Mohow, James, James R. Jones, III, Amy Johnson, and Donna Oliva (Indiana Department
of Natural Resources, Division of Historic Preservation and Archaeology)
A PRELIMINARY REPORT ON THE GUERNSEY SITE, 12 HE 117, IN HENDRICKS COUNTY, INDIANA
The Guernsey Site, 12 He 117, is a multi-component prehistoric site located on
the terrace of a large secondary drainage in northwestern Hendricks County. Fieldwork
at 12 He 117 was aided tremendously by the cooperation and help of the landowner,
his family, and volunteers. A preliminary surface investigation of the site was
conducted in February of 1992 and revealed a moderate to heavy concentration of
lithic artifacts and fire-cracked rock over an area of approximately five acres.
With the permission of the landowner, a selective sample of artifacts was collected
by the archaeologists for analysis and long-term curation. The cursory examination
of 12 He 117 recovered a variety of lithic debitage, three Unstemmed Karnak points,
one Stemmed Karnak point, and a number of point or biface fragments.
The archaeologists from the Division of Historic Preservation and Archaeology
(DHPA) also conducted a preliminary evaluation of a private collection of artifacts
that had been recovered from the surface of the site over a period of about three
years. The collection contained more than 200 projectile points and point fragments
representing a wide range of prehistoric habitation. Of particular interest were
a Paleo- transitional Dalton point and more than 120 Karnak points.
The initial evaluation of the Guernsey Site indicated that the site contained
Paleo-transitional, Early Archaic, Middle Archaic, Late Archaic, Terminal Archaic,
and Early Woodland components. The site exhibited unusually high densities of
fire cracked rock and chronologically diagnostic artifacts, and a high potential
to contain intact cultural deposits. Given these factors, the site was determined
to be potentially eligible for inclusion in the State Register of Historic Sites
and Structures and the National Register of Historic Places.
With the landowner's permission and encouragement, Jones and Mohow returned to
the property and conducted a systematic surface survey of the site on November
18, 1992. The survey recovered a large number of lithic artifacts including an
Early Archaic Amos Corner Notch point, two Late Archaic McWhinney points, and
nine Late Archaic Karnak points.
At the same time, DHPA archaeologists began the process of classifying and recording
the private collection from the site. A number of chronologically diagnostic point
types have already been identified in the collection, and continued analysis will
undoubtedly identify others. Table 3 lists some of the diagnostic Point types
thus far identified from the Guernsey Site.
In October, 1993, archaeologists Rick Jones, James Mohow, and Amy Johnson, began
limited test excavation of the Guernsey Site. The excavation of two, one meter
square units placed in high artifact density areas recovered a variety of lithic
debitage, point fragments, and fire-cracked rock from within and below the existing
plowzone. The analysis and interpretation of data from the excavation is currently
in process.
While artifacts were recovered from an undisturbed context beneath the plowzone,
no cultural features, such as firepits or midden, were encountered. Significant
archaeological deposits may well exist at the Guernsey Site, but a larger excavation
sample will be needed to establish the presence or absence of such data and to
determine the site's eligibility or inclusion in the National and State registers.
Other questions that will be addressed by continuing research include:
1.) the identification of intra-component and diachronic patterns of site and
raw material usage. 2.) the delineation of prehistoric subsistence patterns. 3.)
the proposal of Late Archaic cultural and ethnic boundaries for the Eel River
watershed as compared to other watershed areas in Indiana.
If the Guernsey site is determined to contain intact, subsurface cultural features,
it will undoubtedly qualify for inclusion in the National Register of Historic
Places. Even if no such features have survived on the site, however, continued
research will certainly yield additional information regarding the prehistoric
habitation of central Indiana.
Table 3: Diagnostic Points from the Guernsey Site.
--Dalton (Paleo-transitional 8500-7500 B.C.)
--Wabash Diagonal Notch
(Early Archaic, Bifurcate Tradition 7000-6000 B.C.)
--Kanawha Bifurcate
(Early Archaic, Bifurcate Tradition 6200-5800 B.C.)
--Raddatz Side Notched
(Middle Archaic, 6000-3000 B.C.)
--Karnak
(Late Archaic, 3700-3000 B.C.)
--McWhinney
(Late Archaic, 4000-1000 B.C.)
--Brewerton
(Late Archaic, 3000-1700 B.C.)
--Ledbetter Stemmed
Late Archaic, 2500-1000 B.C.)
--Saratoga Stemmed
(Late Archaic/Early Woodland, 2000-500 B.C.)
--Riverton
(Terminal Archaic, 1500-500 B.C.)
--Turkey Tail
(Terminal Archaic, 1500-500 B.C.)
--Meadowood
(Early Woodland, 1300-500 B.C.)
--Adena
(Early Woodland, 800-200 B.C.)
--Robbins
(Early Woodland 500 B.C.-200 A.D.)
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