Journal of the Iowa Archeological Society
Volume 28, 1981
Dale R. Henning, Editor
In the firm belief that early documentary information will benefit archeologists indentifying and working historic Indian sites in northwest Iowa and southwest Minnesota, the following data are offered. They stem from the journey made in 1700 by Pierre-Charles Le Sueur up the Mississippi and Minnesota rivers to the Blue Earth River and from his stay in that region until May 1701. He himself did not go to the Ioway, Oto, and Omaha villages near the Little Sioux and on westward, but he reported information learned from the Dakota Sioux and from his men whom he sent there. They described village locations, population movements, and cultural characteristics. In turn, archeological research should be helpful in leading to proper interpretation of the documentary information.
A quantified comparison of seed assemblages recovered by differing laboratory and field processing techniques is made, and the environmental, cultural, and botanical factors which influence the composition of seed assemblages are outlined. Analysis of the seeds recovered from this Great Oasis site indicates that the inhabitants subsisted in part on cultivated plants, including corn, squash, and domesticated sunflower. Strong evidence suggests that seeds of Chenopodium were also harvested. Conclusions concerning site seasonality and local ground cover are drawn.
Book Reviews
Joseph A. Tiffany, Ed.
pp. 91-102
Journal of the Iowa Archeological Society
Webpage by Heidi M. Thunhorst, September 3, 2002.