River Basin Surveys Papers, No. 7: Archeological Investigations in the oahe Dam Area, South Dakota, 1950-52

Published as a series sponsored by the Smithsonian Institution Bureau of American Ethnology, the “River Basin Surveys Papers” are a collection of archeological investigations focused on areas now flooded by the completion of various dam projects in the United States. The River Basin Surveys Papers (numbered 1-39) were mostly published in bundles with 5-6 papers in each bundle. In collaboration with the United States (US) National Park Service and the US Bureau of Reclamation, the US Department of the Interior, and the US Army Corps of Engineers, the Smithsonian Institution pulled archeological and paleontological remains from several sites prior to losing access to the sites due to flooding. The Smithsonian Institution calls this project the Inter-Agency Archeological Salvage Program. Paper number 7 focuses on the excavation of two sites: the Dodd site and the Phillips Ranch site. The Dodd site, located one half mile from the Oahe Damn on the west side of the Missouri River, yielded evidence of three separate occupations. The Phillips Ranch site, located one mile downstream from the Dodd site also on the west side of the river, yielded evidence of a single occupation of a fortified village. Both sites contained European trade objects and horse bones were found at the Phillips site. The author estimates that the earlier occupations of the Dodd site were likely pre 1600 A.D. The Dodd site discussion covers the fortification ditch, houses, cache pits, borrow pits, fire pits, hearths, and burials. The Dodd site yielded pottery and artifacts including chipped stone ware, ground stone ware, bone and horn ware, ornaments of bone, shell, glass, clay bead, and metal objects made of brass, iron, and copper. Phillips Ranch site discussion covers the fortification ditch, palisade, houses, cache pits, borrow pits, fire pits, hearths, and burials. The Phillips Ranch site yielded pottery and artifacts including chipped stone ware, ground stone ware, bone and horn ware, ornaments of bone, shell, glass, and metal objects made of brass, iron, and copper. The Dodd site and the Phillips Ranch site were destroyed by Oahe Dam construction. This paper is longer than most of the other River Basin Surveys Papers and was printed alone (rather than in a bundle). This paper includes photographs, illustrations, text figures, and maps.