3. News and Announcements

New to Chillicothe

Due to the delay in getting this issue of Hopewell Archeology in print, we have been slow to welcome Jennifer Pederson to the National Park Service. Jennifer is the National Park Archeologist at Hopewell Culture National Historical Park in Chillicothe.

Jennifer graduated from high school in suburban Atlanta, Georgia, and studied anthropology at the University of Georgia in Athens, Georgia, and graduated with a B.A. in 1993. Jennifer began graduate school as a Dean's Fellow in the Department of Anthropology at Ohio State University in the autumn of 1994. She received her M.A. in Anthropology with a focus in archeology in 1996 and is currently a Ph.D. candidate.

Her dissertation topic examines the factors affecting the location of nucleated agricultural communities in central Ohio. Since joining the National Park Service in January 1999, Jennifer has been busy becoming familiar with National Park Service procedures and resource management issues at Hopewell Culture National Historical Park. Jennifer plans to conduct research at the Hopewell site during the summer of 2000.

More Changes at Hopewell Culture National Historical Park

Hopewell Culture National Historical Park Superintendent John Neal has accepted a new position as Superintendent, Apostle Islands National Lakeshore. He will be stationed in Bayfield, Wisconsin. John served as Superintendent at Hopewell Culture for seven years. Under his leadership, the park experienced major expansion with the addition of the Hopewell site and significant expansion of the boundaries at Hopeton. He also led the planning for eventual purchase of portions of the High Banks and Seip Works. John remains a strong supporter of archeology, and we wish him well in his new position.

Update on Hopeton Earthworks Research

In July 1998, the Midwest Archeological Center and Hopewell Culture National Historical Park collaborated on field investigations at the Hopeton Earthworks site. The project was a continuation of research in an area known as the Triangle site, which is located to the southwest of the circle and square on the edge of the alluvial terrace. The parallel walls, as mapped by Squier and Davis, originate at the point where the circle and square join, and they run southwest across the Triangle site and end at the terrace edge.

The purpose of the 1998 research was twofold: study the nature of prehistoric activities in this area of the Hopeton Earthworks, and evaluate the utility of using geophysical instruments to direct strategic test excavations at Hopeton and similar earthwork sites in this area. The 1998 investigations were conducted with assistance from students of the Milton Hershey School, Hershey, Pennsylvania, and volunteers from Chillicothe and Columbus, Ohio, and Nashville, Tennessee.

Prior to the start of the 1998 fieldwork, a large part (9,600 square meters) of the Triangle site was mapped using an RM-15 resistance meter, a Geometric's G858 cesium magnetometer, and a Geoscan FM36 fluxgate gradiometer. In this study, the cesium magnetometer proved to be the most effective in identifying small anomalies. While the resistance meter was less useful in identifying small anomalies, it did produce data that may reflect the remains of one of the parallel walls. A linear anomaly identified with the RM-15 appears to correspond in location and orientation to the southern of the two parallel walls as mapped by Squier and Davis.

The combination of the three geophysical survey instruments produced evidence of a large number of anomalies that might represent prehistoric features. The 1998 fieldwork was designed to investigate a number of these anomalies to evaluate the utility of the geophysical survey and to learn more about the prehistoric activities associated with the Hopeton Earthworks.

During more than two weeks of fieldwork, the research team investigated dozens of potential magnetic or soil resistance anomalies. Anomalies were investigated through excavation of five test units located over specific anomalies, and through plowzone stripping of two larger areas (Blocks A and B). Block A was 14 x 16 m, and Block B was 20 x 20 m.

In these two larger excavation units, each soil stain visible at the base of the plowzone was carefully mapped, recorded, and evaluated. Most features were small, subtle, and indicative of short-term use or limited activities.

Features included post holes, pits, and a prepared clay basin. Most of these features appear to be associated with Middle Woodland period activities at the Hopeton Earthworks, but more recent features associated with the Late Woodland period are also present. Flotation samples from the features have been processed, and laboratory analyses of bone, macro-botanical remains, and lithics are underway.

One of the pit features produced a moderately large piece of mica. The mica is roughly oval-shaped, and it is approximately 16 cm long and 8 cm wide. The mica was cleaned, treated, and examined by the Gerald R. Ford Conservation Center in Omaha, Nebraska. Examination of the object included visual examination using a binocular microscope, photomacrographs, and preparation of measured drawings. Careful examination of the mica indicates that at least some of the edges have been cut. Comparison of these edges with photos of cut-mica objects in the collections at Hopewell Culture National Historical Park confirm this interpretation.

Analysis of materials from the Hopeton Earthworks is ongoing. The Midwest Archeological Center hopes to prepare a report of this research in 2001.

Mounds and Geophysics

Mark R. Schurr, University of Notre Dame, has prepared a report on his geophysical investigation of the Middle Woodland mounds in northwest Indiana. The report describes Schurr's research at well-known sites such as Goodall and Bellinger, and it also provides valuable information about less well known sites such as Weise Mound (12 Pr 35), Williams Mound (12 Sj 330), and the Mud Lake site (12 Le 14). The report was prepared for the Division of Historic Preservation and Archaeology, Indiana Department of Natural Resources, and is titled "Geophysical Surveys of Middle Woodland Mounds in Northwest Indiana." It is a valuable reference for anyone with an interest in geophysics or northwest Indiana archeology.