Investigations of Fort Ancient Settlement and Community Patterns in Dearborn County, Indiana (original) (raw)

The Applied Anthropology Laboratories (AAL) of Ball State University conducted an archaeological reconnaissance and reinvestigation project for archaeological materials in Dearborn County, Indiana, for a FY2013 Historic Preservation Fund Grant (Grant 13FFY03). We specifically focused on Late Prehistoric period (cf. Fort Ancient) settlement and community organization patterns. We targeted previously identified Late Woodland and Late Prehistoric archaeological sites for pedestrian survey, soil phosphate, and geophysical investigations. Second, AAL attempted to identify new archaeological sites through pedestrian survey of agricultural fields in the county. Approximately 345.67 acres (139.89 ha) of agricultural land were subject to pedestrian survey, encountering 50 archaeological sites and 12,363 artifacts. Sites 12D45, 12D396, and 12D480 were subjected to soils (chemical and geophysical) analyses revealing new details of settlement organization. Diagnostics from pedestrian surveys indicate activity during the Middle Archaic, Middle Woodland, Late Woodland, and Late Prehistoric periods. We also examined landowner collections from investigated sites which demonstrate occupation spanning the Early Archaic through Late Prehistoric periods. Overall, the average site density recorded is one site per 7.18 acres (0.14 sites/acre). The average artifact density is one artifact per 0.03 acres (34.42 artifacts/acre). As a result of the surveys conducted, nine sites were recommended as potentially eligible for the Indiana Register of Historic Sites and Structures (IRHSS) and the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP).

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