Vila Wolf's Dyslexic Folklorist Ranting

Western Iowa has such a unique archaeological past, with incredible art and culture. This clay effigy is another find from a Glenwood culture earthlodge excavation in Mills County. It is described as the effigy of a male figure. It is part of the Keyes Collection, on display at the University of Iowa Museum of Natural History.

Here’s a pretty incredible find from the Keyes Collection in our repository! While looking through boxes of artifacts from Oneota sites for an upcoming exhibit, we came across this special little scraper. While the Lane Farm Enclosure was being excavated in 1936, archaeologists found that a root had grown around this artifact. Instead of prying the scraper from the root, they just took a section of it!  It’s amazing what goes on below the surface before we unearth an object, isn’t it?

Did you catch our ‪#‎DayofArch‬ post? Thanks to all who organize and contribute to The Day of Archaeology!

These and other pipestone tablets from the Bastian site in Cherokee County in NW Iowa were featured in Volume 25 of “Missouri Archaeologist” back in 1963. This scan is from a black & white folio negative.

We’ve got some GREAT new interactive web features to highlight the recent archaeological work done at the new location of the University of Iowa School of Music site in the Iowa City Downtown District! Check out this interactive timeline of Iowa City from 1839-the early 1900s and stay tuned for another feature!

Effigy Mounds National Monument is seeking your input, from now until March 25! Read the post below and access the report at the link above. (post and photo from Jim Nepstad) 

What’s wrong with this picture?Like most things in life, it all depends on how you look at it. It’s tough to beat a sunrise at Fire Point, so at first glance it may appear as though all is good here. The photo features a mound basking in the first rays of morning sunlight. But when you look closely, you’ll see there’s more than just a mound here. That mound is a part of a larger landscape, and that landscape contains elements that are both ancient and modern; both natural and human-constructed; both sacred and secular. What SHOULD you be seeing in this photograph? That’s where park management can get tricky. Different people might answer this question in completely different ways, sometimes based on their own aesthetic preferences. This might lead to inconsistent or even harmful management practices if those personal preferences are not enlightened with the best scholarship and/or traditional knowledge. And that is where documents known as cultural landscape reports can come in handy.

Effigy Mounds National Monument has released a Draft Cultural Landscape Report and Environment Assessment (CLR/EA) for public review and comment, beginning today and extending to March 25. For the past three years, we’ve been working with tribal and state historic preservation professionals to document what is known of the mounds and their surrounding landscape. That knowledge is then put to use as the Draft CLR/EA recommends long-term landscape treatment practices that are respectful and protective, while still meeting the needs of our visitors.

We’re interested in your thoughts, and hope you will consider joining the conversation! Copies of the Draft CLR/EA can be downloaded athttp://parkplanning.nps.gov/efmoclr. Comments can be submitted electronically from that page, or mailed to the park. (JN)

This week’s feature is another archived find from our student volunteer: This artifact comes from the Mines of Spain in Dubuque, from an 1830s “Miner’s Cabin” first excavated in 1968. We have extensive records on these excavations here at the OSA. This thimble was found in what appeared to be a root cellar, and still retains most of its basic shape, despite being buried for at least 100 years. Note the inscription “REGARDS” still visible on the thimble: archaeologists say it is not a maker’s mark, and was probably intended as a gift for a loved one.“

Have you been hearing about the Lakeside Lab archaeological fieldschool, run by our State Archaeologist John Doershuk? They’ve had some incredible finds the past couple of seasons and are gearing up for 2016. Featured this week is a Lake Benton pottery sherd from the 2015 fieldschool. Want more info on how to get involved?

Analysis of artifacts from the University of Iowa School of Music excavations keeps revealing more interesting objects from Iowa City’s past! This metal object is a napkin ring. It is a copper-base metal with a silver or nickel plate. It was recovered from the stone well at the School of Music site at the corner of Clinton & Burlington Streets. The well was likely constructed in the mid-1800s; however, it wasn’t filled in with refuse until first two decades of 1900s. This piece has no maker’s mark or pattern name, but likely dates to the early 20th century and no later than the 1920s, relative to other objects from the feature. Thank you to Angela Collins and Mike Perry for the background info on this artifact!

The Honey War wasn’t really about honey. It was a dispute over state lines. There are some bee trees in the mix, as well as some truly sub-par surveying work. It’s a story full of silliness, pride and bureaucracy.

Here’s a link to our notes and research. 

We’ve got a really interesting Brown Bag happening tomorrow, and we hope you can join us!

Featured this week are two very tiny Oneota artifacts! In 1936, excavations directed by Charles Keyes recovered this copper ring and miniature catlinite disk pipe pendant from “Trench D” within the Lane Farm Enclosure, a Late Prehistoric Oneota settlement along the Upper Iowa River in Allamakee County. The bottom image shows a parallel groove in the center of the copper ring and a drilled hole for hanging the catlinite pendant.

Just released on the Project Archaeology blog - a free curriculum on the Past, Present, and Future of Bison, including complete lessons and teacher guides for science and language arts units. Definitely applicable for those studying Iowa’s past!

Five Island Lake, a pothole lake north of Emmetsburg in Palo Alto County that was formed during the last Ice Age, has undergone continual dredging to sustain its use for boating and recreation. Dredging in the late 1990s revealed fossilized bones and artifacts, which resulted in surveys and analysis by Bear Creek Archaeology. Artifacts dated from the Late Paleoindian to Historic periods, and included this orthoquartzite (Hixton silicified sandstone) biface. This lithic material comes from the edge of the Driftless area in west central Wisconsin, near Hixton and Black River Falls.

I can’t believe we haven’t featured this one yet!  A beautiful incised bone piece from the Kimball site, a Mill Creek site in Plymouth County.

Featured this week - a platform pipe with a bird effigy, found at “House Site A” at ML64, a Glenwood culture site in Mills County. The first excavations of this site were led by Ellison Orr in 1938. The pipe is noted as “probably Middle Woodland.”

Prehistoric burial mound of the Hopewell people in Toolesboro, Iowa #iowa #history #nativeamerican #instagram #mine (at Toolesboro Mounds)