| How large was the crew? |
|
A total of 35 people worked on the five sites. |
| |
| What dangers existed for the archaeologists
working on the site? |
| |
Unlike the spectacular and fictional dangers depicted in movies,
most archaeologists face more mundane, everyday kinds of occupational
hazards. The sites in Bowen's Prairie were all located close to
Highway 151. Traffic on the road provided an inherent danger for
the crews driving to and from the site and working so close to the
road. Weather conditions and insects were always a consideration
if not an actual hazard. The crew suffered from extreme heat, humidity,
torrential rain, and the threat of thunderstorms and wind throughout
much of the summer. Portable toilets blew over and excavation units
often flooded. A tree toppled over and bent the legs of a tripod.
Biting mosquitoes, gnats, and Japanese beetles all proved annoying.
One crew member required a tetanus shot after being punctured by
an artifact. The deep nature of many of the features required the
excavation units to be stepped rather than dug with tall, vertical
walls that might collapse (see 13JN196
Moses Collins Farmstead). At the Moses Collins farmstead, a
dangerous deposit of asbestos was encountered, preventing the excavation
of an early cabin at the site. |
| |
| What do the figures mean on the
photo board? |
| |
Generally, the photo board displays the site number (i.e., 13JN196
is the Moses Collins farmstead), the area/structure/feature being
illustrated, the level within this area or feature, and the date
the photo was taken. This information provides an additional reference
once the photographs have been developed and the analysis and report
writing is undertaken. |
| |
Were Native Americans living in
the area when Euro-Americans
moved onto Bowen's Prairie? |
| |
Yes. This was territory occupied by the Meskwaki and Sac in the
1830s. Trade beads and an early coin, perforated and possibly strung
and worn as an ornament, were discovered at the Moses Collins farmstead.
These items may reflect trade with local Native Americans. |
| |
| What happened to the people who
lived at Bowen's Prairie? |
| |
After Bowen's Prairie was bypassed by the railroad, most of the
population gradually migrated to nearby communities such as Monticello.
Descendants of some of the early residents still live in Jones County. |
| |
| How large was the town of Bowen's
Prairie? |
| |
The maximum population of the townsite is unknown; however, the
relatively sparse number of features found in the portion of the
town excavated would suggest that it was relatively small. In 1875,
twelve dwellings were reported in the town of Bowen's Prairie. |
| |
| Is it dangerous to dig in a privy? |
| |
Some of the privies encountered during the project contained "night
soil," soil enriched by organic waste. There is no recorded
instance of any archaeologist being harmed from excavating this
material. |
| |
| Can archaeology tell us what kind
of dairy cows furnished the milk for the creamery? |
| |
No. Cow bones from the site can be identified but not the exact
type of cows. Historic records will provide the best chance of learning
the varieties of dairy cattle preferred by early Jones County residents. |
| |
| What is the thick vegetation growing
on some of the sites? |
| |
After the sites were stripped to disclose features, the disturbed
areas including the huge, back-dirt piles quickly grew up in buttonweed. |
| |
| What happened to the sites once
excavation was concluded? |
| |
Each was backfilled until widening of Highway 151 by the Iowa
DOT begins. All of the materials and records from the excavation
are being studied at the Office of the State Archaeologist at the
University of Iowa, and a final report will be prepared. |
