A geomorphological and archaeological study of portions of the Honey Creeek drainage, Vigo County, Indiana was undertaken. Geomorphic investigations focused on the delineation of geomorphic surfaces-units through the analysis of aerial imagery, soil and topographic maps, and limited subsurface coring. Five geomorphic surfaces (Figure 3), of differing age, were mapped and assessed for buried site potential. The surfaces are: 1) sandy deposits associated primarily with the Pleistocene-age Maumee terrace; 2) three early to late Holocene silt-dominated Honey Creek alluviums (HC1, HC2, HC3); and 3) a zone of silt dominated colluvial slope and alluvial fan depostis flanking the upland bluff margin. Only the HC3 surface-unit (modern Honey Creek floodplain has a high potential for buried archaeological remains.
Thirty-four archaeological sites are located in the project area, consisting primarily of large to small, light density scatters of debitage and fire cracked rock (Figure 3). The character of the sites suggests use of the HC2 terrace for seasonal extraction of resources. Although temporal diagnostics were not numerous (n=18), Late Archaic and middle Woodland items domnated. Two more substantial occupations, characterized by higher, more concentrated scatters, can be assigned to the Riverton and Allison-La Motte periods.
