Journal of the Iowa Archeological Society
Volume 24, 1977
R. Clark Mallam, Editor
The multicomponent Young site (13LN133) is reported here in full after two seasons of salvage work. The site was located, tested, and finally salvaged prior to being destroyed by the construction of the Pleasant Creek reservoir near Palo, Iowa. Three components at 13LN133 had been thoroughly mixed by rodent activity; thus, the artifact analysis proceeded according to typological variables. This paper focuses on the three ceramic wares form the site and their suspected interrelationships and regional affinities. These wares and their purported time periods are: Cedar ware (Middle Woodland), Linn (transitional), and fabric decorated ware(s) (Late Woodland). Cedar ware and its inclusive types (Palo Plain, Palo ... etc.) are named here to identify indigenous ceramics from interior eastern Iowa which are similar to Havana ware from Illinois. The pottery type, Lane Farm Cord Impressed, is placed within Linn ware for the first time. Lithic artifacts and debitage are the only other remains recovered from 13LN133. These are described in detail by categories: projectile points, chipped and other stone tools, and lithic debitage.
The differing local sequences established by Anderson (1961) and Brown (1967) for Nebraska Variant sites in the Glenwood Locality of southwest Iowa are re-examined employing a graphical seriation technique. Attempts to solve the sequence orientation problems encountered with corroboration radiocarbon dates were inconclusive.
Certain artifact types associated with the Sterns Creek phase are analyzed and defined on the basis of comparisons between the Walker Gilmore site in Nebraska and the Sharp's site, a Sterns Creek component in the Glenwood Locality, in southwestern Iowa. Generally, the pottery and artifact assemblages are used to delimit the cultural, spatial and temporal dimensions of the Sterns Creek phase. Specifically, decorative styles in several Late Woodland pottery types recovered from the Sharp's site are compared with similar decorations in Eastern Woodland pottery to assess their potential as chronological markers for a proposed Late Woodland Culture sequence.
An Archaic site was excavated in Humboldt County, Iowa, during the summer of 1961 by a crew under contract with the State Archaeologist, with funds furnished by the Humboldt County Conservation Board. Points resembling Scottsbluff Type II and Scottsbluff Variant, a "Plano"-type base, side-notched points resembling those from the Simonsen and Hill Sites, bifacial and unifacial modified flakes, drills, punches, spokeshave scrapers, notched end scrapers, worked hematite, hammerstones and possible grinding stone fragments were all found in the unstratified deposit on a sandy knoll near the Des Moines River, East Branch. Although no organic material survived, a tentative date of 6000 to 4000 years ago is suggested on the basis of artifact similarities and it is further suggested that this site may represent the increased use of gathering techniques in subsistence.
Journal of the Iowa Archeological Society
Webpage by Heidi M. Thunhorst, September 3, 2002.