ROI076, Archaeological Investigations in the Upper Wabash River Valley: A 2009 Survey in Huntington, Miami and Wabash Counties, Indiana

Author(s): Andrew Smith; Rachel Klabacka

Year: 2009

Summary

The Archaeological Resources Management Service (ARMS) at Ball State University conducted a data enhancement project for threatened archaeological resources in the Little River and Wabash River valley in Miami, Wabash and Huntington Counties, Indiana, for a FY2008 Historic Preservation Fund Grant (Grant #21719-13). This Historic Preservation Fund grant project investigated the archaeological resources of the Little River and Wabash River valleys in Huntington, Miami and Wabash counties, Indiana. Approximately 791 acres (320 hectares) of agricultural land were surveyed and 467 new archaeological sites were recorded. The survey recovered 10, 237 prehistoric artifacts and 556 historic artifacts from fourteen locations within the Little River and Wabash River valleys. All periods including Paleo-Indian, Early Archaic, Middle Archaic, Late Archaic, Early Woodland, Middle Woodland and Late Woodland/Prehistoric components were documented from the precontact era. The average site density recorded for the project area for precontact sites was one site per 1.7 acres. The highest artifact densities were encountered in survey areas with expansive sections of Genesee (Gessie) soils. This soil is a well drained alluvial soil. The project suggests that precontact populations used the Wabash River valley and its tributary valleys for long term settlements as well as short term extractive camps. Site duration was most intensive at areas where chert and food resources would have been concentrated.

In addition to the pedestrian survey limited excavations were conducted for three mounds recorded at J. Edward Roush Lake: Big Bangs (12-Hu-25), Little Bangs Mounds (12-Hu-26), and an unnamed mound (12-Hu-27). The project was conducted under ARPA permit # DACW27-4-09-010 and DHPA approved plan # 2008026.

The limited excavations documented that Big Bangs (12-Hu-25) and Little Bangs (12-Hu-26) contained intact deposits. The recovery of a Triangular Cluster biface and a radiocarbon date between cal AD 420 and 600 indicated a late Middle Woodland to early Late Woodland time period for the construction of the mounds. While the temporal affiliation of the mounds was better defined by the project, the cultural affiliation of the mounds was still ambiguous. From a regional perspective, no identified cultural groups have been named for this period in the Upper Wabash drainage. The two mounds are the only known surviving examples of mounds in the Upper Wabash drainage. The mounds provided a unique opportunity to further explore the settlement system of Middle Woodland/Late Woodland populations and offered a rare opportunity to examine the ceremonial and ritual aspects of the inhabitants of the area. The mounds were determined eligible for listing on the State and National Registers of Historic Places.

3D models of the artifacts recovered from Report of Investigations 076, Archaeological Investigations in the Upper Wabash River Valley: A 2009 Survey in Huntington, Miami and Wabash Counties, Indiana, can be viewed using the following link: https://skfb.ly/oWCwZ

Cite this Record

ROI076, Archaeological Investigations in the Upper Wabash River Valley: A 2009 Survey in Huntington, Miami and Wabash Counties, Indiana. Andrew Smith, Rachel Klabacka. 2009 ( tDAR id: 464025) ; doi:10.48512/XCV8464025

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

URL: http://www.bsu.edu/aal


Keywords

Culture
Early Archaic • Early Woodland • Historic • Late Archaic • Late Woodland • Middle Archaic • Middle Woodland • PaleoIndian • Unidentified Prehistoric

Material
Ceramic • Chipped Stone • Fauna • Fire Cracked Rock • Glass • Metal

Site Name
12Hu1260 • 12Hu1261 • 12Hu1262 • 12Hu1263 • 12Hu1264 • 12Hu1265 • 12Hu1266 • 12Hu1267 • 12Hu1268 • 12Hu1269 • 12Hu1270 • 12Hu1271 • 12Hu1272 • 12Hu1273 • 12Hu1274 • 12Hu1275 • 12Hu1276 • 12Hu1277 • 12Hu1278 • 12Hu1279 • 12Hu1280 • 12Hu1281 • 12Hu1282 • 12Hu1283 • 12Hu1284 • 12Hu1285 • 12Hu1286 • 12Hu1287 • 12Hu1288 • 12Hu1289 • 12Hu1290 • 12Hu1291 • 12Hu1292 • 12Hu1293 • 12Hu1294 • 12Hu1295 • 12Hu1296 • 12Hu1297 • 12Hu1298 • 12HU1299 • 12HU1300 • 12HU1301 • 12HU1302 • 12HU1303 • 12HU1304 • 12HU1305 • 12HU1306 • 12HU1307 • 12HU1308 • 12HU1309 • 12HU1310 • 12HU1311 • 12HU1312 • 12HU1313 • 12HU1314 • 12HU1315 • 12Hu1316 • 12Hu1317 • 12Hu1318 • 12Hu1319 • 12Hu1320 • 12Hu1321 • 12Hu1322 • 12Hu1323 • 12Hu1324 • 12Hu1325 • 12Hu1326 • 12Hu1327 • 12Hu1328 • 12Hu1329 • 12Hu1330 • 12Hu1331 • 12Hu1332 • 12Hu1333 • 12Hu1334 • 12Hu1335 • 12Mi610 • 12Mi611 • 12Mi612 • 12Mi613 • 12Mi614 • 12Mi615 • 12Mi616 • 12Mi617 • 12Mi618 • 12Mi619 • 12Mi620 • 12Mi621 • 12Mi622 • 12Mi623 • 12Mi624 • 12Mi625 • 12Mi626 • 12Mi627 • 12Mi628 • 12Mi629 • 12Mi630 • 12Mi631 • 12Mi632 • 12Mi633 • 12Mi634 • 12Mi635 • 12Mi636 • 12Mi637 • 12Mi638 • 12Mi639 • 12Mi640 • 12Mi641 • 12Mi642 • 12Mi643 • 12Mi644 • 12Mi645 • 12Mi646 • 12Mi647a • 12Mi647b • 12Mi647c • 12Mi648 • 12Mi649 • 12Mi650 • 12Mi651 • 12Mi652 • 12Mi653 • 12Mi654 • 12Mi655a • 12Mi655b • 12Mi656 • 12Mi657 • 12Mi658 • 12Mi659 • 12Mi660 • 12Mi661 • 12Mi662 • 12Mi663 • 12Mi664 • 12Mi665 • 12Mi666 • 12Mi667 • 12Mi668 • 12Mi669 • 12Mi670 • 12Mi671 • 12Mi672 • 12Mi673a • 12Mi673b • 12Mi673c • 12Mi673d • 12Mi673e • 12Mi673f • 12Mi674 • 12Mi675 • 12Mi676 • 12Mi677 • 12Mi678 • 12Mi679 • 12Mi680 • 12Mi681 • 12Mi682a • 12Mi682b • 12Mi683 • 12Mi684 • 12Mi685 • 12Mi686 • 12Mi687 • 12Mi688 • 12Mi689 • 12Mi690 • 12Mi691 • 12Mi692 • 12Mi693 • 12Mi694 • 12Mi695 • 12Mi696 • 12Mi697 • 12Mi698 • 12Mi699 • 12Mi700 • 12Mi701 • 12Mi702 • 12Mi703 • 12Mi704 • 12Mi705 • 12Mi706 • 12Mi707 • 12Mi708 • 12Mi709 • 12Mi710 • 12Mi711 • 12Mi712 • 12Mi713 • 12Mi714 • 12Mi715 • 12Mi716 • 12Mi717 • 12Mi718 • 12Mi719 • 12Mi720 • 12Mi721 • 12Mi722 • 12Mi723 • 12Mi724 • 12Mi725 • 12Mi726 • 12Mi727 • 12Mi728 • 12Mi729 • 12Mi730 • 12Mi731 • 12Mi732 • 12Mi733 • 12Mi734 • 12Mi735 • 12Mi736 • 12Mi737 • 12Mi738 • 12Mi739 • 12Mi740 • 12Mi741 • 12Mi742 • 12Mi743 • 12Mi744 • 12Mi745 • 12Mi746 • 12Mi747 • 12Mi748 • 12Mi749 • 12Mi750 • 12Mi751 • 12Mi752 • 12Mi753a • 12Mi753b • 12Mi753c • 12Mi753d • 12Mi753e • 12Mi753f • 12Mi753g • 12Mi754 • 12Mi755 • 12Mi756 • 12Mi757 • 12Mi758 • 12Mi759 • 12Mi760 • 12Mi761 • 12Mi762 • 12Mi763 • 12Mi764 • 12Mi765 • 12Mi766 • 12Mi767 • 12Mi768 • 12Mi769 • 12Mi770 • 12Mi771 • 12Mi772 • 12Mi773 • 12Mi774 Show More

Site Type
Artifact Scatter • Isolated Artifact

Investigation Types
Environment Research • Reconnaissance / Survey • Systematic Survey

Geographic Keywords
Huntington County • Indiana • Miami County • Wabash County

Spatial Coverage

min long: -86.167; min lat: 40.564 ; max long: -85.342; max lat: 41.046 ;

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Kevin Nolan; Applied Anthropology Laboratories, Ball State University

Contributor(s): Beth K. McCord

Principal Investigator(s): Beth K. McCord

Sponsor(s): Division of Historic Preservation and Archaeology, Indiana Department of Natural Resources

Repository(s): Applied Anthropology Laboratories, Ball State University

Prepared By(s): Archaeological Resources Management Service, Ball State University

Submitted To(s): Division of Historic Preservation and Archaeology, Indiana Department of Natural Resources

Record Identifiers

DHPA Permit #(s): 2008026

Reports of Investigation(s): 076

ARPA Permit #(s): DACW27-4-09-010

Grant #(s): 21719-13

Notes

General Note: ROI076 Additional Sites: 12Mi775, 12Mi776, 12Mi777, 12Mi778, 12Mi779, 12Mi780, 12Mi781, 12Mi782, 12Mi783, 12Mi784, 12Mi785, 12Mi786, 12Mi787, 12Mi788, 12Mi789, 12Mi790, 12Mi791, 12Mi792, 12Mi793, 12Mi794, 12Mi795, 12Mi796, 12Mi797, 12Mi798, 12Mi799, 12Mi800, 12Mi801, 12Mi802, 12Mi803, 12Mi804, 12Mi805, 12Mi806, 12Mi807, 12Mi808, 12Mi809, 12Mi810, 12Mi811, 12Mi812, 12Mi813, 12Mi814, 12Mi815, 12Mi816, 12Mi817, 12Mi818, 12Mi819, 12Mi820, 12Mi821, 12Mi822, 12Mi823, 12Mi824, 12Mi825, 12Mi826, 12Mi827, 12Mi828, 12Mi829, 12Mi830, 12Mi831, 12Mi832, 12Mi833, 12Mi834, 12Mi835, 12Mi836, 12Mi837, 12Mi838, 12Mi0839a, 12Mi0839b, 12Mi840, 12Mi841, 12Mi842, 12Mi843, 12Mi844, 12Mi845, 12Mi846, 12Mi847, 12Mi848, 12Mi849, 12Mi850, 12Mi851, 12Mi0852a, 12Mi0852b, 12Mi0852c, 12Mi0853a, 12Mi0853b, 12Mi0853c, 12Mi854, 12Mi855, 12Mi856, 12Mi857, 12Mi858, 12Mi859, 12Mi860, 12Mi861, 12Mi862, 12Mi863, 12Mi864, 12Mi865, 12Mi866, 12Mi867, 12Mi868, 12Mi869, 12Mi870, 12Wb851, 12Wb852, 12Wb853, 12Wb854, 12Wb855, 12Wb856, 12Wb857, 12Wb858, 12Wb859, 12Wb860, 12Wb861, 12Wb862, 12Wb863, 12Wb864, 12Wb865, 12Wb866, 12Wb867, 12Wb868, 12Wb869, 12Wb870, 12Wb871, 12Wb872, 12Wb873, 12Wb874, 12Wb875, 12Wb876, 12Wb877, 12Wb878, 12Wb879, 12Wb880, 12Wb881, 12Wb882, 12Wb883, 12Wb884, 12Wb885, 12Wb886, 12Wb887, 12Wb888, 12Wb889, 12Wb890, 12Wb891, 12Wb892, 12Wb893, 12Wb894, 12Wb895, 12Wb896, 12Wb897, 12Wb898, 12Wb899, 12Wb900, 12Wb901, 12Wb0902a, 12Wb0902b, 12Wb0902c, 12Wb903, 12Wb904, 12Wb905, 12Wb906, 12Wb907, 12Wb908, 12Wb909, 12Wb910, 12Wb911, 12Wb912, 12Wb0913a, 12Wb0913b, 12Wb0913c, 12Wb0913d, 12Wb914, 12Wb915, 12Wb916, 12Wb917, 12Wb918, 12Wb919, 12Wb920, 12Wb921, 12Wb922, 12Wb923, 12Wb924, 12Wb925, 12Wb926, 12Wb927, 12Wb928, 12Wb929, 12Wb930, 12Wb931, 12Wb932, 12Wb933, 12Wb934, 12Wb935, 12Wb936, 12Wb937, 12Wb938, 12Wb939, 12Wb940, 12Wb941, 12Wb942, 12Wb943, 12Wb944, 12Wb945, 12Wb946, 12Wb947, 12Wb948, 12Wb949, 12Wb950, 12Wb951, 12Wb952, 12Wb953, 12Wb954, 12Wb955, 12Wb956, 12Wb957, 12Wb958, 12Wb959, 12Wb960, 12Wb961, 12Wb962, 12Wb963, 12Wb964, 12Wb965, 12Wb966, 12Wb967, 12Wb968, 12Wb969, 12Wb970, 12Wb971, 12Wb972, 12Wb973, 12Wb974, 12Wb975, 12Wb976, 12Wb977, 12Wb978, 12Wb979, 12Wb980a, 12Wb980b

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