The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1950-09-21
University Field Party Completes Search
For Archaeological Remains
In Area to Be flooded by Canyon Ferry

I such evidence has been found.
The charcosl'S shape and iSo-
lation, however. makes for very
interesting speculation" he add
ed.
Another OF the more interes-
ting discoveries came during
the party'S study of some buff
falo kills, where game animals
were driven over cliffs to their.
death. The party found long
lines of stone piles, converging
for several miles on the points
of kill, apparently huge "fun-
nels" used in the hunt. Mr.. NAL
ouf said to his knowledge these
had not been generally recog-
nized before.
The party was out for seven
weeks, starting near the Can
yon Ferry dam and moving
camp about once a week, first
up one side, of the Missouri
about Is miles toward Town
send, back do n the other side
and then covering the bottom
land. Two officials of the ma
tional park service, DR.. Gordon
Baldwin of the Omaha regional
office, and Dr.. John Corbettt of
the Washington, D. C., office,
visited the work and described
it as "a fineljob~in a difficult
region"
The party found three main
types of sites: Tipi rings, or
circles of rocks IS to Is feet in
diameter, prehistoric evidences
of what possibly were dwellings,
constructed somewhat on the
manner of the historic tipi; &C.
cupation sites, mostly on the
higher banks of the. Missouri,
where no evidence of dwellings
could be found but where chips,
stone knives and occasional ar
rowheads indicated their loca-
ton; and Hearth sites, or piles
of stones about three to five
feet in diameter with a layer
of charcoal underneath.
Also found on cliffs in the
Canyon Ferry area were picto-
graphs, done by Indians about
400 years 400. Mr.. Malouf said
the photographs, or panels of
drawings, discovered at Canyon
Ferry are unusually large and
fine"
The tipi rings are still puz-
zleS because no evidence of fires
have been found with them and
thus no definite information as
to whether they were used for
h%abitation. The party's study
indicates these later were 10
Gated on bluffs and crests of
hills with warfare in mind.
The fire hearthS were unique
in that no occupation sites were
found around them. Evidence
of any others in Montana has
not yet been reported, and they
may have been used for smoke
signals, Mr.. Malouf said.
In addition to Mr.. Malouf,
the party consisted of Richard
Forbis, Missoula, graduate as
sistant who was field supervi-
sor; Bernard Hoffman, formerly
of Missoula and now a graduate
student in anthropology at the
University of California, who
did much of the sketching at
the sites for a permanent rec
ord; J. Rukin Jelks, State Uni
versity anthropology student;
and David Moose" Miller, also
a University student, who aided
in the work.
The University men received
assistance again this year from
E. D. MacHaffie, Helena, who
has been appointed as an as
sociate in archaeology by the
University. The, Helena man,
who serves without salary, has
assisted Smithsonian and Mon
tana State University archaeolo-
gistS in the past and is regarded
as an exceptionally capable in
dependent student of the states
history and prehistory.
A full report on the area and
the research findings will be
published after the materials
have been assembled and
studied, Mr.. Malouf said.