Highbanks and river romping

Over Thanksgiving break mother and I went out to Highbanks to the Nature Center to take a closer, hands-on look at the artifacts that are there. They were artifacts from Baby's excavation that are on loan from OHS.

I really wanted to see if there was basal grinding on any of the points and I did feel grinding on all three, most noticable on the broken point. I also examined the pot sherd more closely and will hopefully get some more information about my observations soon. The sherd is grit-tempered and may be from the base of a vessel or the side-piece of a very large vessel due to the very slight curve. There is a dark coloration on the interior surface which suggests it was used for cooking. There also seems to be burnt sections on the broken edges. Mother suggested this was from oils on hands that had touched it over the past 50 years. I think it may be that the vessel broke in the fire while cooking and that it how broken edges were burnt. In any case the Highbanks staff (Elizabeth and Debbie) were as wonderful and helpful as always. I love bouncing ideas off of them and getting their input on my project.

A few days later, on the Saturday after Thanksgiving, mother and I decided to go to a chert outcrop suggested to me by Jim Murphy. This was located along the East bank of the Olentangy River, North of Highbanks. I invested in some fishing waders and got to it. The River was pretty high and rather fast on Saturday so I had to be careful not to fall. The tributary river that the outcrop is visible at was beautiful!

We collected a bunch of samples of chert and had a wonderful time. Stay tuned for the results of the chert analysis!

earthworks, embankments, and walls

A few little updates for this week. I am currently working on the Theory chapter of IS and it is going pretty well so far, which could either be a good thing or horribly awful because I am overlooking something very important. There are only a few more days until I return home for Thanksgiving break where I will be visiting Highbanks again, this time to look at the artifacts on display there. I actually get to have the case opened and touch them!!!!

A little more about the theory chapter:
As of right now I am discussing the various theories on the purpose/usage of earthworks. I am looking at the latest theories, starting with Prufer. The main ideas that I am coming across are "Vacant  Center" theory, also known as the "Dispersed Sedentary Theory", The "Corporate Center Plan", "Central Place", etc. The main theory that I will be working with will most likely be the "Vacant Center" theory which basically says that Hopewellian communities made up of single- or multiple- family households are scattered across the landscape but concentrated around the centrally located burial and ceremonial precincts. These precincts are not directly occupied and coincide with the "Hopewell mortuary cult". It is implied by Prufer that the hamlets that surround the centers constitute as a community, hamlets are self-sufficient. These ceremonial centers are vacant only in the sense that there is no permanent residential population. The centers, with their surrounding 'communities' are then scattered along rivers.

It is an exciting chapter in that I now get to explore the function behind the Orange Township earthworks in a broad and narrow scale.

Stay tuned for more updates!!

A call for help!!!

This is a mini call for help

I am trying to identify the projectile points which were excavated in the 1951 Baby excavation at the earthworks. Right now all of my IDs are coming up as being Archaic. This is a slight problem since this site is supposed to be Late Woodland. Hmmmmm... does anyone have any ideas about these points?

These three pictures were taken at Highbanks and are as close as i can probably come to them, this is all I got !

If anyone out there has any ideas please let me know!

Thanks !!!!

Updates for begining of November

Just a few updates to start off the month.
Currently I am in the middle of labeling all of the artifacts. It is a very long and tedious process that is taking a good chunk of my time. I am struggling with the labeling supplies that I have to use currently and battling with Paraloid B-72. This is the base coat for all of my labels and then the writing itself is done with India ink and a fountain pen...torture really. Labeling artifacts must be a level of hell Dante forgot to put in.
Any way, I am on artifact 460 and have a few hundred left to go. Mother was ever so wonderful and helpful by coming in last weekend to help me label a couple hundred artifacts! Where would I be without her?
Here are some other updates that are important but that I don't really want to go into very much:

• I wrote and submitted Chapter 1 of thesis
• I was denied Copeland Funding which translates into not having the funds to do more carbon testing
• I am working on my Theory chapter, specifically looking at mounds and earthworks
• I am in the process of organizing my other chapters and research plans for the chert which I will probably do some statistical analysis on as well

Stay tuned for more updates!!

Gallivanting in the river!!

This weekend was my Fall break so Mom and I went back out to Highbanks!! Debbie and Elizabeth were nice enough to give me a ride out to the river (Olentangy) on the tram/trolly car thingy. It was a short hike out to the river and Mom and I got to work right away. We were hunting for chert.
I was looking specifically for chert chunks large enough to do a little experimental archaeology on. I also wanted to know what kinds of chert were weathering out and into the river locally. Mom and I were out about an hour and a half and collected four large zip-lock bags full of chert. They have yet to be washed or looked over but that will be done tomorrow, along with A LOT of labeling. This new batch of chert is simply a sampling that will not be included in the final collection for OHS and is merely a way for me to get a better idea of local cherts and to do some flint knapping.
In the lab tomorrow I will have a few Intro students washing and labeling chert. There is still about 3/4 of the collection to be labeled. It is a tedious process but one of the most important.
I will try and take a few photos tomorrow of everything that is happening and post them later in the week. Other than the lab work I am writing feverishly to try and get my literature review completed and my first chapter polished.

Little update

In the past week or so I have been working on writing on my IS. I have done a little bit of lab work but right now I am waiting on the arrival of my labeling materials/supplies. I ordered them today, hopefully they should be here by early next week!
We identified two pieces of fired clay in the collection, one piece has a chert flake embedded in it. This further supports the idea that these pieces of clay were fired accidentally in a fire, possibly one used for heat treating chert.
My radio carbon/AMS dates came back from Beta Analytic, it turns out that the charcoal from unit 1 is less than 100 years old, sad but not terrible. It would have been nice to have a really old date to correlate to the site but we figure this was from a lightening struck tree or something of that nature.
Prof. Kardulias and I discussed how I am going to analysis the chert and I plan on doing some calibrations and measurements of a sample of pieces, perhaps separated by chert type. This data can later be inputed into SPSS (a statistics software).
Labeling will come first however so I am just waiting on the shipment!
Stay tuned for more updates

a new round of books!

hello all! I have been to the library yet again and acquired a new set of books for IS. This brings the total of books so far to 26 books! I am writing up a bibliography for Monday and I am sure the list will grow with time. The girl who was checking out my books at the desk today just laughed when she watched me struggle down the steps and up to the counter with my duffel bag full of books. They were super heavy and I contemplated buying one of those metal carts that bag ladies use for my future library trips.

A few updates:

• washing and preliminary sorting of artifacts and debitage is complete
• the fist phase of sorting all of the chert flakes is complete
• We found a piece of baked clay, this is not a piece of pottery, perhaps it is from clay that was too close to a fire or something else that is yet to be determined.
• Copeland Fund proposal was filled out and submitted last week!!
• Beta Analytic lab received my sample and the results should be in around the middle or end of October.
• Writing continues with the methods chapter, problem statement, bibliography. I have outlined pretty much all of the IS, now it is a matter of filling in

Stay tuned or more updates!!! 

Books!

In the past few days I have been working on getting sources for my IS, which means going to the library with a large duffel bag and filling it with books until I can almost not carry it. I procured a selection of books for the first round of research:

All of these will hopefully be helpful in getting me on the right track. All of these have to do with chert and I am going to try and teach myself about the different stages of making a tool are and what flakes are associated with those. My advisor Prof. Nick Kardulias has looked at some of my chert material and believes that some kind of reduction was going on at the site. This means that people were taking large chunks/cores of chert and knapping them into blanks to then be made into specific tools. Today we have a meeting where he will examine my artifacts some more to see what kinds of things I have. We will be going through my 'rocks'.
I also wanted to draw everyone's attention to a certain book.

I found this book at work (Olentangy Indian Caverns) this summer and really wanted to use it. My other advisor, Prof. Mark Wilson, in our meeting on Monday, did some searching and is allowing me to use this source. It has really great descriptions and photos of chert types in the area so I was looking at it as being good for comparing the chert I am trying to identify.

Well there is still a lot of work to be done, I am filling out funding applications for AMS dating expenses and proposals and writing chapters. Busy, busy, busy!

short update

I have realized that in the years in highschool science class where we learned the metric system of measuring, it never stuck with me ....I know I know I am a disappointment and I bring shame to all sciences.

I have to measure out 10-50 milligrams of charcoal to be sent out to the BETA labs for AMS dating and this morning I just stared at the scale that read .20 grams and had no idea what it meant. Thankfully a friend set me straight but I am still having some issue at the moment as the how much the scale needs to read. It will be done correctly, it will just take me a little longer to get it right.

picture of my charcoal!!!

More pictures from the lab to come

IS labwork time

So sorry to those of you that looked for a new blog post in the past month or so, I had some technical difficulties

So far the things that were missed :

Close of the second unit

Move into school with all of the equipment and artifacts delivered to the lab

Preliminary washing and sorting being done

New finds after washing:

Fire cracked rock

Ochre

The fire cracked rock and charcoal were found in unit number one and in the same context layer, these could mean that cooking was going on but could also indicate that chert was being heat treated. The large chunk of chert that was found on the surface of the second unit, pictured in an earlier post, that has the bright reds and blues, has been heat treated. Some types of chert are easier to knap once they have been heat treated. Cherts may have a glossier surface and brighter colors.

So far I have been focusing on the washing and preliminary sorting of the chert as well as getting the charcoal that was collected ready to be sent out for carbon dating. Unfortunately there is not a large enough sample to perform carbon dating but there is enough to perform AMS dating. AMS dating allows dating samples with only a few milligrams of carbon. I currently have 4.6 grams, which is plenty for AMS, I would have needed 20 grams for carbon-14 dating.

All in all IS is in full swing and I am already beginning to write up the field methods

Unit 2 updates

 As you all know we have moved to a new unit, and so have the mice. When Mom and I went out the the new unit and removed the tarp we found about four nests and the two mice running around. When we started to move some of the equipment the mice jumped into a crate that holds our trowels and such. They were actually kind of cute and probably at this moment enjoying the shelter of the tarp.

Unit number 2 is proving to be very promising. So far we have collected a lot of materials just on the surface. Mom and I went out to the site and staked out the 2x2 meter square and removed the plant material from the surface. Just by doing that there were chert flakes visible. This new location is at a higher elevation than the first unit and a bit closer to the earthworks. I'm very excited to see what kinds of materials this unit holds and who knows? Perhaps we will get lucky and find some really great pottery.

Moving Day

On probably the hottest excavation day yet, Mom and I went out to the site. Tuesday was designated as the last day at the first unit. We had to bail out the unit a bunch because of the heavy rains of the day before. We found a frog and two mice in the unit. The mice had started to make a nest.

We measured the distance between the unit and the earthworks, and then paced from the unit to the cliff. These measurements, along with the GPS coordinates will help to map the unit later.

I made sure that the clay layer was even and that no other artifacts were present at the surface. We probed into the clay to see how deep the layer went and could not find the bottom of the layer after about a foot. We decided that the clay was the sterile layer, meaning that no artifacts would be found and we could close the unit. We took photos of the unit walls and made notes about it before closing.

It is hard to tell very well from the picture but the top soil grades into a clay that has random gray clay nodules through out. The gray clay nodules stopped at the top of the pure yellow clay layer. This wall is the North wall which was probably the cleanest wall because there were the least amount of roots.

We took a little break after all of our measuring and walked over to a spot east of the first unit where we had flagged before. This spot is higher up than the first unit and showed probes containing both yellow and red clay, which is why they were flagged. I decided to probe again to see if this would be a good place to have the next unit and hit a large rock right on the surface. It turned out to be a huge piece of chert, most likely Flint Ridge due to the coloring.

I looked around the flagged area and found a lot more pieces of chert lying on the surface so I decided this spot would be an excellent place for the second unit. We ended up moving all of our equipment to this second site and started to refill in the first unit.

As the time gets closer to the start of Fall semester I need to work faster to get in the next two units. Now that Mom and I have a system down it should go smoothly, we hope. 6 weeks left before I go back, keep visiting for updates!!

lots of overdue updates

the last 2 weeks have been very busy with work and excavating so the blog took a back seat for a bit. This means that I have a lot of updates.
firstly I contacted a man names James Murphy who is a Professor at OSU. He sent me a few links and articles that will really help with my research as well as identifing the striped piece of chert from a few posts back. The piece is informally known as "Deep Run Banded Chert". James said that the occurance was rare in the area and sent me pages of a CRM report that is the only source he has on it. I'm really excited about this piece now and hopefully I can contact some more people from the area to see about its occurance.

On a day that I happened to be working Mom and my Uncle Mike and his girlfriend Kathy went out to the site. They made great progress on the unit which made it much easier for Mom and I to finish it. I am so grateful for both Mike and Kathy, thanks for coming out guys!

This is a really cool crystal that Mike found, It has bits of red on it, once I get it back to Wooster and washed I'll look at it much closer.

On July 4th Mom and I decided to celebrate freedom by going out to the site. We knocked out the rest of the context layer and I did a lot of surface collection where I found big pieces of chert laying right on the surface. It was a pretty normal day except that our turkey friends returned , and this time they were sneaking up on us. There were two grown turkeys, probably a male and a female, rooting around for food. They didn't gobble just walked realyl close to us. Every time we tried to get a clear picture it was hard so only a blurry one is provided.

Today Mom and I went out to basically clean up the unit. We cut roots and made sure that the walls were level and the clay layer was exposed. I found a few pieces of chert and rocks but not a huge amount. I predict that we will close this unit in probably two more excavation days. Mom may even go in with Dad one day that I am working and close it.

The circles in the picture are not post holes they are imprints frm my bucket.

Next time we go out to the site I plan on taking soil samples, measuring the unit distance from the earthworks so that I can map it more easily. I also need to make another copy of the map or get one from OHS so that I dont mess up the one that I have.

Alright huge update but thanks for reading!!

Ohio's gemstone (chert)

For the past week/weekend I have been working a lot so there were only two visits to the site, one on the 22nd and one today.
On both visits we kept on digging and sifting, it is a long process but will defiantly pay out in the end. We have mostly found chert. Chert is a "microcrystalline or cryptocrystalline sedimentary rock  material composed of silicon dioxide (SiO2). It occurs as nodules, concretionary masses and as layered deposits". Chert is more commonly known as flint and was used by the Native Americans for a number of different uses. The most widely known use was to make projectile points, though one could also start a fire, make various other tools, etc. Chert comes in a variety of colors and grades and Ohio has an awesome array of the varieties. One day when I went to the nature center at Highbanks I met a man who works for OSU who said he could put me in contact with someone who has mapped out the different locations of the chert in Ohio.
At the site we have found all different colors, black, white, greys, pinks, reds, blues. Its really exciting to find such a plethora of different kinds.  I know that I have posted about chert before so I won't go on too long about it but today we found some really cool pieces.
One piece was striped and looked like a vein of chert with a different grade and color of chert bounding the striped above and below (see picture).
The second piece that was pretty cool was actually found not in the unit but about 10 feet away towards the South. A tree had recently fallen down and the root bulb was exposed. I walked over to the tree on a short break and saw chert lying on the surface of the ground as well as in the matrix of the root bulb. I bagged what I saw and labeled this as surface collection (see picture).

Among the chert we found two large stones which may be hammer stones. In order to shape chert, which breaks a certain way ( if you follow the link here it will give an overview of the technique of shaping flint), one must use another tool, such as a large stone. A hammer stone is just such a tool. I will take pictures of one of the stones later on when it is washed so that everyone can see what the artifact looks like.

Stay tuned for more updates!!

Daddy Digger

Just a picture of my Dad digging at the site

New updates for the site

I worked a lot last week and then it rained so I could not really get out there much but I did go out today with Mom. Yesterday, however, Mom and Dad went out while I was at work. Since we had so much rain in the last few days it was a good idea to check on the unit and bail out some water. Dad had never been out to the site before and I think he now has a deeper appreciation for what Mom and I do everyday. 
Along with the chert and charcoal Mom and Dad found yesterday, I also cataloged the chert and charcoal from today. We are finding slightly larger pieces of charcoal so that is exciting.
It started to rain today right after we had ate lunch, I had begun to level out some of the ditch that runs through the unit as we dig down. There are a lot of tree roots that need cut. We packed up and headed out a little earlier than I would have liked but it is not a good thing to be rained on when in the field, at least I think so.
When we came home today I looked at both the LiDar image and the map that Baby made of the site. I compared shape for one and where the gates occur in the enclosure. All of the gates are facing East and occur along a shorter 'edge' of the embankment. Mom and I discussed further the probability that this is not a fort or defensive and more ceremonial. So close to the Summer Solstice (tomorrow Tuesday the 21st) it got me thinking about how the gates might line up with sky markers, like sunrise on the Summer Solstice. Comparing this structure with other known earthworks in Ohio and along the Olentangy/Scioto rivers will be important to understanding the function of the site. Stay tuned for more, we plan to go back out Wednesday!

LiDar image!!!!

Linda Pansing of the Ohio Historical Society has sent me this awesome LiDar image of the site!!!!!! (Courtesy of Bill Romain)
LiDar uses light to measure the distance to an object, it can also measure the different properties of an object.
I just wanted to put up this awesome image even though we did not go out to the site today because I had to work. Very exciting stuff!!



Snakes and Frogs and Turkeys..Oh My!

Another day of excavating and it was beautiful. Today was a sunny, 70ish degree day with a slight breeze, Mom and I actually were chilly at one point.

We continued excavating unit one and extended the trench we had started last week. Today we did not find as many artifacts but we did find a nice piece of chert that has a notch, possibly from being worked with a smaller tool. Once this is cleaned it will be easier to tell.  (excuse the dirty fingernails)

 I'm really going to start looking into the chert a lot more and maybe do some geology research on what makes the chert different colors, where all of those different colors come from whether they are in Ohio or elsewhere. SO far I think I have found 5 different colors. I know that Pink chert is typically from Flint Ridge Ohio. I have found black, white, different grays, pinks, a dark red, and a lot in between. Once I have finished the excavation stage of this project I will wash everything and catalog it all to death and begin the geology stage where I can go in and maybe make an idealized map of where the different colors of chert are located, or at least better understand why there are different colors.
We also saw a lot of wildlife today. We scared a deer, saw migrating frogs, A wild turkey called out to us and then ran away, a snake crossed our path and a larger frog made a home in the flooded tarp that was over the top of the pit. Oh  and a very pretty butterfly and hummingbird came for a visit.

Ohio Historical Society visit

Today it rained so we did not go out into the field but we did go to the Ohio Historical Society, to the archives building, to look over Baby's field notes. Linda Pansing was so helpful for putting out all of the materials and also identifying what I thought were ceramic sherds but what were in fact just rocks. Kind of sad that I have yet to find ceramics but I am pushing onward.
We mainly wanted to look at the maps which Baby created of the site and see where he dug his trenches. The only thing is that he didn't mark all of the trenches he dug on the map. He talks about 4 trenches, one of which was 80 feet long! All of his trenches were about 5 feet wide and ranged in length, and he talks about expanding them in his notes so the overall length is up in the air. It would have been awesome if we could have seen where he excavated so we ourselves did not end up digging in the same place but we will have to figure it out another way. We made copies of the map anyway so that we can use it to mark where we excavate. I work this weekend so we will not be going out to the site but hopefully next week we can finish test unit 1 and uncover some great artifacts.
Here are links to 2 of the Ohio Historical Society's blogs if anyone is interested:

http://ohiohistory.wordpress.com//

http://ohio-archaeology.blogspot.com/

Washing Rocks

Today Mom and I did not go to the site, we needed a little break! I did not sit around all day however, I washed my artifacts, well mostly.
I sat on our back porch with a bucket and toothbrush, washing away. While I was washing I looked closer at all of the artifacts that we had discovered and also the rocks which I made Mom and Micah save. I was very happy that I saved all of the rocks and pebbles that we found becasue I think that I may have found some pottery!!! and not just any pottery, we may have found a rim sherd!! Now this may not sound exciting to you but a section of the rim of a pot, so the lip area, is sometimes the most diagnostic part of a ceramic vessel. This is what I set out to do, find rim sherds. I am taking this piece and a few others to the Ohio Historical Society with me tomorrow when I go to look back over Baby's field notes. Perhaps someone at the Society may say for certain that I have pot sherds.
Also I looked at the bullet some more. There is a "H" on the top of the bullet, and an indent, which shows that it has been fired. There are a few different things I have found on the internet about "H" stamped shells. One points to a shell casing that was manufactured in the 1800s. Now this is not the caliber that mine is but may lead to something. I shall keep looking. Maybe I'll take it to the shooting range and see if anyone has any ideas.
Another interesting find was an odd looking stone that has two small holes in it. I am also taking this stone to the Ohio Historical Society because the holes do not look natural. Now Native Americans did have a kind of drill that they used so it is possible for them to have made the holes, I just want to be certain I am not going crazy.
Tomorrow after my 9am meeting at the Society Mom and I will be going back out into the field so wish us luck!!!

Day three of excavations

Day three of excavations and the heat and the dirt keep on coming!
Today Micah came out to help and it made things a lot easier. We started where we left off yesterday by extending the shovel test counterclockwise from the NW corner to the SE. The buckets of dirt were then sifted by yours truly, Micah and Mom.  This was dirty work and I got covered in it.

We found some more chert, what appears to be a projectile point tip, another piece of charcoal and a bullet casing. Dad looked at the bullet and says it is a 17 caliber, which would put it maybe 30-40 years old. There is a mark on the bullet but we have not identified it as of yet. It was kind of disheartening to find the bullet amongst artifacts which seem to be from Native Americans. Though we also found pieces of a beer can that were closer to the surface. It is evident that people have been out to the area and perhaps people have gone shooting? The charcoal that I have found I will hopefully carbon date and perhaps it will help with dates of the artifacts. Maybe someone shot into the ground? I kind of hope so.

Mom and I are taking a day off tomorrow and it is a well needed rest day, I plan on putting together paper work and washing off artifacts a bit.

Look at the trench

Sifting dirt oops sorry, sediment

view from above

Excavation Day two

So day two of excavations and Mom and I were out at the site bright and early. Today was a slightly overcast day with a nice breeze so it was kind of cooler in the field.

We began by troweling again. We uncovered a lot more chert and one piece of charcoal that I hope to carbon date. Mom also uncovered a few pieces that need to be washed off to be identified but they are very light to be stone, perhaps ceramics! Also we found 3 quartz crystals, very cool.

We had a quick lunch around 12:30 and afterwards we decided to do a shovel test in the North West corner of the 2x2 square unit to try and figure out how thick the humus layer is. This layer is a lot thicker than I thought. So we decided that tomorrow we will go back and basically shovel out sediment that is dark humus and sift it all. Micah Risacher has agreed to help tomorrow, for which I am greatly appreciative.

Possible chert scraper

Unit again

Photos from today

First artifact!!!

(chert flake with bulb of percussion)

Unit number 1 and our equipment before we removed any plant debris

Unit 1 context 1

after plant debris removal (the arrow is pointing North)

excavation day one

After a few days working and my birthday it was back to the site to start excavating
Mom and I got a ride out to the site from Debbie, the naturalist, in a truck so we did not have to carry all of our heavy equipment. We hiked the top of the earthworks towards the North in search of one of our site. We had cored last week a spot that is in the interior of the enclosure of the earthworks and thought that it was promising. We staked out a 2x2 meter square around the flagged core spot.
Mom helped a lot by clearing the vegetation and the plant debris out of the unit. Then we used trowels to remove about one inch of topsoil (humus). We found 5 artifacts, all chert flakes with obvious and visible working marks. These included bulbs of percussion, edges that looked worked perhaps a scraper or two.
It was very exciting to see artifacts so early even if they are just a few chert flakes. When we were done for the day we covered up everything, including the unit, with a blue tarp.
It was slightly eerie in the woods today. We kept hearing what sounded like a person chopping down a tree. And it seemed to move closer. No one else is allowed off of the trails, and even if someone were to come off the trail why would they be chopping down a tree? Mom commented that it felt like someone was watching us, and at times it did feel like someone was. Something is going on in those earthworks that is interesting. Out again tomorrow!!

Mystery rocks and mounds

Today Mom and I once again hiked into Highbanks and into the site. This time we took an aproach from the South, just off the path. We walk along the top of the earthworks and probed as we went. Once we got back towards the northern  portion we probed around the exterior and noticed what may be the secound mound or ring of earthworks that Baby mentions in his notes. This was very exciting and we probed along this formation. Strang rocks that seemed really out of place were all along the earthworks ontop of them and around them. Now these rocks seem local but could not have eroded out of the earthworks unless there are sections of the earthworks which contain large stones, perhaps for support. This was really wierd to say the least. Further investigation may come in the future.
We walked back into the enclosure and probed a low area which  we flagged for excavation. In our probes we collected the typical yellow clay and saw red clay and charcoal inclusions. It was exciting because this red clay is only seen inside the earthwork walls and is not local to the area. Further inside the enclosure, as we were working our way South, we saw another wierd occurance. Multiple, small mounds dotted the landscape. It was really odd, they almost looked like sifting piles from Baby's excavation but they were too far away from the earthworks. They also looked like a serial killer had come in and buried a half dozen bodies. Mom probed one, which was braver then me. They turned out to be pretty much solid yellow clay. The mystery increases!!! As we continued to walk back to the path we realized that these mounds were most likely the result of a fallen tree. We saw other trees that had fallen and when the root bulb comes up it brings with it a great deal of clay that is caught in the roots. Once the organics decay it leaves behind the big pile of clay. So no serieal killer mass burial ground, just a bunch of fallen trees....or are they?

New day new ideas

Mom and I hiked back out to the site today. It was even hotter and muggier than yesterday but we pushed onward. Today we decided to start at the southern end of the earthworks and work our way inward. We probed and flagged two more possible pit locations.
Hiking in from the South gave us a better view of the ravines that are running through the area, there are three ravines that run through the middle of the enclosed space. We probed some more and took photos. Then went to the observation deck which is in the southern half of the earthworks right on the cliffs. Looking down from this vantage-point really put a new perspective on the entire thing. If this were a fort how could people from the village site across the river see what was coming? How could they scale the 100-foot high shale bluffs in a timely manner. This site would not be one that you could easily access from the river. You can get to it, but it would be difficult. I'm looking into reformatting my research question a little bit to possibly include an analysis and comparison of the earthworks as a ceremonial site to other known earthworks sites along the Olentangy and Scioto rivers. The more I walk around this site the more I think that this is a ceremonial site and not a fortification.
Another exciting discovery was made by mother who took a look at Baby's field notes that are located int the Ranger station/Nature center. As we walked through the woods to the site we ourselves noted that there seemed to be a second ring of earthworks, or at least what looked like some. Baby, in his notes, says that there is in fact a second ring and that he excavated a trench from one ring to the other. This discovery has prompted me to look over Baby's notes again in the OHS, so I will organize a time sometime this week and hopefully find something I did not the first time.
This, accompanied by the fact that the location is hard to get to and that the center of the earthworks is red clay, something not local to the park itself, makes me believe even more that this is a ceremonial site and not a fort.
I'm going to be researching a lot more in the next week or so and looking into links between this and other sites in the area.

Pictures from today

First day in the field for serious

So today mother and I went out to Highbanks. We took the CORRECT trail and hiked to the earthworks. We drenched ourselves in bugspray and went out, laden with soil probes, pin flags, and various other bits and bobs. The day started out warm but not terrible and by the time we got to the earthworks we were in the shade of the forest so it wasn't too bad. The hike off the trail and on top of the earthworks was very exciting. We saw the vernal pool which is home to salamanders and frogs. The site covers about 10 acres of heavily forested area  so the hike out to the cliff-edge was work for sure.
The first thing that mom and I noticed was the topography inside the earthworks. From all of the maps and etchings I have seen of the earthworks it is apparently flat inside but what we observed was a very different landscape. Inside the earthworks seemed to be a smaller ravine and what appeared to be another mound or ring possibly. It was very interesting and we are going to do some hunting to see if we can find someone in Ohio that has software that allows for tree-penetrating aerial survey/radar. It would be extremely helpful if we could get an aerial shot of the site. Elizabeth and Debbie, the naturalists at Highbanks, came out to the site and walked around with us for a while. They are both really excited about the project and I am so grateful for their support.
We took a few cores and did some surveying today before we decided to head back. I think I have found two possibilities for pit locations, which I flagged so that we can find them again.
Headed back out tomorrow, but for today I need a shower and a nap. Very tired and gross, it got hot towards the end of our visit.
Stay tuned for more information, we are headed back out tomorrow so we will see what happens!!

I walked four miles today...on accident

Not such a great start these past two days, considering the rain. Today I drove out to Highbanks, determined that the mud would not deter me. I dropped off the completed flier to Elizabeth, she loved it! (seen below) I decided that I would hike out to the site and maybe get some photos and see how far I could walk, and if I could get to the bluffs. 

What’s Going On?

An archaeological excavation of the earthworks at Highbanks is taking place. Test pits are being dug along the earthwork walls which will hopefully yield evidence and information about the day-to-day lives of the Cole people. The last excavation of this site was done in the 1950s by the Ohio Historical Society. Very little is known about the Cole. It is the hope of the archaeologists to find ceramic artifacts such as cooking pots and those used for ceremonial purposes at the earthworks. Ceramic artifacts yield a great deal of information on the lives of past peoples. They can tell us what people cooked and ate, how they may have worshiped, and even if they traded with neighboring prehistoric peoples.

This limited excavation will take approximately two weeks.

Sponsored by the College of Wooster, approved by Highbanks Metro Park, in conjunction with the Ohio Historical Society, 2011 

I Started off on my hike to the site and about two miles in realized I had gone the wrong way. On top of this fact it was very muggy and I was being eaten alive by mosquitoes. Ugh!!! I turned around and hiked back to the car, rounding out the trip with about four miles of hiking today. I drove home covered in sweat and mosquito bites. Tomorrow I will try yet again to go out to the site so pray that I learn to read a map and that this does not happen again.

First Day in the field....kindof

So I went out the Highbanks this morning to meet with Elizabeth Fields, Richard Rapp, Gert the naturalist, and Heather Williamson. We talked for a little bit about the project and what exactly I would be doing. Due to the really heavy storms last night though I did not go out to the site (it would be too muddy). I am really hopeful that the rains will stop and that I can get out in the field before this weekend , cross your fingers!!!
Today instead of going out into the field I did a bunch of preparing and paperwork.
I still have to work on the flier and sign for tomorrow (hopefully) so stay tuned for more news

terribly overdue

So this is going to be a long update, considering that I have not posted in a while.
Firstly I got an A on my Geology I.S.
I completed my Archaeology I.S., topping at 84 pages! Also an A
My proposal was approved and I received my permit for excavation this past Monday in mail.
I want to thank all of the park staff and people at the Ohio Historical Society including Brad Lepper, Brent Eberhard, Linda Pansing, Richard Rapp, Elizabeth Fields, John Watts, and so many others who I am sure I am forgetting.
I am so excited to be starting excavations, and as an undergrad it is an even bigger honor to have been given this chance. I hope that the weather gets better and that all of my hard work pays off in a great excavation. The project will begin on Thursday, May 26th, so in a week!!!!! I am going up to Wooster to pick up equipment from the Geology and Archaeology departments.
On Thursday Richard and Elizabeth will walk me around the site and I will do some initial survey, no intensive stuff that day. I have to watch out for a population of salamanders, though I think it should be fine. I intend to begin real excavations on Friday, weather premitting, and go straight through to June 12th, which is a Sunday.
I really hope that I can blog just about everyday, or every other day, so that there is an ongoing record of excavation and findings, I plan on posting photos, etc.
This is such a wonderful opportunity for me and I cannot stop smiling about it!
Wish me luck everyone!!!