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Late Prehistoric Frontier Interaction

Study of the population dynamics of Late Prehistoric period in central and northern Indiana is at the core of the Survey's long term research agenda.  Over the past several years, the Survey has collected extensive data through grant-supported survey and excavation projects conducted in northern and central Indiana.  The ultimate goal of the investigations at the Castor Farm site and the other sites in the Strawtown area is to clarify the nature of the interactions among several farming communities known to be present in central Indiana during the Late Prehistoric period: the Oliver peoples of central and southern Indiana, whose settlements share many similarities with the Fort Ancient culture of southwestern Ohio; Fisher-Huber groups from northern Illinois, who were attracted by prairie conditions around what is now Indianapolis; and Western Basin people from northern Ohio, who followed the Maumee River valley into Indiana. 

The 2001 and 2002 IPFW field schools were conducted at the Scranage enclosure (12-Dk-363), an earthen embankment and ditch construction in DeKalb County, Indiana.  IPFW also conducted excavations at the Strawtown enclosure (12-H-883) in Hamilton County, Indiana, as a grant-supported public awareness and research project in 2001, 2002,  2003, and 2004.

The 2003 and 2004 field schools were conducted at the Castor Farm site (12-H-3), a large Late Prehistoric village site in the river bottoms below the Strawtown enclosure.   Excavations thus far have documented numerous storage pits, hearths, food processing features, and hundreds of postholes from several Late Prehistoric structures.  A large (6m x 8m), rectangular, semi-subterranean structure was exposed and partially excavated in 2004.  Geophysical data indicate that there are a pair of these structures in the central portion of the site.
    In addition to excavations at Strawtown, the IPFW-AS has surveyed several hundred acres and documented numerous previously unreported archaeological sites in the vicinity.  All materials recovered from the Strawtown sites will be housed on the grounds of the Strawtown Koteewi Park and managed by the Hamilton County Parks and Recreation Department. 

The Survey has been notified of probable funding through the National Science Foundation for a summer research and education program at Strawtown to run from the Summer of 2005 through the Fall of 2007.  Assuming funding is awarded, the program, entitled Undergraduate Research in Application of Geophysical Methods to the Archaeology of Late Prehistoric Central Indiana, will run for three consecutive years as an eight-week training and research course.  The curriculum will revolve around the use of geophysical instruments (magnetometer, resistivity meter, and ground penetrating radar) and the application of geophysical data to archaeological problems.  Details are available here.

The results of the 2001 and 2002 fieldwork at Strawtown and Scranage are available electronically in ROI 216 and ROI 301.  The results of the 2003 fieldwork are available in ROI 401.  Analysis of materials and data from the 2004 excavations is ongoing.
Castor Farm
2003 excavations at Castor FarmThe Castor Farm site (12-H-3) was defined on the surface as a large scatter of lithic tools, debitage, fire-cracked rock, and prehistoric ceramic debris in Hamilton County, Indiana. The site, located in close proximity to the Strawtown enclosure, was investigated by surface survey for two seasons prior to excavations conducted during the 2003 and 2004 IPFW-AS field schools.  Based on the near absence of Fort Ancient-style guilloche ceramics recovered from the surface, as well as the morphology of the triangular projectile points collected from the site, the dominant occupation at Castor Farm is believed to be earlier than those of the enclosure (see IPFW-AS ROI 301 and ROI 401).  Radiocarbon results obtained thus far support this impression.

Ceramics from the Castor Farm site have cord-impressed decoration on straight, collared, or cambered rims (example).  The closest archaeological correlate to this material is located in the Michigan-Indiana-Ohio tristate area and is often referred to as the Western Basin, or Younge, Tradition centered in the middle to lower Maumee Valley

H3 initial magnetometry dataWork at the Castor Farm site in 2003 included a magnetometer survey of a 20m x 40m portion of the site performed by Staffan Petersen of Indiana University.  Data from the magnetometer were used to guide the placement of the initial excavation units.  The locations of fire-hearths, burned rock features, and storage/refuse pit features containing relatively large quantities of burned material were easily detected using the magnetometer. Storage/refuse pits that did not contain burned material, as well as numerous postholes encountered during excavations, had more subtle signatures. 


A large anomaly in the southeastern portion of the magnetic survey area was investigated by the excavation of a 3m x 3m unit.  Excavations revealed a basin-shaped deposit with burned timbers on the floor.  The results of the initial magnetic survey are described in ROI 401. 

Several large postholes were discovered (by chance) in the southern portion of the village during excavation of several 50cm x 50cm sampling units.  The posts were large, deep, close together, and unlike those in the main excavation area.  The size and closeness of the posts suggested the presence of a stockade wall or other fortification.

resitivity dataResistivity and magnetometry survey carried out in the Spring of 2004 sucessfully defined the edges of Structure 1, and revealed the presence of a second basin structure immediately to the west.  The organic fill of the structures shows up as distinct areas of low resistance against the gravelly, medium- to high-resistance matrix.

The 2004 field school (aerial view) focused on investigating Structure 1 and the possible stockade wall.  The plowzone above Structure 1 was removed in 1m x 1m units to expose the structure it its entirety.  The structure was cleaned and mapped in plan, and then a quadrant was removed to expose a portion of the floor.  A double row of postmolds was present along the edge of the floor.  Burned timbers (possibly the remains of an interior bench or ramp) were also present along a portion of the edge of the floor.

Excavations in the area of the possible stockade revealed two rows of large, closely spaced posts.  One of these rows was followed for 9m.  The other row was discovered late in the field school, and only 5m of its length was excavated.

Scranage Enclosure

2001 Field School students on Scranage embankmentThe Scranage enclosure (12-Dk-363) is a circular, earthen embankment and ditch structure measuring approximately 52-63m across and enclosing approximately 2,600 square meters (plan map). Radiocarbon dates place construction of the enclosure between approximately AD 1030-1260.  Overall artifacts density is light, and the site does not appear to have been an intensively occupied village.  The small ceramic assemblage collected thus far is of a general Late Prehistoric Great Lakes affiliation.  The photograph to the right shows field school students standing on the embankment and in the ditch.

 

Scranage trench excavation units, 2001Most hand unit excavation during 2001 was concentrated in a series of adjacent units that were aligned to form a trench that extended through the embankment and across the ditch. In profile, the embankment was as a low mound of brown, compact sandy loam intermixed with discontinuous areas of dark brown sediment.  Beneath the embankment fill was a buried O/A horizon. The central portion of the ditch contained up to approximately 50cm of loose, black, sandy loam that contained both historic refuse (such as cow bone) and prehistoric materials. 

Six postholes were identified extending into the buried O/A beneath the embankment fill, suggesting the presence of a stockade or palisade.
 

Scranage 2002 postholesWork at Scranage during the 2002 field season focused on collecting more data about the ditch and embankment structures and investigating a possible structure located during the 2001 field season.  A row of small postholes was identified across the top of the embankment in the 2002 trench.  A second row of postholes in a shallow trench was present benearth the interior side of the embankment.  Analysis of materials and deposits from the 2002 season is available in IPFW-AS ROI 301.

Strawtown 2002 large block excavationStrawtown Enclosure

The Strawtown enclosure (12-H-883) is a large (ca. 85-90m in diameter) circular, earthen embankment and ditch structure in Hamilton County, Indiana (plan map).  The enclosure has been recognized as a significant prehistoric earthwork since the late nineteenth century, appearing in several early accounts.  The site was intensively occupied.  Ceramics from the site include Great Lakes wares, Fort Ancient guilloche pottery, and shell-tempered Oneota-like sherds.

Excavations were conducted in the enclosure in 2001, 2002, 2003, and 2004.  Work at Strawtown during the 2001 field season focused on excavating a trench through the ditch and embankment structures to expose a profile.  Deposits exposed in this trench were similar in many ways to those at Scranage.  The ditch was much deeper, however, and the deposits were more complex.  No evidence of a stockade or palisade was located. 

Public tour of StrawtownSeveral additional units were opened within the enclosure in 2001.  Deep storage/refuse features were encountered, but could not be completely excavated within the available time.  A wider area around these deposits was opened up in 2002, exposing at least 14 features in plan view, many of which were superimposed.  Features excavated during 2002 included several deep, refuse-filled storage pits (some of which extended over 2m below the current ground surface), smaller pits, a dog burial, and numerous postholes.  At the bottom of one of the storage pits was a large deposit of carbonized maize.  The arrangement of the postholes suggest one or more stockades was present around the village. Excavations at the enclosure in 2002 were held during Indiana Archaeology Month (September).  Volunteers played an important role in the work, and the excavations attracted over 900 visitors.


Excavations in 2003 moved slightly interior to those in 2002, with the hope of encountering a different class of features than was excavated in 2002.  A day-by-day account of the 2003 excavations is presented here.

Investigations in 2004 focused on completing excavations of features that were begun in 2003.

Excavation of Feature 7 at StrawtownAnalysis of the artifacts and data recovered from the enclosure in 2001-2003 is presented in ROI 216, ROI 301, and ROI 401. 

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