Archaeological investigations at the Crouch site can be subdivided into three segments: 1) those conducted by the Indiana University field school in archaeology and the Department of the Interior (DOI) grant; 2) the contract to assess the Lionshead Lane and Ramsgate Road right-of ways; and 3) the salvage excavation subsequent to the right-of-way assessment. Approximately 1,767 square meters of surface area were excavated both by hand and by mechanical stripping (Figures 5.3, 5.5, and 5.6). In all of the investigations at the Crouch site, soil samples for flotation were taken from all natural levels identified within feature contexts when practicable and from within selected features. Excavations in total revealed over 80 cultural features and a variety of unidentified soil anomalies. The work was performed by Indiana University students, personnel from the GBL, volunteers from the Archaeological Society of Indianapolis, and members of the interested public. (See Table 5.1: Jo 5 Summary of SVS Data)

1) At the beginning of the 1995 archaeological investigation of the Crouch site, there was no ground surface visibility. The initial investigations (DHPA permit # 95-0020) consisted of the excavation by volunteers from the GBL, between April 21 and April 25, 1995, of 14 standard volumetric sample (SVS) units spaced 20.0 meters apart (Figure 5.3, Table 5.1). Although these units were not sufficient to document site structure, they did indicate that a cluster of material was present on a ridge spur on the northwestern portion of the site. This preliminary investigation was undertaken to confirm the collections at the GBL, which contained a high proportion of plain shell tempered pottery from the site that was thought to possibly represent a cataloging error, and to evaluate the site as a location for the 1995 Indiana University field school. All soil excavated from the SVS units was passed through 1/4-inch hardware cloth and bagged separately; later, sample blocks guided a portion of the mechanical stripping. In order to place these units in perpendicular lines and to stay on the highest elevations, grid north was established 30 degrees west of north. An arbitrary point was established near the apex of the ridge and labeled N500, E500. The SVS units were placed at 20.0-meter intervals along the N500 and E500 baselines. All of the later excavations conducted at 12 Jo 5 were aligned to grid north.

Following the excavation of the SVS units, personnel from the GBL were able to contact Kevin Crouch in Chicago, Illinois, who confirmed that plain shell-tempered pottery was collected from 12 Jo 5. Crouch (along with Nancy Hendricks) also provided a survey map, drawn by Ed Fleener, of subsurface features that were visible as of September 28, 1975 (Figure 5.7). Caution, however, must be exercised in interpreting this map, because the features mapped do not correspond to the azimuth angles presented. Therefore, no attempt was made to identify the rebar buried under the transit station, but Block 2 was placed over the cluster of features located south of this station.

After the excavation of the SVS units, confirmation of the GBL collections, and the documentation of surface features, it was decided that a portion of the Indiana University field school and a portion of the DOI grant would be allocated to this site (DHPA permit # 95-0051). The Indiana University field school (along with volunteers from the university) had planned to do a controlled surface collection on the site that would have more precisely defined the site boundaries and identified the cluster areas, but the developer was unable to schedule the cultivation of the site area at the time needed. With no surface collection possible, the strategy was to locate two large block units for excavation over areas likely to produce subsurface features. Where Late Prehistoric cultural deposits were encountered, trenches were placed outward from the feature areas in order to detect linear anomalies that represent stockade walls, since the detection of palisaded villages was a research priority. Block 1 was located on top of a ridge spur, and its placement was determined by the SVS unit with the highest density of pottery (N=5). Trenches 4A, 5A, 6A, and 7A were placed in a radiating pattern from Block 1 to detect linear anomalies. (Later, during the contract for the road right-of-way, Tr4A was extended to the north and labeled Tr27.) Block 2, excavated over the crest of the ridge, was placed over the feature cluster identified south of the transit station on the 1975 feature map (Figure 5.7; Plate 5.1a). Again, trenches (Tr1A and Tr2A) were placed outward from Block 2. A linear anomaly that turned out to be a feature extending all the way across the trench was identified in Tr2A; Unit A was expanded to identify its shape. Trench 3A was placed along the gentle slope of the ridge also in an attempt to locate any possible stockade walls.

After removal of the plowzone soils in the excavation blocks and trenches by mechanical stripping, the exposed soil was cleanly scraped by hand with shovels and trowels. However, after clearing off the topsoil, many more cultural features were encountered than had been expected or could be excavated. Therefore, all features encountered were documented in plan view. Because the future impacts related to the housing development would affect the area around Block 1, all of the features located within Block 1 and in the related trenches were excavated (using DOI grant funds). Because the area around Block 2 was, supposedly, not going to be affected by construction activities, not all the features in this area were excavated. Areas with incompletely excavated archaeological deposits--Block 2, Unit A, trenches 1A, 2A, and 3A--were lined with plastic before backfilling.

The soil anomalies from Block 1 were mapped, photographed, and cross-sectioned, and the contents were completely excavated and passed through 1/4-inch hardware cloth. The high number and unusual depth of the features located in and around Block 2 made the excavation of all these anomalies impossible. Even though the entire field school portion of the research was allotted to this area, only a few of each of the types of features from this block were excavated. The basin-shaped pits and the medium-storage pits were excavated in their entirety. Four deep storage pits (features 5, 6, 9, and 16) had only one-half of each excavated, both because of their large volumes and the paucity of cultural materials within them.

2) The contract investigation at the Crouch site (12 Jo 5) focused on the fifty-feet-wide right-of-ways in the western portion of section 2 as defined in the Foxberry Trace Master Plan (Figure 5.4). The level of investigation involved both subsurface reconnaissance and Phase II archaeological testing. The areas designated for archaeological testing consisted approximately of the western 200 feet of Lionshead Lane and the northern 150 feet of the uncompleted portion of Ramsgate Road, both within section 2 (Figure 5.4). The total area to be investigated at the level of Phase II testing was 930.0 square meters. Approximately 180.0 square meters (19 percent) of the surface area was excavated in order to adequately assess the nature of the archaeological deposits (Figure 5.5).

The right-of-way investigated by subsurface reconnaissance was that portion of Ramsgate Road that lies approximately 150 to 700 feet west of the uncompleted portion of the roadway. The right-of-way is 50 feet wide and extends to lot 112 where it curves to the east. This area was investigated to determine whether features identified on other portions of site 12 Jo 5 extended into the western edge of the proposed housing addition. This area consists of approximately 3,255 square meters; about 122 square meters (3.8 percent) were investigated to evaluate this area (Figure 5.5).

All of these areas were mechanically stripped using a backhoe with an 83.0 cm-wide smooth-edged bucket. After removal of the plowzone soils in the excavation areas, all of the exposed subsoil was cleanly scraped, using shovels and trowels, and all features were mapped. All features encountered during this portion of the investigation were completely excavated, and, when a feature extended beyond the limits of the trench, the entire feature was exposed. Anomalies were cross-sectioned, mapped, and excavated by hand using standard archaeological techniques. Possible post holes were cross-sectioned to determine if they represented natural or cultural anomalies. In addition, four 2.0 m-by-2.0 m units were excavated below the base of the plowzone to assess possible midden deposits. The units were excavated at least 10.0 cm into culturally sterile soil. The contents of all the excavated portion of the features were screened through 1/4-inch mesh hardware cloth.

3) The salvage investigation conducted at 12 Jo 5 involved cleanly scraping the areas not totally destroyed by earthmoving activities either to the base of the plowzone or to the base of fill deposits. The areas investigated included the northern one-half of Chantry Way right-of-way (the southern half was already destroyed beyond evaluation) and the eastern portion of the site in an area extending about 10 meters east of the wooden power poles into the Indiana University field school (Unit A) excavations (Plate 5.1b). The linear strip south of Lionshead Way had already been destroyed and was not evaluated during the salvage investigation (Figure 5.6). Excavation of these areas involved mechanically stripping the impacted areas with a backhoe equipped with a smooth-edged bucket, followed by shovel and trowel scraping of all the areas stripped. All cultural features were mapped and photographed; all of the features selected for excavation were cross-sectioned, with at least 50 percent of each excavated by hand and the contents passed through 1/4-inch mesh hardware cloth.

As with all segments of the archaeological investigations conducted at 12 Jo 5, any possible post molds were cross-sectioned to determine whether they represented natural or cultural anomalies. At least 25 percent of the midden deposits encountered were hand excavated and their contents also passed through 1/4-inch mesh hardware cloth. In most cases the entire feature was excavated to recover atypical information or deposits not present in the first half of the feature.

Soil samples for flotation were taken from all feature and midden contexts and in natural stratigraphic levels where visible. It was hoped that faunal and floral remains recovered in this manner could be used to assess seasonal variation in diet at the Crouch site. Charcoal samples for radiocarbon assay were collected as well.

Special circumstances warranted that three pit features were hand excavated to a depth of about 1.0 meter below the point of definition and then terminated. This methodology was employed only when: 1) the principal investigator determined that a deeper excavation posed a significant safety risk; 2) that the base of the feature could be clearly documented with a soil probe and bucket auger; 3) the feature did not contain any cultural materials; and 4) the feature was discrete (superpositioning did not have to be determined).

Materials recovered from all three periods of investigation and such associated documentation as field forms, photographs, and field specimen logs were returned to the GBL for laboratory processing and curation (accession number 9152). Laboratory processing involved washing, cataloging, and curation, as well as minimal specialized analysis on samples of the floral, faunal, lithic and ceramic materials recovered. Physical and legal custody of any possibly human remains was remanded to the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, DHPA.