DISCUSSION
Two separate, but related, cultural components are present at the site: Oneota and historic Missouri. Burials 1 through 4 were originally supine extended interments, although they have suffered much from plowing, and their associated artifacts indicate a general Oneota affiliation. Burial 4 with its punctated vessel though is probably late, bordering on the late proto-historic-historic Missouri line. Burial 6, with its glass trade beads, is historic, and since the Gumbo Point site (23SA4), a historic Missouri village dating around 1727-1777 A.D., is only one and a quarter miles to the northeast of the Utlaut site, the burial is probably an Indian of that village.
The following data on Oneota burial practices can be extracted from these data. Individuals are buried in a supine extended position on a northeast-southwest axis. In three cases, Burials 1, 3 and 4, the head is to the northeast; in one, Burial 2, it is southwest. Grave goods of pots, projectile point, shell spoon or scraper were present but seemingly not very diagnostic of social position, although the pots may be associated only with children here (Burials 2 and 4). Also, unless one assumes everyone was buried at the same time, it seems that the graves were marked so people could be interred over a period of time without disturbing early graves, and so they could be aligned with each other.
Two adults seem to have “trophy” skeletal materials with them: a skull on the knees of Burial 2 (burnt) and many fragments of three and possibly four people on the lower legs of Burial 1. Bray (1961b:17-19) reports a “trophy head” with an Orr focus Oneota burial at the Flynn site, and glass trade beads with it point to this being an historic Ioway trait. Because there is no historic data on Missouri Indian burial practices, it is not possible now to tell if the trait is associated with them nor just what it may mean.
One could explain the skeletal remains, especially those with Burial 1 as secondary interments of graves which were somehow disturbed. In which case the term “trophy” would be inappropriate and misleading. This possibility is found in the fact that the Winnebago had two burial patterns: inhumation and platform associated with the phratry divisions of the culture, although the latter practice died out in historic times (Radin 1923:140). Since the Missouri are related to the Winnebago it is possible that these materials are inhumed platform burials.
However, the presence of single skulls with Burial 2, burnt too, and with an Ioway at the Flynn site cannot be explained that easily. The skull on the knees of Burial 2 was burnt at the time of interment as the knee area was also burned. Then too, if one was collecting platform burial remains to be inhumed, more than just the skulls would be lying about to be collected. Again if we look at the Winnebago we get some interesting data. In a discussion of grave-post markings, Radin (1923:155) points out that a warrior who had killed a man and cut off his head received a special grave-post signifying the deed. Unfortunately, he does not tell us if the head was buried with him.
As can be seen by the above discussion, there are data to support both interpretations, and indeed, maybe these burials in fact are the result of both sets of behavior rather than only one set.
A comparison of the Utlaut site Oneota burials with other Oneota burial data follows. From the Leary site in Nebraska Wedel reports (1935:25-26) two types of interments: (1) supine burials with beads to the north (3), east (3) or south (2). Associated with them are knives, hematite and a bison hoe as grave goods. (2) Bundled or jumbled bones within a pit and probably removed from scaffolds. Bass reports (1961) a body without head, semi-flexed on its back and left side.
Myers and Bass (n.d.) give the following data on Oneota burial material from Iowa. At the Hartley site (13AM103) in Allamakee County, Burial 1 was primary extended with head west and face north. It was a child about ten years old and with it was a pot and chert knife. Burial 2 was a female, 20-30 years old, primary extended with head northeast and no artifacts. Burial 3 was a child, 10-13 years old with a pot. It was a secondary burial. Burial 4 was a female, 20-30 years of age, primary extended with head to the east. A bison scapula hoe was with it. Burial 5 was a male, 25-35 years old; it was a primary one with the body in a semi-sitting position and head on chest. The head faced northwest and the face was down. No grave goods were present. Burial 7 was a secondary bundled indeterminate adult. Burial 8 was a female, 18-28 years, primary extended burial with head to the northwest and no artifacts. Burial 10 was a nine year old child, primary extended with head to east. A pot was associated with it (Myers and Bass n.d.:7-11).
At the Blood Run site (13L02) in Lyon county, five burials were reported by Myers and Bass (n.d.). Burial 1 was a 3 to 4 year old child. It was extended in a pit in a mound with head facing northwest. Associated were copper earrings, two wooden tubes at the ears and a rim sherd at the right elbow. Burial 2 was a 30-40 year old male, extended supine with head northwest and no artifacts. Burial 3 was a 35-45 year old male, extended with head north and face to the east. It may be burnt on the left side. Associated was a catlinite pipe and a shell bead. Burial 4 was a male, 21-28 years of age, extended supine with head northeast and no artifacts. Finally, Burial 5 was a 2-3 year old child, associated with Burial 2; the grave goods were three blue glass beads (Myers and Bass n.d.:35-40).
At Correctionville site the burials are reported as extended supine (Myers and Bass n.d.:43). At the Flynn site (13AM51) in Allamakee county ten burials were recovered (Bray 1961b: 15-18). Burial 1 was a fully extended, supine adult with head to north. Associated were a raven skull, two bone beads, two shell beads, two copper or brass ornaments, a bone pendant and a small animal scapula. Burial 2 was a fully extended supine adult with head north. Associated were a pumice lump, red ochre, rolled copper or brass tubes, chert flakes and a belt of rolled copper or brass beads. Burial 3 was a fully extended supine adult with two triangular projectile points and some small animal bones. Burial 4 was a fully extended supine adult oriented east-west. No trade goods were found; only aboriginal bone whistles, a heron beak, a bone tube and a squirrel skull. Burial 5 was an adult oriented north-south and accompanied by many offerings: a pot, a fresh water clam shell, 100 copper/brass beads, 12 copper/brass bracelets, sheet copper, two steel knives, a steel awl, chert flakes, glass beads and “bead” girdle as in Burial 1. Burial 6 was a fully extended supine adult with a north-south orientation, with the head north. Artifact associations were blue and green glass beads, a beaver incisor, chert flakes, a polished bison rib, a beaded girdle as with Burials 1 and 5 and a “trophy” human skull at the left knee area. Burial 7 was different because it was deeper, under slabs of rock, and in a pit. Present was a child’s skull and two carnivore jaws. Burials 8 and 9 were incomplete and damaged, but seem to have been an adult and a 30-month old child. Burial 10 was a fetus or newborn infant.
Ten burials are reported (Henning 1970:120-212) from the Utz site (23SA2), the nearest large Oneota site just a few miles east of the Utlaut site. Position, sex and age are known only for a few. Burial 3 was a 27 year old male, fully extended with a mussel shell, sheet copper and bone tube. Burial 4 consisted of two adults, but only one complete, fully extended 40 year old female. Burial 5 was a 30 year old male with a bone awl, a deer phalanx and worked hematite. Burial 7 was a 35 year old male with knives and abrader. Burial 8 was fully extended, 35 years old, male, covered with red ochre and was accompanied by several chert flakes. He may have died of wounds, since a projectile point was found in the cervical vertebrae. Finally, in the summer of 1970 an adult male was found in a storage/trash pit at the site (Robert T. Bray, personal communication).
Having reviewed the data on Oneota burials in Nebraska, Iowa and Missouri, the following hypotheses or assertions or guesses are offered concerning the general character of Oneota mortuary practices. Hopefully they will be tested in the future when more, especially descriptive, data become available.
(1) The bodies typically seem to be supine and fully extended.
(2) Orientation to a specific cardinal point does not seem to be involved as they range all around the compass.
(3) There appears to be some evidence that the graves were marked.
(4) Although most burials have some grave goods material, some do not. Except for the “trophy” material and the fact that some of the historic burials have more artifacts, there do not seem to be marked differences in the wealth of the burials. Possibly each individual is accompanied by some personal tool or ornament. At the Flynn, Hartley and Utlaut sites, burials of children are accompanied by ceramic vessels—at the Blood Run site, with a rim sherd. If this is a pattern, it changed in historic times because burials with pots and trade goods are adult (Flynn, B. 5, and Utlaut, B. 6).
(5) The lack of rich burials in the proto-historic (Oneota) period and their presence in the historic suggests a process of social stratification may be occurring because of new wealth. But this may be more apparent than real, if the “trophy” material at the Utlaut site was the proto-historic means of marking status to be replaced in the historic period by trade goods. If that is so, then it would suggest some social stratification in Oneota continuing through to the known historic Missouri chiefs.
Acknowledgments. The senior author is pleased to acknowledge the support of Kansas State University’s Bureau of General Research for a 1970 Summer Fellowship. The fellowship made possible this research. The cooperation of Robert T. Bray, Director, Lyman Archaeological Research Center, University of Missouri, is gratefully acknowledged for his help and many kindnesses throughout this work. To him, and my other colleagues: Alfred E. Johnson and W. Raymond Wood, who all helped to run the joint Midwestern Archaeological Field School in the summer of 1970 go my thanks. William M. Bass kindly loaned me the Myers and Bass manuscript which was most appreciated as it was essential for this analysis. Finally, thanks are due to the students of the field school who excavated these materials: Mike Gilman, Tom Green, Kevin Hart, Ann Hirsh and Donna Roper, for without their good spirits and effort the work could not have been done.