Understanding settlement organization through geophysical survey at the Morton Village Site, IL

Summary

Geophysical surveys at the Morton Village site are revealing the nature and distribution of occupation across this landscape and helping to guide the excavation program. Magnetometer surveys undertaken between 2010 and 2014 of 7.3 ha have identified numerous structures and pits. Results indicate a densely occupied village covering about 3.5 ha with more dispersed facilities outside this core. No evidence of a stockade has been found. By targeting specific magnetic anomalies, excavation is providing essential dating evidence and cultural material, thereby improving the geophysical interpretation as well as our understanding of the spatial organization and evolution of the site as a whole. This poster presents an overview of the magnetometer results to date, and includes a recent test of high resolution ground-penetrating radar survey that demonstrates the potential of this method for detecting additional features and adding further detail.

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This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Negotiating Migration and Violence in the Pre-Columbian Mid-Continent   •
• Society for American Archaeology 80th Annual Meeting, San Francisco, CA (2015)

Keywords

Spatial Coverage