Journal of the Iowa Archeological Society
Volume 42, 1995
K. Kris Hirst, Editor
Recently, Iowa archaeologists have been digging deeper and deeper excavation units, partially as a result of the new geomorphological guidelines as well as the need for more Phase II and Phase III investigations. Archaeologists need to be aware of, and comply with, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulations on excavation safety not only to ensure the safety of themselves and their crew members, but to avoid stiff OSHA fines or lawsuits for negligence if someone is injured. Dr. Jack Mickle, Professor Emeritus of Civil Engineering, Iowa State University, Ames, is an Excavation Safety Consultant. He travels throughout the United States lecturing on OSHA excavation safety regulations. Professor Mickle provided the JIAS with the following brief summary of his two-day training session on excavation safety.
The Iowa Office of the State Archaeologist (OSA) has developed an excavation safety plan. The plan is designed to meet Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standards concerning open excavations in the earth's surface. Supervisory archaeologists at the OSA have received training in soil classification and the use of protective systems in archaeological excavations. This training allows the archaeologist to assume the role of the competent person on all excavation sites. As the competent person, the archaeologist is capable of identifying existing and potential hazards, and is authorized to take all necessary means to mitigate them.
The Bash site, 13MR228, is a chert quarry and lithic workshop in central Iowa. Over several millennia, the site was exploited for fine-grained, siliceous, Mississippian system Maynes Creek and Warsaw Formation cherts. Occupation horizons dating to the Archaic and Woodland periods are separated by geological deposits. Diachronic and intrasite technological variation is evident in patterns of raw material heat treatment, heat treatment at reduction stage, core reduction techniques, and the specific manufacturing stages represented.
This paper correlates F. W. Pettigrew's 1889 map, field notes, and manuscripts relating to the Oneota component at the Blood Run site (13LO2) with other work undertaken at the site by F. Starr in 1886, T. H. Lewis in 1889, E. Orr in 1934, and D. Henning in 1980. Two of the burial mounds which Pettigrew excavated are identified as extant mounds, one located in South Dakota and one in Iowa. One of the mounds which Starr excavated in 1886 is tentatively identified. Two other mounds which Starr reported are tentatively identified as part of site 13LO427, located south of the main Blood Run complex.
The Paul Rowe collection from southwestern Iowa consists of letters, manuscripts, artifact catalog, site location maps, and artifacts. A comprehensive study of the Rowe collection published in 1992 did not include recently discovered documents obtained by John Champe from Paul Rowe. These documents consist of two letters, two undated manuscripts, and a draft of an Ellison Orr map of earthlodge and mound locations in the vicinity of Glenwood, Iowa. Most importantly, Rowe's list of sites compiled by section in Mills County, Iowa, confirms previous correlations between Rowe sites and sites in the Iowa files. Together, these documents provide new archaeological information on the Rowe collection and on the prehistory of Mills County.
Publications
Errata, Volume 41
Robert F. Boszhardt and Timothy S. Weitzel
p. 52
Book Reviews
Margot Neverett, Ed.
pp. 59-61
Journal of the Iowa Archeological Society
Webpage by Heidi M. Thunhorst, September 3, 2002.