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Show Skeletons Uncovered In Indian Pit Houses B- Nora Lund Local interest in the Indian Mounds near Paragonah, has been revived the past week with the unearthing of two skeletons In "pit houses." by the class from UCLA. David M. Pender-gash, Pender-gash, teaching assistant, stated that these pit houses were first occupied in about 850 or 900 A.D. and abandoned in about 1175 A.-D. A.-D. This was determined from the trade-markings on the pottery found. He thinks that the dry and arid condition of the soil might have caused them to seek a more habitable location as these people were farmers and no signs of battie have been found. From markings also on the pottery it is presumed that these ancient people were of the Pueblo race of Indians, coming, no doubt, from the Four Corners, Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado and Utah. The village Is thought to have been the home of some 500 people peo-ple at one time, 100 more than Paragonah can boast of today. It Is figured by those doing the excavating that the ancient city extended well under the present Kite. When the mounds were first worked in 1917 the "surface" houses were the only ones disturbed. dis-turbed. Mr. Pendergash Is very pleased with their progress into the pit houses, which have never been worked before. It was in 1954 that U. C. L. A. became interested in this location loca-tion for early Indian lore. They have been back each summer since. They have dug in a total to-tal of 17 pit houses and found that burials have taken place in our of them, two In round houses and two in square. A skelton uncovered Friday was that of a female, presumed to be about 25 years of age. In the group, besides Mr. Pendergash. Pen-dergash. is Dr. H. B. Nicholson, the instructor; Mr. Ernst Gold-schmldt, Gold-schmldt, a faculty member, eight sU'dents from Columbia University and five from the Los Angeles area. The course, which lasts six weeks, will be completed complet-ed by the end of next week. |