, IST. Mex., where he proc- 

 essed the specimens and prepared a ^jreliminary report on his findings. 



While Mr. Dick was engaged at the Hodges site it was visited by 

 Dr. Sheldon Judson who was completing a geological study of the 

 San Jon, N. Mex., region for the Smithsonian Institution. Dr. Jud- 

 son found that the lower deposits in the shelters contained interesting 

 and helpful stratigraphy and from the evidence he obtained there was 

 able to add another link in the "alluvial chronology" which he has 

 established for that district, the chronology which promises to con- 

 tribute much to the understanding of the complex history of the 

 Late Pleistocene and subsequent periods in the Southwest. Because 

 of this the Hodges site enjoys an importance out of all proportion to 

 its antiquity and the archeological information which it produced. 



Colorado, — Investigations in certain portions of Colorado are a part 

 of the major program for the Missouri Basin, but there are a num- 

 ber of others which fall outside that drainage area and which are 

 being conducted as separate units of the Surveys as a whole. These 

 are in the Arkansas and Gunnison Basins. Later they will be ex- 

 panded to the Colorado-Big Thompson projects and other tributaries 

 of the Colorado. 



Donald Eastman and Gary L. Yundt were appointed field assist- 

 ants on June 7 and immediately began surveys at a number of reser- 

 voir basins in the Gunnison drainage. Brief preliminary investiga- 



816911 — 49 3 



