Photograph of Clovis points, Rummels-Maske site, Iowa, contributed to French textbook by Azema an... more Photograph of Clovis points, Rummels-Maske site, Iowa, contributed to French textbook by Azema and Brasier
Analysis of a large assemblage of hematite from a 7,000-year-old Middle Archaic site in Iowa reve... more Analysis of a large assemblage of hematite from a 7,000-year-old Middle Archaic site in Iowa revealed that ochre color did not predict spatial distribution or survivorship.
The Palace site is an exceptionally well-preserved, multi-component Middle Archaic site. The main... more The Palace site is an exceptionally well-preserved, multi-component Middle Archaic site. The main Middle Archaic components date 6175 ± 25 BP to 5885 ± 15 BP, and evidence for multi-season occupation of shallow basin house structures and activity areas. The site also contains the oldest documented human burial in Iowa (5960 ± 40 BP). Floral and faunal remains indicate a mixed diet based on deer and riverine resources, and lithic analysis reveal an abundance of large ground stone tools, hematite, and many points in the Raddatz/Matanzas family.
This report summarizes the discovery of ca. 200 linear mounds along 40 km of the Des Moines River... more This report summarizes the discovery of ca. 200 linear mounds along 40 km of the Des Moines River in central Iowa. Many of these mounds were mapped and recorded piecemeal over a century, but their full extents were not known until recent high-resolution lidar mapping. General insights about the age and significance of the mounds can be inferred from nearby archaeological sites and surface finds, as well as comparisons with regional mounds. Limited archaeological evidence suggests the linear mound concentration may be associated with a long stable Woodland occupation of the region, culminating in the Late Woodland Great Oasis manifestation.
Office of the State Archaeologist, University of Iowa, 2015
Previously published research demonstrate that water dowsing does not work. As for grave dowsing,... more Previously published research demonstrate that water dowsing does not work. As for grave dowsing, simple household experiments demonstrate that the fundamental principles of grave dowsing are probably incorrect. Results from surveys in Iowa reveal that dowsing is, at best, only as good as common sense intuition at finding graves.
Newsletter of the Iowa Archeological Society, 2011
This paper presents evidence that the extent of the Glenwood locality is defined by proximity to ... more This paper presents evidence that the extent of the Glenwood locality is defined by proximity to the mouth of the Platte River. Almost all earthlodges are in an area that can access the mouth of the Platte in less than 15 km following walking routes down drainages and across the Missouri River floodplain.
Newsletter of the Iowa Archeological Society, 2008
Summary of the precontact sites in Downtown Des Moines, from Archaic to Oneota, including several... more Summary of the precontact sites in Downtown Des Moines, from Archaic to Oneota, including several mound groups
Current models use climate change associated with HoIocene Altithermal warming to explain differe... more Current models use climate change associated with HoIocene Altithermal warming to explain differences between Pa1eoindian and Archaic bison seasons of kill on the Great Plains. 1lIese models. however, do not lake into consideration the very different ecological conditions between the eastern and western Plains during this period. Reanalysis of the Cherokee Sewer site bison dentition and fetal elements indicates a late fall to early-winter season of bison kill on the Paleoindian and Early Archaic horizons. rather than a mid-to late-winter season of kill suggested in the original repol1. Dentition studies also show a shift in bison mortality from younger adults to older ones during the Altithermal onset and maximum, Combined. these results suggest bison hunters on the eastern Plains used different adaptive strategies to cope with climate change than those seen on the western Plains.
To understand how people living in rural areas articulated with larger systems of commodities net... more To understand how people living in rural areas articulated with larger systems of commodities networks it is important to study them not just as consumers of goods, but also as producers of commodities. Based on historical and ethnohistorical compari sons, a late-19th-century feature at the Plum Grove site in Johnson County, Iowa, displays archaeological evidence of the production of animals for market sale despite a lack of histori cal records from this time period. The nature of this evidence is discussed, as is its significance in understanding Plum Grove's articulation with macro-level economic networks.
Edgewater Park is a Late Archaic Table Rock campsite situated on a low alluvial ridge along the I... more Edgewater Park is a Late Archaic Table Rock campsite situated on a low alluvial ridge along the Iowa River in Coralville, Iowa. Excavations revealed a small encampment with two hearths and associated areas for faunal and lithic processing occupied ca. 3,800 cal. years ago. Other features identified include a discard area and a deep pit feature of unknown function. Lithic analysis reveals that the site occupants probably had recently traveled along the Iowa River from the north center of the state and were engaged in late-stage tool manufacture and maintenance. Floral analysis indicates the site occupation occurred during the warm half of the year and that the occupants utilized little barley, a non-local plant which was later cultivated, and barnyard grass, a local plant probably also later cultivated. This site is interpreted as a short term, late warm-season occupation of people migrating down the Iowa River, possibly towards winter encampments in the southeast part of the state. Its significance is in demonstrating prehistoric lifeways in the possible nascent stages of horticulture.
Dragoon fortifications of the 1830s through the 1850s are some of the most important historic sit... more Dragoon fortifications of the 1830s through the 1850s are some of the most important historic sites of the Midwest, built for the supervision of the removal of Indians and the arrival of European American settlers. Ground-penetrating radar (GPR) surveys at three dragoon forts demonstrate that GPR varies greatly in its ability to detect fort-era features.
Excavation of two large fountains in downtown Des Moines revealed the grand ambitions of early tw... more Excavation of two large fountains in downtown Des Moines revealed the grand ambitions of early twentieth century Des Moines. Aspiring to become a city of national importance, Des Moines undertook a grand rebuilding project of its downtown that partially transformed it to a Beaux-Arts and Art Deco center. After these plans were abandoned mid-century, the fountain remains were buried, only to be rediscovered during the latest rejuvenation project.
The NRHP-listed Fort Madison site is the premiere Iowa location preserving War of 1812 materials.... more The NRHP-listed Fort Madison site is the premiere Iowa location preserving War of 1812 materials. Previous excavations demonstrated that portions of the fort retained integrity, but the condition of surrounding associated features remained unknown. Recent investigations directly west of the fort revealed intact archaeological deposits representing the fort-era and battlefield activities, including portions of a landscape feature described in historical documents and now dubbed “Black Hawk’s ravine.” A portion of this ravine was used by American Indian forces as a strategic area of cover from which to conduct military actions against the fort, and fort-era artifacts are preserved within buried but intact ravine deposits in stratigraphically correct position relative to the fort. This investigation has greatly expanded knowledge of this early and significant historic site and provides the basis for refining site boundaries to more accurately encompass the battlefield and associated fort for research and preservation planning.
Newsletter of the Iowa Archeological Society, 2017
Discussion of the difficulties in comparing historic to modern measurements of prehistoric mounds... more Discussion of the difficulties in comparing historic to modern measurements of prehistoric mounds, suggestions for more rigorous approaches to monitoring mound condition and stability.
A Mississippian hooded bottle from the Henry Aicher Mound Group in eastern Iowa is significant to... more A Mississippian hooded bottle from the Henry Aicher Mound Group in eastern Iowa is significant to the study of Mississippian interactions with non-Mississippian groups in the upper Mississippi Valley. The mound excavations by M. W. Davis in 1863-1864 were the first research-oriented archaeological projects in Iowa, and the mounds were among the first mapped in the state. The excavation methods, analysis, reporting, and outreach by Davis and later researchers were exemplary for their time. Although undated, comparison of the decorated hooded bottle recovered from the 1864 excavations with artifacts from other regional cultures with Mississippian Stirling phase contacts, notably the Mill Creek culture of northwest Iowa, supports a date of AD 1100-1200 for this vessel associated with a child burial.
There are three times as many archaeology sites in the Des Moines area as you would expect given ... more There are three times as many archaeology sites in the Des Moines area as you would expect given its area. While the juncture of the Raccoon and Des Moines rivers has always been attractive to humans, the explanation for the number of sites goes beyond setting. Compared to the rest of the state, Des Moines is densely populated and therefore citizens are more likely to report sites they find. In addition, there have been far more professional archaeological surveys in the Des Moines areas than in any other part of the state.
Photograph of Clovis points, Rummels-Maske site, Iowa, contributed to French textbook by Azema an... more Photograph of Clovis points, Rummels-Maske site, Iowa, contributed to French textbook by Azema and Brasier
Analysis of a large assemblage of hematite from a 7,000-year-old Middle Archaic site in Iowa reve... more Analysis of a large assemblage of hematite from a 7,000-year-old Middle Archaic site in Iowa revealed that ochre color did not predict spatial distribution or survivorship.
The Palace site is an exceptionally well-preserved, multi-component Middle Archaic site. The main... more The Palace site is an exceptionally well-preserved, multi-component Middle Archaic site. The main Middle Archaic components date 6175 ± 25 BP to 5885 ± 15 BP, and evidence for multi-season occupation of shallow basin house structures and activity areas. The site also contains the oldest documented human burial in Iowa (5960 ± 40 BP). Floral and faunal remains indicate a mixed diet based on deer and riverine resources, and lithic analysis reveal an abundance of large ground stone tools, hematite, and many points in the Raddatz/Matanzas family.
This report summarizes the discovery of ca. 200 linear mounds along 40 km of the Des Moines River... more This report summarizes the discovery of ca. 200 linear mounds along 40 km of the Des Moines River in central Iowa. Many of these mounds were mapped and recorded piecemeal over a century, but their full extents were not known until recent high-resolution lidar mapping. General insights about the age and significance of the mounds can be inferred from nearby archaeological sites and surface finds, as well as comparisons with regional mounds. Limited archaeological evidence suggests the linear mound concentration may be associated with a long stable Woodland occupation of the region, culminating in the Late Woodland Great Oasis manifestation.
Office of the State Archaeologist, University of Iowa, 2015
Previously published research demonstrate that water dowsing does not work. As for grave dowsing,... more Previously published research demonstrate that water dowsing does not work. As for grave dowsing, simple household experiments demonstrate that the fundamental principles of grave dowsing are probably incorrect. Results from surveys in Iowa reveal that dowsing is, at best, only as good as common sense intuition at finding graves.
Newsletter of the Iowa Archeological Society, 2011
This paper presents evidence that the extent of the Glenwood locality is defined by proximity to ... more This paper presents evidence that the extent of the Glenwood locality is defined by proximity to the mouth of the Platte River. Almost all earthlodges are in an area that can access the mouth of the Platte in less than 15 km following walking routes down drainages and across the Missouri River floodplain.
Newsletter of the Iowa Archeological Society, 2008
Summary of the precontact sites in Downtown Des Moines, from Archaic to Oneota, including several... more Summary of the precontact sites in Downtown Des Moines, from Archaic to Oneota, including several mound groups
Current models use climate change associated with HoIocene Altithermal warming to explain differe... more Current models use climate change associated with HoIocene Altithermal warming to explain differences between Pa1eoindian and Archaic bison seasons of kill on the Great Plains. 1lIese models. however, do not lake into consideration the very different ecological conditions between the eastern and western Plains during this period. Reanalysis of the Cherokee Sewer site bison dentition and fetal elements indicates a late fall to early-winter season of bison kill on the Paleoindian and Early Archaic horizons. rather than a mid-to late-winter season of kill suggested in the original repol1. Dentition studies also show a shift in bison mortality from younger adults to older ones during the Altithermal onset and maximum, Combined. these results suggest bison hunters on the eastern Plains used different adaptive strategies to cope with climate change than those seen on the western Plains.
To understand how people living in rural areas articulated with larger systems of commodities net... more To understand how people living in rural areas articulated with larger systems of commodities networks it is important to study them not just as consumers of goods, but also as producers of commodities. Based on historical and ethnohistorical compari sons, a late-19th-century feature at the Plum Grove site in Johnson County, Iowa, displays archaeological evidence of the production of animals for market sale despite a lack of histori cal records from this time period. The nature of this evidence is discussed, as is its significance in understanding Plum Grove's articulation with macro-level economic networks.
Edgewater Park is a Late Archaic Table Rock campsite situated on a low alluvial ridge along the I... more Edgewater Park is a Late Archaic Table Rock campsite situated on a low alluvial ridge along the Iowa River in Coralville, Iowa. Excavations revealed a small encampment with two hearths and associated areas for faunal and lithic processing occupied ca. 3,800 cal. years ago. Other features identified include a discard area and a deep pit feature of unknown function. Lithic analysis reveals that the site occupants probably had recently traveled along the Iowa River from the north center of the state and were engaged in late-stage tool manufacture and maintenance. Floral analysis indicates the site occupation occurred during the warm half of the year and that the occupants utilized little barley, a non-local plant which was later cultivated, and barnyard grass, a local plant probably also later cultivated. This site is interpreted as a short term, late warm-season occupation of people migrating down the Iowa River, possibly towards winter encampments in the southeast part of the state. Its significance is in demonstrating prehistoric lifeways in the possible nascent stages of horticulture.
Dragoon fortifications of the 1830s through the 1850s are some of the most important historic sit... more Dragoon fortifications of the 1830s through the 1850s are some of the most important historic sites of the Midwest, built for the supervision of the removal of Indians and the arrival of European American settlers. Ground-penetrating radar (GPR) surveys at three dragoon forts demonstrate that GPR varies greatly in its ability to detect fort-era features.
Excavation of two large fountains in downtown Des Moines revealed the grand ambitions of early tw... more Excavation of two large fountains in downtown Des Moines revealed the grand ambitions of early twentieth century Des Moines. Aspiring to become a city of national importance, Des Moines undertook a grand rebuilding project of its downtown that partially transformed it to a Beaux-Arts and Art Deco center. After these plans were abandoned mid-century, the fountain remains were buried, only to be rediscovered during the latest rejuvenation project.
The NRHP-listed Fort Madison site is the premiere Iowa location preserving War of 1812 materials.... more The NRHP-listed Fort Madison site is the premiere Iowa location preserving War of 1812 materials. Previous excavations demonstrated that portions of the fort retained integrity, but the condition of surrounding associated features remained unknown. Recent investigations directly west of the fort revealed intact archaeological deposits representing the fort-era and battlefield activities, including portions of a landscape feature described in historical documents and now dubbed “Black Hawk’s ravine.” A portion of this ravine was used by American Indian forces as a strategic area of cover from which to conduct military actions against the fort, and fort-era artifacts are preserved within buried but intact ravine deposits in stratigraphically correct position relative to the fort. This investigation has greatly expanded knowledge of this early and significant historic site and provides the basis for refining site boundaries to more accurately encompass the battlefield and associated fort for research and preservation planning.
Newsletter of the Iowa Archeological Society, 2017
Discussion of the difficulties in comparing historic to modern measurements of prehistoric mounds... more Discussion of the difficulties in comparing historic to modern measurements of prehistoric mounds, suggestions for more rigorous approaches to monitoring mound condition and stability.
A Mississippian hooded bottle from the Henry Aicher Mound Group in eastern Iowa is significant to... more A Mississippian hooded bottle from the Henry Aicher Mound Group in eastern Iowa is significant to the study of Mississippian interactions with non-Mississippian groups in the upper Mississippi Valley. The mound excavations by M. W. Davis in 1863-1864 were the first research-oriented archaeological projects in Iowa, and the mounds were among the first mapped in the state. The excavation methods, analysis, reporting, and outreach by Davis and later researchers were exemplary for their time. Although undated, comparison of the decorated hooded bottle recovered from the 1864 excavations with artifacts from other regional cultures with Mississippian Stirling phase contacts, notably the Mill Creek culture of northwest Iowa, supports a date of AD 1100-1200 for this vessel associated with a child burial.
There are three times as many archaeology sites in the Des Moines area as you would expect given ... more There are three times as many archaeology sites in the Des Moines area as you would expect given its area. While the juncture of the Raccoon and Des Moines rivers has always been attractive to humans, the explanation for the number of sites goes beyond setting. Compared to the rest of the state, Des Moines is densely populated and therefore citizens are more likely to report sites they find. In addition, there have been far more professional archaeological surveys in the Des Moines areas than in any other part of the state.
The introductory section to the book. Today there are approximately 27,000 recorded archaeologica... more The introductory section to the book. Today there are approximately 27,000 recorded archaeological sites in Iowa, although most people are unaware of and would pay little attention to the vast majority. Ranging in significance from the 100 mounds at Sny Magill in Effigy Mounds National Monument (47) to small scatters of recent historic trash noted during highway surveys, most sites consist of old abandoned farmsteads or small scatters of prehistoric flakes and heated rocks, with little information known about them beyond their location and their meager contents. Many sites, in fact, are completely gone or badly disturbed—destroyed by plowing, by erosion, or by roads and other development. Fortunately, there are sites that the public can visit directly or can learn about from nearby interpretive exhibits. Fewer things are more inspiring than walking among the Malchow Mounds (66), packed so tightly it is hard to tell where one ends and the other begins. Strolling around downtown Des Moines (23) is different when you are aware of the mounds, the Indian villages, and the fort that once stood there. And while you cannot visit the Wanampito site (31), you can see the splendid 17th-century protohistoric artifacts at Heery Woods State Park. For those who want to experience archaeological places firsthand, the 68 sites described here provide an opportunity. Many can be visited, can be seen from a public location, or have artifact collections on display. A few are important sites included because of the unique story they tell, but their exact location is not revealed, some because they are gone, like the Old Pacific City Cemetery (14), some because they are on secluded private property, like the Poisel site (67). We intentionally chose to include sites in every corner of the state and to diversify the types of sites. We avoided the temptation of including every mound site. Although often the most aesthetically interesting sites, mounds tell only part of the story of Iowa’s past.
Frontier Forts of Iowa, Indians, Traders, and Soldiers, 1682-1862, 2009
Introductory chapter describing the scope and significance of early Iowa settlement and Indian-Eu... more Introductory chapter describing the scope and significance of early Iowa settlement and Indian-European relationships
Iowa State Parks: A Century of Stewardship, 1920-2020, 2020
Summary of the archaeology of public lands in Iowa. A total of 685 recorded archaeological sites ... more Summary of the archaeology of public lands in Iowa. A total of 685 recorded archaeological sites occur in state parks and preserves, about one site for every 70 acres. Iowa's state parks and preserves system developed in tandem with the growth of Iowa archaeology.
A long-term project to map and catalog all precontact Native American burial mounds in Iowa provi... more A long-term project to map and catalog all precontact Native American burial mounds in Iowa provides information about the number, location, form, survivorship, and rate of loss of mounds. This analysis reveals previously undocumented mound manifestations, including a large cluster of 200 linear mounds along the central Des Moines River valley. Historical records reveal that at least 7,762 mounds were identified at 1,551 sites in Iowa between 1840 and the present. About 47% of the mounds from these sites can be possibly seen in lidar, with 33% of the total clearly seen in lidar. Data show that mound loss over time is linear. Extrapolation of data suggests that at least 15,000–17,000 mounds stood in Iowa in the nineteenth century, but the actual number was likely higher.
A database of 675 historic Indian locations in Iowa illuminates some of the broader trends of pop... more A database of 675 historic Indian locations in Iowa illuminates some of the broader trends of population movement during the periods of Euro-American exploration and American settlement. The data are varied, consisting of recorded archaeological sites combined with Indian accounts gleaned from digital archives such as local histories and newspapers. Insights derived from analysis include the placement of the 1825 Neutral Line as a possible cause of the myth of the Dakota as an overly aggressive tribe and the poorly documented eastward expansion of Potawatomi into Iowa after 1840. The database can aid future investigations in historical research, archaeology, and tribal range and affiliation.
The Lafayette Mound, 23LF3, a burial site which dates to the latter part of the Late Woodland per... more The Lafayette Mound, 23LF3, a burial site which dates to the latter part of the Late Woodland period in northwestern Missouri, provides insight into the poorly-understood geographical area between the Central Plains Late Woodland and Eastern Late Woodland regions. The mound was deflated and par tially disturbed, but large portions of it contained intactfill. Diagnostic material indicates the mound was constructed on a previously utilized location. Fill contained artifacts diagnostic of the Early or Middle Woodland period and a Late Woodland occupation area. Human remains were primarily cremated sub adults. Associated with these graves were miniature Scallorn projectile points, clay pipes, ochre, hema tite objects, and pottery vessels. The mound base contained one hearth feature which is interpreted as a ceremonial or pre-moundfeature. Comparisons with adjacent areas indicate that the Lafayette mound is part of a continuum of Late Woodland sites that spans the Central Plains and Eastern Missouri Late Woodland areas.
Earthen enclosures are hallmarks of both the Early Woodland Adena complex and the Middle Woodland... more Earthen enclosures are hallmarks of both the Early Woodland Adena complex and the Middle Woodland Hopewell Interaction Sphere of the eastern United States. Early and Middle Woodland enclosures also exist west of the Mississippi River, but these generally have been overlooked. Eastern Iowa has at least five enclosures of apparent Early or Middle Woodland affiliation and numerous others with later or undetermined affiliations. The Woodland enclosures contain many of the characteristics associated with Adena and Hopewell in terms of their size, apparent non-defensive function, and association with ritual areas including burial mounds. The distribution of these earthworks suggests that the Mississippi River valley was the western limit of Adena- and Hopewell-related ceremonial enclosures but that their importance may have extended more widely.
Current models use climate change associated with Holocene Altithermal warming to explain differe... more Current models use climate change associated with Holocene Altithermal warming to explain differences between Paleoindian and Archaic bison seasons of kill on the Great Plains. These models, however, do not take into consideration the very different ecological conditions between the eastern and western Plains during this period. Reanalysis of the Cherokee Sewer site bison dentition and fetal elements indicates a late-fall to early-winter season of bison kill on the Paleoindian and Early Archaic horizons, rather than a mid- to late-winter season of kill suggested in the original report. Dentition studies also show a shift in bison mortality from younger animals to older ones during the Altithermal onset and maximum. Combined, these results suggest bison hunters on the eastern Plains used different adaptive strategies to cope with climate change than those seen on the western Plains.
Zooarchaeologists frequently use dental analyses to make inferences about the season of occupatio... more Zooarchaeologists frequently use dental analyses to make inferences about the season of occupation of archaeological sites and about mortality profiles of prehistoric bison populations. There is a great danger that archaeologists are forming untested inferences based solely on data from archaeological material, basing their determinations for their bison age classes upon the results of possibly incorrect analyses of data from other sites, which in tum were based upon the work of even earlier analyses of
zooarchaeological materials. An argument is made for the necessity of increasing our information about known-age modem control samples as a more soundly based methodology for determining the age and seasonality of archaeological fauna! populations.
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that portions of the fort retained integrity, but the condition of surrounding
associated features remained unknown. Recent investigations
directly west of the fort revealed intact archaeological deposits
representing the fort-era and battlefield activities, including portions
of a landscape feature described in historical documents and now
dubbed “Black Hawk’s ravine.” A portion of this ravine was used
by American Indian forces as a strategic area of cover from which
to conduct military actions against the fort, and fort-era artifacts are
preserved within buried but intact ravine deposits in stratigraphically
correct position relative to the fort. This investigation has greatly expanded knowledge of this early and significant historic site and provides
the basis for refining site boundaries to more accurately encompass
the battlefield and associated fort for research and preservation
planning.
that portions of the fort retained integrity, but the condition of surrounding
associated features remained unknown. Recent investigations
directly west of the fort revealed intact archaeological deposits
representing the fort-era and battlefield activities, including portions
of a landscape feature described in historical documents and now
dubbed “Black Hawk’s ravine.” A portion of this ravine was used
by American Indian forces as a strategic area of cover from which
to conduct military actions against the fort, and fort-era artifacts are
preserved within buried but intact ravine deposits in stratigraphically
correct position relative to the fort. This investigation has greatly expanded knowledge of this early and significant historic site and provides
the basis for refining site boundaries to more accurately encompass
the battlefield and associated fort for research and preservation
planning.
Fortunately, there are sites that the public can visit directly or can learn about from nearby interpretive exhibits. Fewer things are more inspiring than walking among the Malchow Mounds (66), packed so tightly it is hard to tell where one ends and the other begins. Strolling around downtown Des Moines (23) is different when you are aware of the mounds, the Indian villages, and the fort that once stood there. And while you cannot visit the Wanampito site (31), you can see the splendid 17th-century protohistoric artifacts at Heery Woods State Park.
For those who want to experience archaeological places firsthand, the 68 sites described here provide an opportunity. Many can be visited, can be seen from a public location, or have artifact collections on display. A few are important sites included because of the unique story they tell, but their exact location is not revealed, some because they are gone, like the Old Pacific City Cemetery (14), some because they are on secluded private property, like the Poisel site (67). We intentionally chose to include sites in every corner of the state and to diversify the types of sites. We avoided the temptation of including every mound site. Although often the most aesthetically interesting sites, mounds tell only part of the story of Iowa’s past.
zooarchaeological materials. An argument is made for the necessity of increasing our information about known-age modem control samples as a more soundly based methodology for determining the age and seasonality of archaeological fauna! populations.