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Intensive Archaeological Survey of the
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 Prehistoric stone knife |
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 Madison arrow point, A.D. 800 to A.D. 1300 |
An archaeological investigation was conducted at the 223-acre Cedar Bluffs Natural Area and State Preserve in 1999, by the Office of the State Archaeologist, The University of Iowa, and the Mahaska County Conseration Board. |
| The preserve is situated along
Cedar Creek, which runs within an abandoned channel of the Des
Moines River. The purpose of the survey was to identify all archaeological
resources within Cedar Bluffs. Walkover survey, auger testing,
shovel testing, and test unit excavation were utilized. |
 Dickson spear point, 500 B.C. To A.D. 350 |
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A total of 19 new archaeological sites were recorded and five previously recorded sites were revisited within the park boundaries. Prehistoric components were present at 21 of the sites, and range in age from Early Archaic (8550 B.C.) To Late Prehistoric (A.D. 1300). |
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Five sites have historic components, including two farmsteads, two graffitti sites, and one possible log cabin remnant. Graffiti dates to as early as the 1870s. |
| A recommendation of “no further work” was made
for 13 of the sites. At the remaining sites, further investigations
to assess the importance of the sites were recommended. Recommendations
regarding these sites will assist in the long-term management
of the Cedar Bluffs Natural Area. |
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 Prehistoric stone hide scraper |
This project could not have been completed without the overwhelming support of local volunteers. More than 600 volunteer hours were donated to the project, in both field and laboratory activities. Cedar Bluffs Natural Area is not only rich in natural beauty, geologic history, and abundance of unusual flora, but rich in human history as well--people have been visiting this location for over 10,000 years, as evidenced by the archaeology of this State Preserve. |
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Designed by Tricia R. Bender
Click here to go back to the OSA homepage. |
 Click here to go to The University of Iowa website. |