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Research paper thumbnail of Electromagnetic Induction Survey and GIS as a Combined Approach for Determining Fort Ancient Site Size, Extent, and Organization

Electromagnetic induction ( is an underutilized geophysical method in North American archaeology ... more Electromagnetic
induction ( is an underutilized
geophysical method in North American archaeology despite its
ability to detect middens, structures, and earthen constructs
This research examines electromagnetic datasets from two Fort
Ancient sites in Kentucky The Singer Hieronymus Site
Complex (AD 1280 1550 and the Hardin Site (AD 1200
1630 These data were collected with different instruments,
contrasting survey strategies, and in differing natural
environments The results show middens associated with Fort
Ancient villages can be detected under varying conditions with
this method, and by analyzing these datasets within a GIS, site
size, extent, and organization can be more precisely
determined

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Research paper thumbnail of A Consideration of Fort Ancient Non-Handle Appendages.pdf

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Thesis Chapters by Claiborne Sea

Research paper thumbnail of Native American Occupation of the Singer- Hieronymus Site Complex: Developing Site History by Integrating Remote Sensing and Archaeological Excavation

Native American Occupation of the Singer- Hieronymus Site Complex: Developing Site History by Integrating Remote Sensing and Archaeological Excavation, 2018

Located on a ridge top in central Kentucky, the Singer-Hieronymus Site Complex consists of at lea... more Located on a ridge top in central Kentucky, the Singer-Hieronymus Site Complex consists of at least four Native American villages. The Native Americans who lived there are called the “Fort Ancient” by archaeologists. This study examined relationships between these villages, both spatially and temporally, to build a more complete history of site occupation. To do this, aerial imagery analysis, geophysical
survey, and archaeological investigations were conducted. This research determined there were differences among villages in terms of their size, however other characteristics—internal village organization, village shape, radiometric dates, and material culture—overlapped significantly.
Additionally, landscape-scale geophysical survey identified at least three potentially new villages. It has been suggested that Fort Ancient groups abandoned villages every 10 to 30 years due to environmental degradation, but these results suggest that native peoples did not abandon villages at Singer-Hieronymus. Current thought surrounding Fort Ancient village abandonment and reoccupation must therefore be
reconsidered.

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Papers by Claiborne Sea

Research paper thumbnail of Native American Occupation of the Singer-Hieronymus Site Complex: Developing Site History by Integrating Remote Sensing and Archaeological Excavation

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Research paper thumbnail of Frequency domain electromagnetic induction: an efficient method for investigating Fort Ancient village dynamics

Archaeological Prospection, 2020

Electromagnetic induction (EMI) has been used in archaeology for decades, but still lags in use a... more Electromagnetic induction (EMI) has been used in archaeology for decades, but still lags in use and development when compared to magnetometry and ground‐penetrating radar. While it has become more popular than electrical resistivity area survey, it is now less commonly used than electrical resistivity tomography. The EMI method is likely underutilized due to drift problems and a lack of multi‐sensor, vehicle‐towed systems capable of rapid, high‐density data collection. In this article we demonstrate not only the effectiveness of EMI survey, but a case where entire villages would have remained undetected without it. At the Singer‐Hieronymus Site in central Kentucky, USA, a vehicle‐towed frequency domain EMI survey detected the location of plazas, residential areas, and trash disposal areas across multiple Fort Ancient villages that contained both intact and heavily disturbed deposits. Additionally, three new villages were revealed. Through this process, we discovered how Fort Ancient village dynamics may be studied through a geophysical investigation of village shape, size, and spatial organization.

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Research paper thumbnail of Middle Archaic Lifeways and the Holocene Climatic Optimum in the Falls Region

Falls of the Ohio River, 2021

The authors of this chapter examine Middle Archaic human-environmental relationships and shifting... more The authors of this chapter examine Middle Archaic human-environmental relationships and shifting resource procurement and settlement strategies. They argue that the warming and drying trends of the Middle Holocene resulted in local hunter-gatherers making frequent, short-term residential moves that sought to take advantage of increased upland nut mast and large deer populations. The seasonal rounds of Middle Archaic hunter and gatherers involved continued use of floodplains supplemented with increased use of upland caves and rockshelters. Sedimentation histories documented at both lowland and upland sites suggest that the drier conditions of the Middle Holocene resulted in significant upslope erosion and downhill accumulation. They also note that as groups settled into the region, projectile point styles such as Knob Creek Stemmed and Middle Archaic Corner Notched reflect a local social identity. These changes in settlement and mobility dynamics and projectile point styles are correlated with a shift from an emphasis on high quality Wyandotte chert, to poorer quality cherts located near upland camps.

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Research paper thumbnail of Frequency domain electromagnetic induction: an efficient method for investigating Fort Ancient village dynamics

Archaeological Prospection, 2020

Electromagnetic induction (EMI) has been used in archaeology for decades, but still lags in use a... more Electromagnetic induction (EMI) has been used in archaeology for decades, but still lags in use and development when compared to magnetometry and ground‐penetrating radar. While it has become more popular than electrical resistivity area survey, it is now less commonly used than electrical resistivity tomography. The EMI method is likely underutilized due to drift problems and a lack of multi‐sensor, vehicle‐towed systems capable of rapid, high‐density data collection. In this article we demonstrate not only the effectiveness of EMI survey, but a case where entire villages would have remained undetected without it. At the Singer‐Hieronymus Site in central Kentucky, USA, a vehicle‐towed frequency domain EMI survey detected the location of plazas, residential areas, and trash disposal areas across multiple Fort Ancient villages that contained both intact and heavily disturbed deposits. Additionally, three new villages were revealed. Through this process, we discovered how Fort Ancient...

Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact

Research paper thumbnail of Frequency domain electromagnetic induction: an efficient method for investigating Fort Ancient village dynamics

Archaeological Prospection , 2020

Electromagnetic induction (EMI) has been used in archaeology for decades, but still lags in use a... more Electromagnetic induction (EMI) has been used in archaeology for decades, but still lags in use and development when compared to magnetometry and ground‐penetrating radar. While it has become more popular than electrical resistivity area survey, it is now less commonly used than electrical resistivity tomography. The EMI method is likely underutilized due to drift problems and a lack of multi‐sensor, vehicle‐towed systems capable of rapid, high‐density data collection. In this article we demonstrate not only the effectiveness of EMI survey, but a case where entire villages would have remained undetected without it. At the Singer‐Hieronymus Site in central Kentucky, USA, a vehicle‐towed frequency domain EMI survey detected the location of plazas, residential areas, and trash disposal areas across multiple Fort Ancient villages that contained both intact and heavily disturbed deposits. Additionally, three new villages were revealed. Through this process, we discovered how Fort Ancient village dynamics may be studied through a geophysical investigation of village shape, size, and spatial organization.

Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact

Research paper thumbnail of Electromagnetic Induction Survey and GIS as a Combined Approach for Determining Fort Ancient Site Size, Extent, and Organization

Electromagnetic induction ( is an underutilized geophysical method in North American archaeology ... more Electromagnetic
induction ( is an underutilized
geophysical method in North American archaeology despite its
ability to detect middens, structures, and earthen constructs
This research examines electromagnetic datasets from two Fort
Ancient sites in Kentucky The Singer Hieronymus Site
Complex (AD 1280 1550 and the Hardin Site (AD 1200
1630 These data were collected with different instruments,
contrasting survey strategies, and in differing natural
environments The results show middens associated with Fort
Ancient villages can be detected under varying conditions with
this method, and by analyzing these datasets within a GIS, site
size, extent, and organization can be more precisely
determined

Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact

Research paper thumbnail of A Consideration of Fort Ancient Non-Handle Appendages.pdf

Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact

Research paper thumbnail of Native American Occupation of the Singer- Hieronymus Site Complex: Developing Site History by Integrating Remote Sensing and Archaeological Excavation

Native American Occupation of the Singer- Hieronymus Site Complex: Developing Site History by Integrating Remote Sensing and Archaeological Excavation, 2018

Located on a ridge top in central Kentucky, the Singer-Hieronymus Site Complex consists of at lea... more Located on a ridge top in central Kentucky, the Singer-Hieronymus Site Complex consists of at least four Native American villages. The Native Americans who lived there are called the “Fort Ancient” by archaeologists. This study examined relationships between these villages, both spatially and temporally, to build a more complete history of site occupation. To do this, aerial imagery analysis, geophysical
survey, and archaeological investigations were conducted. This research determined there were differences among villages in terms of their size, however other characteristics—internal village organization, village shape, radiometric dates, and material culture—overlapped significantly.
Additionally, landscape-scale geophysical survey identified at least three potentially new villages. It has been suggested that Fort Ancient groups abandoned villages every 10 to 30 years due to environmental degradation, but these results suggest that native peoples did not abandon villages at Singer-Hieronymus. Current thought surrounding Fort Ancient village abandonment and reoccupation must therefore be
reconsidered.

Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact

Research paper thumbnail of Native American Occupation of the Singer-Hieronymus Site Complex: Developing Site History by Integrating Remote Sensing and Archaeological Excavation

Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact

Research paper thumbnail of Frequency domain electromagnetic induction: an efficient method for investigating Fort Ancient village dynamics

Archaeological Prospection, 2020

Electromagnetic induction (EMI) has been used in archaeology for decades, but still lags in use a... more Electromagnetic induction (EMI) has been used in archaeology for decades, but still lags in use and development when compared to magnetometry and ground‐penetrating radar. While it has become more popular than electrical resistivity area survey, it is now less commonly used than electrical resistivity tomography. The EMI method is likely underutilized due to drift problems and a lack of multi‐sensor, vehicle‐towed systems capable of rapid, high‐density data collection. In this article we demonstrate not only the effectiveness of EMI survey, but a case where entire villages would have remained undetected without it. At the Singer‐Hieronymus Site in central Kentucky, USA, a vehicle‐towed frequency domain EMI survey detected the location of plazas, residential areas, and trash disposal areas across multiple Fort Ancient villages that contained both intact and heavily disturbed deposits. Additionally, three new villages were revealed. Through this process, we discovered how Fort Ancient village dynamics may be studied through a geophysical investigation of village shape, size, and spatial organization.

Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact

Research paper thumbnail of Middle Archaic Lifeways and the Holocene Climatic Optimum in the Falls Region

Falls of the Ohio River, 2021

The authors of this chapter examine Middle Archaic human-environmental relationships and shifting... more The authors of this chapter examine Middle Archaic human-environmental relationships and shifting resource procurement and settlement strategies. They argue that the warming and drying trends of the Middle Holocene resulted in local hunter-gatherers making frequent, short-term residential moves that sought to take advantage of increased upland nut mast and large deer populations. The seasonal rounds of Middle Archaic hunter and gatherers involved continued use of floodplains supplemented with increased use of upland caves and rockshelters. Sedimentation histories documented at both lowland and upland sites suggest that the drier conditions of the Middle Holocene resulted in significant upslope erosion and downhill accumulation. They also note that as groups settled into the region, projectile point styles such as Knob Creek Stemmed and Middle Archaic Corner Notched reflect a local social identity. These changes in settlement and mobility dynamics and projectile point styles are correlated with a shift from an emphasis on high quality Wyandotte chert, to poorer quality cherts located near upland camps.

Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact

Research paper thumbnail of Frequency domain electromagnetic induction: an efficient method for investigating Fort Ancient village dynamics

Archaeological Prospection, 2020

Electromagnetic induction (EMI) has been used in archaeology for decades, but still lags in use a... more Electromagnetic induction (EMI) has been used in archaeology for decades, but still lags in use and development when compared to magnetometry and ground‐penetrating radar. While it has become more popular than electrical resistivity area survey, it is now less commonly used than electrical resistivity tomography. The EMI method is likely underutilized due to drift problems and a lack of multi‐sensor, vehicle‐towed systems capable of rapid, high‐density data collection. In this article we demonstrate not only the effectiveness of EMI survey, but a case where entire villages would have remained undetected without it. At the Singer‐Hieronymus Site in central Kentucky, USA, a vehicle‐towed frequency domain EMI survey detected the location of plazas, residential areas, and trash disposal areas across multiple Fort Ancient villages that contained both intact and heavily disturbed deposits. Additionally, three new villages were revealed. Through this process, we discovered how Fort Ancient...

Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact

Research paper thumbnail of Frequency domain electromagnetic induction: an efficient method for investigating Fort Ancient village dynamics

Archaeological Prospection , 2020

Electromagnetic induction (EMI) has been used in archaeology for decades, but still lags in use a... more Electromagnetic induction (EMI) has been used in archaeology for decades, but still lags in use and development when compared to magnetometry and ground‐penetrating radar. While it has become more popular than electrical resistivity area survey, it is now less commonly used than electrical resistivity tomography. The EMI method is likely underutilized due to drift problems and a lack of multi‐sensor, vehicle‐towed systems capable of rapid, high‐density data collection. In this article we demonstrate not only the effectiveness of EMI survey, but a case where entire villages would have remained undetected without it. At the Singer‐Hieronymus Site in central Kentucky, USA, a vehicle‐towed frequency domain EMI survey detected the location of plazas, residential areas, and trash disposal areas across multiple Fort Ancient villages that contained both intact and heavily disturbed deposits. Additionally, three new villages were revealed. Through this process, we discovered how Fort Ancient village dynamics may be studied through a geophysical investigation of village shape, size, and spatial organization.

Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact