Cantin, Mark, C. Russell and C. Michael Anslinger, (Anthropology Laboratory,
Indiana State University)
OVERVIEW OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL ACTIVITIES DURING 1991 BY THE
INDIANA STATE UNIVERSITY ANTHROPOLOGY LABORATORY
Figure: Map of Indiana showing sites investigated
by IUSAL in 1990 and 1991
During the 1990-91 academic year the Indiana State University Anthropology Laboratory
(ISUAL) conducted four large- scale field projects. These consisted of a powerline
corridor reconnaissance for Public Service Indiana (PSI), and excavations at prehistoric
sites 12 Vi 42, 12 Sp 809 and 12 D 74.
The PSI reconnaissance involved the examination of a 64 mile-long (1200 acre)
corridor in Kosciusko, Elkhart and Lagrange counties in northeastern Indiana.
Landforms are predominantly of late Pleistocene origin and include end moraines,
valley trains, outwash plains, dunes, kames and bogs. More restricted deposits
of Holocene alluvium also occur. The reconnaissance resulted in the identification
of 175 sites, of which over one-half were small, low density fire-cracked rock
(FCR) scatters. Diagnostic artifacts representing 31 components were recovered
from 24 sites. By temporal unit the components consisted of eight Early Archaic,
six Middle-Late Archaic, three Terminal Archaic, two Early Woodland, one Middle
Woodland, and five Late Woodland sites. In addition, 12 historic sites were recorded.
Sites occurred at a general frequency of one site per 4.52 acres examined. However,
when examined by specific geomorphic features distinct differences in site frequencies
were identified. The highest site density occurred on sandy Holocene alluvium
(1 site/1.2 acres), followed by kames (1 site/1.4 acres), morainal rises (1 site/2.5
acres) and dunes (1 site/2.7 acres). Lower site densities occurred on till plain
(1 site/4.1 acres), valley train (1 site/7.7 acres), and outwash (1 site/9.5 acres)
features. Early Archaic and Late Woodland sites were distributed over a wide variety
of landforms, while Middle, Late and Terminal Achaic sites tended to cluster on
morainal and kame features.
For the second consecutive year the ISUAL conducted the High School Summer Honors
Archaeology excavation at the Middle Woodland Halt site (12 Vi 42). This site
is an Allison-LaMotte habitation located on a sand rise along Honey Creek some
4.5 km east of the Wabash River. Seventeen two by two meter units were hand excavated
(a similar number of units were excavated in 1990) using standard procedures.
The total excavated area of 132 square meters probably approaches 25% of the total
site area. No subplowzone midden was identified, although light midden may be
diffused in the plowzone. Twenty-one pit features have been identified, with most
having functioned in the end as refuse pits.
Although no house patterns have been observed, the site appears to be a residential
location occupied on a semi-sedentary or seasonal basis. The freuencies and types
of features which occur in addition to the composition of the artifactual assemblage
tend to support this interpretation. While the densities of fire-cracked rock
and ceramics are high, only six Lowe points have been recovered. One feature (Feature
no. 21) contained an entire reconstructible Embarrass series vessel, which is
globular in form with a simple-stamped body and notched "pie crust" rim. Future
excavations at the site are being planned.
Subsurface reconnaissance was conducted at site 12 Sp 809, an Early Woodland Crab
Orchard site in the Ohio River bottoms. The site was initially identified by Edward
Smith of the Glenn A. Black Laboratory of Archaeology, Indiana University, who
reported the presence of both surface and subsurface deposits. However, the extent
of the subsurface deposits was not known. Because an area immediately adjacent
to the known surface site was proposed for a borrow pit, Lutgring Brothers, Inc.,
agreed to fund a reconnaissance designed to generate data required to delineate
the surface and subsurface boundaries of the site.
In addition to a standard systematic surface reconnaissance, 18 backhoe slit trenches
were excavated. Dark midden deposits containing FCR, ash, nut and wood charcoal,
calcined bone, and chert debitage were identified in nine trenches. On average
the midden was encountered at some 45 cm below the modern surface, and in places
extended to a depth of 85 cm below surface. Several chert tempered Crab Orchard
sherds were recovered from the buried midden which, based on available data, was
developed by a single cultural-temporal manifestation. The midden, which extended
over an area 150 x 150 meters in size, was avoided by the contractors and remains
intact.
The major undertaking was a Phase III excavation at the multicomponent and stratified
Bratfish site (12 D 74), located in Dearborn County near the confluence of Laughery
Creek and the Ohio River. Phase I and II investigations, also conducted by ISUAL,
took place at the site in 1989-90. Data from these studies indicated that a Fort
Ancient deposit occurred directly beneath post settlement (historic?) alluvium,
and that more deeply buried deposits of indeterminate affiliation occurred in
places beneath the Fort Ancient horizon.
The Phase III study was designed to more thoroughly investigate the identified
cultural deposits and to examine stratigraphic relationships. Two excavation blocks
totalling some 11,500 square meters were sampled through mechanical stripping
and hand excavation of units. Utilizing 10.0 cm arbitrary levels, two by two meter
units were excavated to various depths, the deeper of which extended to about
3.0 m below the modern surface. These excavations revealed a nearly continuous
sequence of occupations at the site, with Fort Ancient, Late Woodland Newtown,
early Middle Woodland or Early Woodland, and possible Late Archaic deposits being
identified. In addition to materials recovered from unit/level contexts, a total
of 37 features were identified and excavated. These included large Fort Ancient
refuse pits, a rock filled cooking pit, prepared hearths, fire-cracked rock concentrations,
tool caches, and sherd concentrations. No evidence of houses or other structures
was found.
Floral, faunal, ceramic, and lithic materials from the site are currently being
analyzed. Preliminary results indicate that the most important cultural information
from the site will be obtained from the Late Woodland Newtown to Fort Ancient
stratigraphic sequence, although significant information regarding site formation
processes and valley aggradation was also generated. Data generated might provide
insights into the origins and development of early Fort Ancient. A single uncorrected
radiocarbon date of 1010 +/- 50 B.P. (Beta-50431) derived from wood charcoal recovered
from a Fort Ancient refuse pit was recently obtained. Additional samples from
Fort Ancient, Late Woodland, and earlier indeterminate affiliations are being
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