Archaeological Investigations of Northern Benton County, Indiana (original) (raw)

The Applied Anthropology Laboratories at Ball State University conducted a data enhancement project for archaeological resources in Benton County, Indiana for a FY2015 Historic Preservation Fund Grant (Grant #18-15FFY-03). This Historic Preservation Fund grant project investigated the archaeological resources of Benton County, Indiana with a focus on the northern half of the county. Approximately 841.29 acres (ac) (340.46 hectares [ha]) of agricultural land were surveyed, and 85 new archaeological sites were recorded. The survey recovered 81 precontact artifacts and 442 historic artifacts from 12 parcels of land within Benton County. Cultural periods that are represented in the artifact assemblage include precontact components dating to the Late Archaic, Terminal Middle Woodland/Late Woodland, and possibly the Early Archaic, in addition to 54 Historic components. The average site density recorded in the project area for precontact sites was one site per 20.03 ac. The average site density recorded in the project area for Historic sites was one site per 15.58 ac. Through these surveys we have been able to document special use of unique microenvironments that are characterized by dry upland rises surrounded by a combination of diverse ecozones within a small area providing rich and diverse resource for precontact inhabitants of northwest Indiana.