Plains Indian Studies - Smithsonian Institution Libraries

174 SMITHSONIAN CONTRIBUTIONS TO ANTHROPOLOGY
the Missouri River valley in northeastern Kansas,
northwestern Missouri, southwestern Iowa, and
eastern Nebraska. The Upper Republican phase
is centered around the Republican River in
south-central Nebraska and north-central Kansas
(Figure 28). Other defined units include: St. Helena,
situated in northeastern Nebraska; the Loup
River phase, located along the Loup River in
central Nebraska; and Smoky Hill, centered in
the lower Smoky Hill-Kansas River drainage.
The relationships between the Nebraska and
Upper Republican variants have been considered
by many researchers working with materials from
the sites (Anderson, 1961:73-74; Brown, 1967:43-
53; Gilmore and Bell, 1936:301-355; Hill and
Cooper, 1938:350-353; Strong, 1935:266-267;
Wedel, 1940:310-316; Wood, 1969:97-111). In a
summary statement. Brown (1967:49) pointed
out that "traditionally, sites of the Nebraska and
Upper Republican phases have been regarded as
exhibiting similar house types and non-ceramic
artifacts, and differing ceramic traits."
The ceramic assemblages from the Nebraska
phase were described by Gunnerson (1952), who
divided them into two ware groups defined by
rim form, decoration, and vessel shape. Additional
minor ware groups and the presence of
shell tempering were also noted. The typology
developed by Gunnerson has been applied to
both the Nebraska and Upper Republican variants.
The preference for a type of pottery within
each variant is measured in percentages, since the
ware groups are represented in both phases. Coupled
with the presence or absence of other artifact
types, this preference denotes important regional
variants, but does not mitigate the overwhelming
FIGURE 28.—Major archeological units (shaded areas) of the Central Plains tradition in
relation to the Glenwood locality (Roper, 1976:182)