Archaeology of Iowa
The archaeology of Iowa is the study of the buried remains of
Iowa archaeologists
Archaeologists have studied the prehistory of Iowa since the mid-19th century, when large American Indian mounds were first observed along the Mississippi. Early archaeologists such as S.V. Proudfit and Theodore Lewis documented large sites such as earthworks, mounds, and earthlodges.
Paleoindian (13,500–10,500 years ago)
Clovis and other Early Paleoindian
The oldest artifacts found in Iowa are Clovis points, large lanceolate points found occasionally in all parts of the state except for the Des Moines Lobe. Possible sources of game were giant Pleistocene megafauna, including mammoth, mastodon, and giant forms of bison, all of which are now extinct. While widespread, only two Clovis sites have been excavated in Iowa. The Rummells-Maske site is a Clovis site in Cedar County; unfortunately, this site was damaged by plowing, although 20 points and point fragments were recovered.[7] The Carlisle Clovis Cache Site in Warren County contained 38 unfinished stone tools that appear to date to the Clovis period, but these results have not yet been published.[8]
Other Iowa Early Paleoindian points include Gainey, a point that appears to be intermediate between Clovis and Folsom. Gainey points were also recovered at Rummells-Maske. While Folsom points are found throughout Iowa, especially western Iowa, none have been excavated in a well-preserved site.[9]
Dalton and other Late Paleoindian
At the beginning of the glacial-free Holocene Epoch, humans in Iowa utilized projectile point found throughout the mid-continent, including Dalton, Fayette, Agate Basin, and Hell Gap. Humans were still highly mobile, and by this time most of the Pleistocene megafauna had gone extinct. As with the Early Paleoindian period, no intact Late Paleoindian sites have been excavated in Iowa.[10]
Archaic Period
The Archaic is the longest period of Iowa prehistory, lasting about 8,000 years. Overall, populations appear to have increased in Iowa during the Archaic, despite a changing climate. During this time American Indians transitioned from highly mobile hunters and gatherers with large ranges towards a focus on local resources and ecosystems. Domesticated plants appeared in Iowa towards the end of the Archaic.[1]
Early Archaic (10,500–7,500 years ago)
During the Early Archaic period regional variation in point forms is seen in Iowa, and Indians adapted to more localized forms of hunting and gathering while probably maintaining seasonal movements from camp to camp.[1] Common stone tool types are Corner-notched St. Charles points and Thebes Knives. Soon Hardin and Kirk points appear in Iowa as well.[11] Excavated Early Archaic sites in Iowa include the Soldow Site,[12] Horizons IIIa and II of the Cherokee Sewer Site,[1][13] and the Simonsen Site.[14]
Middle Archaic (7,500–5,000 years ago)
Temperatures rose in the mid-continent during the Middle Archaic, a warming trend known as the Hypsithermal. Grasslands expanded east, forests became less common, and many Iowa lakes shrank or disappeared. Humans responded by diversifying their subsistence strategy: eastern Iowa saw a shift towards river resources, and western Iowa towards Plains resources. Excavated sites in eastern and central Iowa include the Brash Site,[15] the Gast Spring Site,[1] and the Ed’s Meadow Site.[16] Western Iowa sites include the Turin Site,[17] Horizon I of the Cherokee Sewer Site,[13] and the Pony Creek Site.[18]
Late Archaic (5,000–2,800 years ago)
In the Late Archaic the climate became more similar to modern with the end of the
Woodland Period
During the Woodland period, many American Indians in Iowa shifted away from hunting and gathering and used more domesticated plants, although wild food was still important.
Early Woodland (800 BC–200 BC)
The Early Woodland period saw the introduction of ceramics to Iowa, including Marion Thick and Black Sand types. Marion Thick may have originated with the nucleated Late Archaic cultures of the Upper Midwest, and was widespread in distribution.[24] Early Woodland Indians in eastern Iowa built large burial mounds in the Mississippi River region, and participated in long-distance trade of exotic raw material. This long-distance trade may have been the forerunner of the later Havanna-Hopewell trading sphere. In north-central Iowa, Early Woodland peoples appear to have interacted more directly with the Prairie Lakes region of Minnesota. Numerous Early Woodland sites have been excavated in Iowa, including the Gast Spring Site,[1] and many sites which have not been formally published.[25]
Middle Woodland (200 BC–400 AD)
The Middle Woodland Indians of eastern Iowa participated at the edge of the Havana and Hopewell interaction networks. This cultural connection to the East is seen in the construction of large mounds, earthworks, and the trade of exotic goods over very long distances. There were several large earthwork enclosures in Iowa along the Mississippi that date to the Middle Woodland period, but none in the interior of the state, indicating Iowa is the western edge of Havana-Hopewell influence.[26] The Toolesboro Mound Group in Louisa County included a large octagonal earthen enclosure that covered several acres; earthworks of this style are indicative of the monumental construction once seen in Havana, Illinois along the Illinois River and sites in the Ohio River drainage including Chillicothe and Newark, Ohio. Hopewell trading networks were quite extensive, with obsidian from the Yellowstone area, copper from Lake Superior, and shells from the Gulf Coast appearing in Middle Woodland Iowa sites. Sites in eastern Iowa appeared to nucleate, vacating much of the hinterlands.[27] Western Iowa appears to have been not directly involved in this exchange network, and the Havana-Hopewell flourishing did not extend much above the Kansas City area of the Missouri River.[28]
Late Woodland (400–1250 AD)
The Late Woodland Period was once considered to be relatively unimportant and uninteresting compared to earlier and later periods, but recent research shows unexpected cultural complexity.[1][29] Late Woodland sites are more dispersed than Middle Woodland sites, but they are apparently more numerous. Gone are the complex earthworks and long-distance trade networks, but this does not appear to be a cultural collapse, since Late Woodland sites and artifact types overlap with and transition from Middle Woodland sites. Technical changes of the Late Woodland include the use of true arrow heads, thinner and larger ceramics with less elaborate decorations, and the adaptation of new crops, including maize.[30] Numerous regional variations and phases have been defined in Iowa, based in large extent on differences of ceramic form and decoration.[1] Excavations at Late Woodland sites are common, some of these sites showing surprising complexity. The Gast Farm Site excavations revealed a complex settlement associated with a midden of refuse 100 m in diameter. Large storage and food processing pits, trash middens, and other features were excavated. Occupants utilized acorns, other nuts and fruits, goosefoot, little barley, maygrass, sunflower, fish, birds, deer, muskrat, and turtle. There was little evidence of long-distance trade.[31] The Rainbow and M.A.D. sites provide a glimpse into the Late Archaic of western Iowa. At Rainbow, a large house was excavated, showing evidence of reuse and possible joint occupation by two families.[32] Mound building became more common during the Late Woodland Period, large groups of mounds appeared including the Slinde Mound Group, and the Fish Farm Mound Group.
Effigy Mounds
The Late Woodland in Iowa is perhaps best known for
Late Prehistoric (900–1600)
Maize appears to have been the catalyst for change in the Late Prehistoric period in Iowa. While maize had been a minor crop in the Woodland Period, many archaeologists believe new varieties of maize were introduced to the region that produced higher yields, allowing for a population boom. This increase in population, combined with the potential for surplus and growing tensions over control of territory, appears to have led to large nucleated settlements throughout the eastern U.S.[37] Although this manifested itself earliest along the Mississippi south of Iowa, the earliest Late Prehistoric cultures appeared in the western part of the state.[38]
Great Oasis (ca. 900–1100)
Great Oasis sites appeared in the Missouri River drainage, and have attributes of both Late Woodland and Late Prehistoric cultures. Great Oasis cultures extended through the eastern Plains from Iowa to South Dakota. Developing independently from the eastern Mississippian cultures, Great Oasis sites display large sites along major stream terraces, increased reliance on agriculture combined with hunting and gathering, substantial pit earth lodges, and a transition from Late Woodland to Late Prehistoric ceramic forms. Overall, Great Oasis appears to have been a regional adaptation of new forms of farming and settlement patterns, including seasonal occupation of different ecological zones, that includes aspects of Late Woodland and the subsequent Middle Missouri Tradition.[1][39][40]
Mill Creek and Glenwood (1100–1300)
In northwestern Iowa, Great Oasis underwent dramatic changes as Mill Creek sites appeared. While Mill Creek has many stylistic similarities with Great Oasis and some Mill Creek sites contain Great Oasis ceramic forms, Mill Creek sites are substantially different. Mill Creek sites became nucleated, often fortified, had a much higher dependence on
Oneota (1250–1700)
Very large
Protohistoric (1600–1800)
Protohistoric refers to the period when American Indians were exposed to European trade items and large population shifts occurred because of introduced European diseases and warfare, but there is very little direct written documentation. Explorers such as
Historical (1800–present)
The earliest European forts and settlements were established by traders beginning in the 1680s. Almost none of these ephemeral early historical sites have been located archaeologically.
See also
- Iowa Archaeological Society
- Indians of Iowa
- Geology of Iowa
- History of Iowa
- State Historical Society of Iowa
- Iowa Historic Preservation Alliance
- Effigy Mounds National Monument
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q Alex, Lynn M. (2000). Iowa's Archaeological Past. University of Iowa Press. Archived from the original on 2009-11-20. Retrieved 2009-09-08.
- ^ Proudfit, S. V. (1880) Antiquities of the Missouri Bluffs. American Antiquarian 3:271–280; Lewis, Theodore H. (1885) Effigy Mounds in Iowa. Science 6(146):453–454
- ^ Iowa Office of the State Archaeologist, "The University of Iowa Office of the State Archaeologist". Archived from the original on 2008-05-25. Retrieved 2008-06-02.
- ^ "Association of Iowa Archaeologists: Membership Directory". Uiowa.edu. Archived from the original on 2009-07-16. Retrieved 2009-07-22.
- ^ Association of Iowa Archaeologists, "The Association of Iowa Archaeologists". Archived from the original on 2008-07-09. Retrieved 2008-06-09.
- ^ Iowa's Earliest Residents, "Crops of Ancient Iowa - Iowa's Earliest Residents: The Office of the State Archaeologist at the University of Iowa since 1959". Archived from the original on 2010-04-10. Retrieved 2010-03-01.
- ^ Anderson, Adrian D., and Joseph A. Tiffany (1972) Rummells-Maske: A Clovis Find-Spot in Iowa. Plains Anthropologist 17:55–59
- ^ The Carlisle Cache, "Crops of Ancient Iowa - Rummells-Maske Site: The Office of the State Archaeologist at the University of Iowa since 1959". Archived from the original on 2010-04-10. Retrieved 2010-03-01.
- ^ Alex 2000:49–50; Morrow, Julie, "The Early Paleoindian Period" "The University of Iowa Office of the State Archaeologist: The Early Paleoindian Period". Archived from the original on 2008-05-16. Retrieved 2008-06-02.
- ^ Alex 2000:50–53
- ^ Morrow, Toby; "The Late Paleoindian/Early Archaic Period" "The University of Iowa Office of the State Archaeologist: The Late Paleoindian/Early Archaic Period". Archived from the original on 2008-05-16. Retrieved 2008-06-02.
- ^ Flanders, Richard E. (1977) The Soldow Site, 13HB1: An Archaic Component from North Central Iowa. Journal of the Iowa Archeological Society 24:125– 147
- ^ a b Anderson, Duane C., and Holmes A. Semken, Jr. (eds.) (1980) The Cherokee Excavations: Holocene Ecology and Human Adaptations in Northwestern Iowa. Academic Press, New York
- ^ Frankforter, W. D., and George A. Agogino (1960) The Simonsen Site: Report for the Summer of 1959. Plains Anthropologist 5:65–70
- ^ Collins, James M. (1995) Lithic Technology and Temporal Variation at a Chert Workshop in Central Iowa. Journal of the Iowa Archeological Society 42:8–20
- ^ Morrow, Toby A. (1998) Phase III Excavations at the Ed’s Meadow Site (13DM712). Office of the State Archaeologist, University of Iowa, Iowa City
- ^ Fisher, Alton K. (1985) Turin: A Middle Archaic Burial Site in Western Iowa. Plains Anthropologist 30:195–218
- ^ Reeves, Brian (1973) The Concept of an Altithermal Cultural Hiatus in Northern Plains Prehistory. American Anthropologist 75:1221–1253
- ^ Crops of Ancient Iowa, "Crops of Ancient Iowa - Cast of Plants: The Office of the State Archaeologist at the University of Iowa since 1959". Archived from the original on 2010-04-10. Retrieved 2010-03-01.
- ^ Whittaker, William E., Michael T. Dunne, Joe Alan Artz, Sarah E. Horgen, and Mark L. Anderson (2007) Edgewater Park: A Late Archaic Campsite along the Iowa River. Midcontinental Journal of Archaeology 32(1):4–46; http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3904/is_200704/ai_n19433705
- ^ Dunne, Michael T., and William Green (1998) Terminal Archaic and Early Woodland Plant Use at the Gast Spring Site (13LA152), Southeast Iowa. Midcontinental Journal of Archaeology 23(1):45–88
- ^ Alex 2000:76–77
- ^ Alex 2000:78–79
- ^ Alex 2000:88; Klippel, Walter E. (1972) An Early Woodland Period Manifestation in the Prairie Peninsula. Journal of the Iowa Archeological Society 19:1–91
- ^ Alex 2000:87–98
- ^ S2CID 162414387. Archived from the originalon 28 January 2013. Retrieved 18 December 2010.
- ^ Alex 2000:100–109
- ^ Alex 2000:112–115
- ^ Benn and Green 2000
- ^ Alex 2000:115–118
- ^ Benn, David W., and William Green (2000) Late Woodland Cultures in Iowa. In Late Woodland Societies: Tradition and Transformation across the Midcontinent, ed. T. E. Emerson, D. L. McElrath, and A. C. Fortier, pp. 429–496. University of Nebraska Press, Lincoln, Nebraska
- ^ Benn, David W. (ed.) (1990) Woodland Cultures on the Western Prairies: The Rainbow Site Investigations. Report 18. Office of the State Archaeologist, University of Iowa, Iowa City
- ^ Lenzendorf, Dennis (2000) Effigy Mounds: A Guide to Effigy Mounds National Monument. Eastern National, Fort Washington, Pennsylvania
- ^ Whittaker, William E., and Glenn R. Storey (2008) Ground-Penetrating Radar Survey of the Sny Magill Mound Group, Effigy Mounds National Monument, Iowa. Geoarchaeology 23:474–499
- ^ Collins and Whittaker (2007) Digital Mapping and Ground-Penetrating Radar Survey of the Folkert Mound Group (13HA30), Hardin County, Iowa. Contract Completion Report 1395. Office of the State Archaeologist, University of Iowa, Iowa City
- ^ Horton (2007) A Star Explodes! A.D. 1054: Did Prehistoric Native Iowans Witness and Record this Titanic Stellar Event? Newsletter of the Iowa Archeological Society 57(3):1–2
- ^ Alex 2000:142–145
- ^ Alex 2000:138–139
- ^ Anderson, Adrian D. (1961) The Glenwood Sequence: a Local Sequence for a Series of Archaeological Manifestations in Mills County, Iowa. Journal of the Iowa Archeological Society 10:1–101
- ^ Henning, Dale R. (2005) The Evolution of the Plains Village Tradition. In North American Archaeology, Timothy Pauketat and D. D. Loren (eds.), pp. 161–186. Blackwell, Boston
- ^ Alex 2000
- ^ Green, William (1991) The Paul Rowe Archaeological Collection: A Key to Central Plains Prehistory. Plains Anthropologist 36:79–86
- ^ Perry, Michael J. (1998) An Archeological Survey of the Lower Pony Creek Valley: Implications for Glenwood Locality Settlement Pattern. Central Plains Archaeology 6(1):35–56
- ^ Steinacher, Terry L., and Gayle F. Carlson (1998) The Central Plains Tradition. In Archaeology on the Great Plains, W. R. Wood (ed.), pp. 235–268. University Press of Kansas, Lawrence
- ^ Tiffany, Joseph A. (2002) Archaeological Perspectives on Southwest Iowa. Journal of the Iowa Archeological Society 49:11–26
- ^ Emerson, T. E., and R. B. Lewis (eds.) (1991) Cahokia and the Hinterlands: Middle Mississippian Cultures of the Midwest. University of Illinois Press, Urbana, Illinois
- ^ Straffin, Dean F. (1971) The Kingston Oneota Site. Research Report 2. Office of the State Archaeologist, University of Iowa, Iowa City
- ^ Alex 2000:197–198
- ^ Benn, David W. (1991) The Christenson Oneota Site, 13PK407. The Journal of the Iowa Archeological Society 38
- ^ Green, William, and Clare Tolmie (2004) Analysis of Plant Remains from Blood Run. Plains Anthropologist 49:525–625; "The Blood Run Site - Maps, Material Culture, and Memory: On the Trail of the Ioway: Iowa Archaeology Month: The Office of the State Archaeologist at the University of Iowa since 1959". Archived from the original on 2012-01-06. Retrieved 2011-12-27.
- ^ Alex 2000:206–207
- ^ Schoen, Christopher M. (2005) A Point of Land and Prehistoric Peoples. Iowa Heritage Illustrated 86(1): 8–9
- ^ Whittaker, William E. (2008). "Prehistoric and Historic Indians in Downtown Des Moines". Newsletter of the Iowa Archeological Society. 58 (1): 8–10.
- ^ Wedel, Mildred Mott. (1959) Oneota Sites on the Upper Iowa River. The Missouri Archaeologist 21(2–4)
- ^ Alex 2000:211–226
- ^ Tiffany, Joseph A. and Duane Anderson (1993) The Milford Site (13DK1): A Postcontact Oneota Village in Northwest Iowa. Plains Anthropologist 38(145):283–206
- ^ Shott, Michael J., Joseph A. Tiffany, John F. Doershuk, and Jason Titcomb (2002) The Reliability of Surface Assemblages: Recent Results from the Gillett Grove Site, Clay County, Iowa. Plains Anthropologist 47:165–182
- ^ Alex 2000; "Iowaville and the Lower des Moines River - Maps, Material Culture, and Memory: On the Trail of the Ioway - the University of Iowa Office of the State Archaeologist". Archived from the original on 2008-05-05. Retrieved 2008-06-03.
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- ISBN 978-1-58729-831-8. Archived from the originalon 2009-08-05. Retrieved 2009-09-09.
- ^ Alex 2000:234–235
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- ^ Charlton, Thomas H., Cynthia O. Charlton, Stephen C. Lensink, and James A. Sartain (1988) Historical Archaeology at Plum Grove. Journal of the Iowa Archeological Society 35: 39–69
- ^ Whittaker, William E. (1999) Production of Animal Commodities at Plum Grove, Iowa City. Historical Archaeology 33(4):44–57
- ^ Gradwohl, David M., and Nancy M. Osborn (1984) Exploring Buried Buxton. Iowa State University Press, Ames, Iowa
- ^ "The University of Iowa Office of the State Archaeologist: GCP – Bowen's Prairie Historic Archaeological District". Uiowa.edu. Archived from the original on 2012-10-06. Retrieved 2009-07-22.
External links
- Iowa Office of the State Archaeologist Website
- Iowa Archaeological Society Website
- The Crops of Ancient Iowa
- State Historical Society of Iowa Archaeological Website
- Association of Iowa Archaeologists Website
- Department of Anthropology, University of Iowa Website
- Department of Anthropology, Iowa State University Website Archived 2008-05-15 at the Wayback Machine
- Department of Anthropology, Grinnell College Website
- Department of Anthropology, Luther College Website