The letter was delivered to Carl H. Chapman, then Director of American Archaeology at the university, who visited the site and decided that further investigations were advisable. Professor Chapman directed the writer to make limited investigations at the site. This work was done in 3 days beginning September 1, with the very capable assistance of Leonard Blake and Winton Meyer of St. Louis, and Robert Wright of St. Charles.
The new road cut which exposed the remains is located at the eastern edge of an old field, which has an elevation of 90 feet above the river flood plain. Erosion had removed much of the dark topsoil from above the light colored loess, which apparently is very deep. At five locations in the road cut, dark deposits of cultural debris were observed in clearly defined pits which had been cross-sectioned by the grading machines. These pits were grouped at the deeper excavations for the road which were approximately 500 feet apart. At several places, in loose earth along the road, Indian artifacts were found where the grading operations had deposited them; their exact provenience is therefore, doubtful.
Pits A and B were at the north end of the field and were exposed in the vertical bank at the east side of the new road. Both had been gouged by curious persons, and nothing is known of the material removed prior to the work described here.
Pit A could be clearly defined in outline beneath 28 inches of overburden. This overburden consisted of 4 inches of top soil and 24 inches of light colored soil. The pit outlined by the cultural fill measured 8 inches deep, and had been approximately 40 inches in diameter. Excavation later revealed that the deposit extended only 13 inches into the bank, the greater part of the deposit having been previously removed. The sterile overburden was examined as it was removed from above the pit. The pit fill was so compact that Blake had difficulty in examining it. The deposit contained 3 rimsherds ([Fig. 1]) and 31 bodysherds in the upper part, and considerable bone scrap of animals in the lower. A trace of burned clay and a few small lumps of fired limestone were scattered in the fill. Charred wood was collected for radiocarbon dating, and according to Dr. J. B. Griffin of the University of Michigan and Professor H. R. Crane, University of Michigan Memorial-Phoenix Radiocarbon Laboratory, it was found to be dated (M-619)—1240±200 years before present, which would give the date before 1950 as A.D. 710±200. Also found in the pit were a few flint flakes and one crude flint blank. The bones in pit A were thought to be from game animals and consisted of 5 mandibles and 2 long bones. A large mandible, from which all the teeth had been removed by pot-hunters, is thought to be that of a bison. Three mandibles were from deer.
Figure 1. Pit A pottery
a THE LIP HAS BEEN SMOOTHED. THE CORDMARKED EXTERIOR SURFACE IS BROWN, THE INTERIOR IS DARK GREY b c EXTERIOR COLOR OF b AND C IS DARK BROWN TO LIGHT BROWN. THE CORDMARKING IS TYPICAL OF THE SITE, INTERIORS ARE SMOOTH, COLOR IS A DULL BROWN. THE TEMPER IS CLAY c THIS SHERD IS PROBABLY NAPLES DENTATE STAMPED OF THE MIDDLE WOODLAND OR HOPEWELL COMPLEX. ITS OCCURRENCE IN THIS PIT IS PUZZLING.
The potsherds from pit A are from large vessels, and with one exception they have lightly re-smoothed cordmarked exteriors. All sherds have been smoothed inside. Of the three rimsherds recovered, two have rounded lips and one a rather flat lip which, in the process of smoothing, received considerable more burring over the outer edge than those with the rounded lip. All sherds are hard and clay tempered. The color of these sherds is a muddy-brown or brownish-grey. An exceptional sherd from pit A is tan in color, clay tempered except for a few particles of grit, has a smooth interior and is decorated on the outer surface with roulette or dentate stamping ([Fig. 1], d).
Pit B, located 33 feet south of pit A in the same east bank was similar, but only a small remnant of it remained after the usual vandalism. This pit was beneath 24 inches of overburden; it had a concentration of cultural fill that measured 6 inches in depth and the diameter had been approximately 30 inches. Small lumps of fired limestone were scattered through the fill, which included two rimsherds ([Fig. 2], a and b) and 12 small body sherds. One rimsherd is evidently from a miniature pot. It is smooth inside and out, grey in color, very hard and without apparent tempering material. The other rimsherd is similar to those from pit A which have the rounded lips. The body sherds seem to be from rather large vessels which had cordmarked exterior surfaces and are clay tempered except for one which was tempered with grit. One flake of white chert showed usage.
Pit C was a small, poorly defined deposit of material foreign to the light colored soil about it. The top of the deposit was 15 inches below the present surface of the field. Three large cordmarked sherds and a number of small ones were excavated. There were also bits of burned clay and a few flint chips. Nearby, in the disturbed earth of the road, several large, grit tempered and cordmarked sherds were recovered.