News

8/06/2007

Glacial Sluiceways and modern streams:  An Archaeological investigation of eastern hamilton county

ARMS received a FY2007 Historic Preservation Fund Grant to investigate threatened portions of unsurveyed glacial sluiceways and modern stream valleys in eastern Hamilton County, Indiana.  Hamilton County is one of the fastest growing counties in Indiana and urban sprawl and gravel operations are threatening archaeological resources.  We will target valley settings that have not been previously surveyed including the Stony Creek valley and William Lock Ditch (sluiceway) valley located in Noblesville, Wayne and White River Townships.  The project will involve a pedestrian survey of approximately 400 acres of agricultural land.  The goals of the project are to investigate previously unsurveyed portions of the Stony Creek and tributary valleys, refine settlement patterns of the precontact and early Euro-American era and increase Indiana’s site database.

The following research questions guide this project: 

-What is the settlement pattern for different cultural contexts?  For example: 

• Are Early Archaic sites dispersed throughout the project area a at the nearby Strawtown Prairie?

• We expect a large Late Archaic site (base camp) somewhere along the valley edge within the project area as well as scattered Late Archaic resource extractive sites.  Will the Late Archaic components within the project area be related to the French Lick component from the nearby McKinley site (Munson 1980, Justice 1993) or to other components (Laurentian, Ohio Valley Archaic)?

• Do Middle Woodland sites occur near marshes within the project area as in the rest of the region?

• An unnamed Late Middle Woodland component has been identified in the region.  Is this component related to Allison-LaMotte or Newtown or the Weaver Phase from Illinois?

• Were Late Prehistoric peoples (Albee, Oliver, Ft. Ancient, Oneota, Smith Valley) utilizing the prairies in the project area in the same way they used the prairies in the main river valley?

• A substantial historic Delaware presence has been documented on the upper White River and nearby at Strawtown.  Is there evidence for Delaware exploitation or settlement within the project area?

• Given the presence of the mill and nearby cabin on Stony Creek in 1821, and the fact that mills were a focal resource for a surrounding community, what evidence of early EuroAmerican settlement occurs within the project area?

-Fall Creek chert and Fall Creek quartzite are an abundant locally available resource.  In the White River Valley, these materials are currently known only from gravel deposits.  A bedrock source of Fall Creek chert has recently been identified near Pendleton.  Glacial drift covers the bedrock in most areas of Hamilton County (Gefell 1983:17), but areas of bedrock are exposed along Stony Creek.  Is there a bedrock source of Fall Creek chert in the Stony Creek valley? 

-Are there unique archaeological resources associated with the project area?

Field work was initiated in June and will be completed in the fall after crops are harvested.  Lab work and documentation of private collections will be ongoing until the project is completed in April of 2008. 

08/06/2007

September is Indiana Archaeology Month.  To find a listing of state wide activities visit the DHPA's Archaeology Month page.

ARMS will again be at Mounds State Park in Anderson, Indiana for Archaeology Weekend on September 15th and 16th.  We will be investigating the lesser known northern enclosures in the park.   We will take volunteers from 9 am to 4 pm Saturday and Sunday.  For more information contact Mounds State Park at 765-649-8128 or ARMS at 765-285-5328.

To learn more about previous investigations at within Mounds State Park visit our Publication page, Reports #61, 68 and 69.

07/30/2007

An Archaeological Survey of Hancock County: Enhancement of a Data Deficient County

ARMS completed a FY2006 Historic Preservation Fund Grant to investigate archaeological resources in Hancock County, Indiana.  Hancock County was chosen because it is rapidly developing and very little archaeological information is recorded.  In addition, the natural setting of Hancock County is somewhat different from the rest of the till plain region of central Indiana.  While past settlement and use of the till plain region of Indiana is well documented, since Hancock County has a somewhat different natural setting, we are unable to apply what we know about the surrounding region to the specific setting in the county. 

Nearly 800 acres of agricultural land were surveyed during the project.  The survey recorded 161 new archaeological sites, recovered 702 prehistoric artifacts and 950 historic artifacts from 14 locations across the county.  The project also visited over 100 historically documented sites and recorded 13 new and two previously recorded sites  German Settlement in Sugar Creek Township was investigated.    Several local collections were reviewed and correlated to 17 archaeological sites.  In total, 193 archaeological site inventory forms were completed.  To assist in the management of archaeological data from Hancock County, a GIS database was also created.  The information obtained from this project was then compared to regional information.  While Hancock County archaeology is analogous to the till plain region, unique environmental characteristics distinguish the county.  The abundance of poorly drained soils in the county amplifies the relationship of well drained soils and prehistoric settlement.

The project has been funded in part by a grant from the U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service’s Historic Preservation Fund administered by the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Division of Historic Preservation and Archaeology.

A copy of the final report is available for download.  A PowerPoint presentation is also available. 

6/1/07

Mitch Zoll retired from Ball State in May 2007. Mitch worked for ARMS for over 20 years and he will be greatly missed.

For past years news, visit the archives:

       2006       2005