Experimental Archaeology in Maize Farming at Range Creek Field Station, Utah

Summary

This is an abstract from the "Experimental Pedagogies: Teaching through Experimental Archaeology Part II" session, at the 89th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

Archaeological evidence in Range Creek Canyon, Utah, shows a heavy reliance on maize farming during the Fremont occupation, 900–1200 CE. Evidence includes numerous corn cobs, ground stone tools, and food storage sites. Since 2013, researchers at the field station have used actualistic maize farming experiments to provide a unique perspective on the difficulties of farming in arid environments with simple prehistoric technology. The maize farming experiments have been ongoing each year with the help of staff, students, and volunteers. The experiments are designed to produce quantitative data on the costs and benefits of irrigation as well as how to conduct other farming activities such as planting, weeding, and harvesting maize using only tools available 1,000 years ago. The experiments show that Fremont farmers would have relied on surface irrigation from Range Creek, a perennial stream, to improve maize yields. Students participate in every stage, from clearing fields in the spring to harvesting the maize and analyzing it in the lab during fall semester. Our experiments not only provide a truer experience of what prehistoric farming was like in the canyon, but also teaches students how to design and implement experimental research to supplement the archaeological record.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 89th Annual Meeting, New Orleans, LA (2024)   •
• Experimental Pedagogies: Teaching through Experimental Archaeology Part II

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 39581.0