From October 12 to 14, the Midwest Archaeological Conference held its 50th annual meeting at the University of Illinois, Urbana. Among the papers presented were four that focused on the Societys archaeological sites and collections; the abstracts of those papers are presented here.
The Midwest Archaeological Conference is organized to promote and stimulate interest in the archaeology of the midwestern United States and neighboring areas; to serve as a bond among those interested in this and related subjects; to publish and encourage publication; to advocate and aid in the conservation of archaeological data and to encourage an appreciation and support of archaeological research. The organization also publishes the quarterly journal, Midcontinental Journal of Archaeology.
For more information about the MAC, check out the website: http://www.midwestarchaeology.org/> ; all the abstracts from the 2006 annual meeting are available at http://www.midwestarchaeology.org/2006_MAC_Abstracts.pdf
Baldia, Christel M. (Archaeological Textile Consulting)
Kathryn A. Jakes (The Ohio State University)
Maximilian O. Baldia (Institute for the Study of Earth and Man, Southern Methodist University)
The Use of Dye Technology as Indicated By Polychrome Hopewell Textiles from Seip Mound
Yellow/brown textiles from the Hopewellian Seip Mound group that had not been directly in contact with copper were selected for this research. These were sampled based on the results of non-destructive forensic photography. Optical microscopy illustrated that this yellow/brown group were made of a dyed rabbit hair and bast fiber mixture. The yarns were colorant saturated and the colored patterns on the textiles were identical on both sides of the textiles. Besides the use of several colors, fringes and possibly a leather appliqué were used as decorations. These polychrome textiles indicate complex textile construction methods with elaborate decoration techniques and the use of complex dye technology.
Greber, Nomi B. (Cleveland Museum of Natural History)
Richard W. Yerkes (Ohio State University)
Katharine C. Ruhl (Cleveland Museum of Natural History)
Anne B. Lee (Hardlines Design)
Dawn W. Gagliano (Ohio University)
Jarrod Burks (Ohio Valley Archaeology Consultants)
Martha P. Otto (Ohio Historical Society)
Interpretations of Several Low Mounds within Seip Earthworks, Ross County, Ohio
From 1971 to 1977 the Ohio Historical Society, under the direction of Dr. Raymond Baby, conducted a series of excavations within the largest element of the Seip Earthworks, Ross County, Ohio. Recent analyses of records and collections of artifacts and field samples recovered provide new information for considering possible activities and chronological relationships reflected in the complex pattern of structures and features covered by small mounds. A summary discussion will be presented of the context of lithic, ceramic, faunal, and exotic materials recovered from mounds and features within and outside wooden structures found in this limited area of the earthworks.
Riordan, Robert (Wright State University)
Investigating the Moorehead Circle
During the summer of 2006 Wright States field school investigated a circular enclosure 60m in diameter detected in 2005 by remote sensing in Fort Ancients North Fort. The goals were to test: (1) an area on the circles perimeter where one or more ditch and embankment combinations were presumed to have existed; and (2) a strong magnetic anomaly located at the center of the circle. Our results suggest that the circle was defined by posts set in individual pits, and that a central pit, perhaps enclosed within a structure, was filled with burned soil.
Royce, Karen L. (The Ohio State University)
The Late Woodland Scioto Trails Site (33Fr8) in the Middle Ohio River Valley
The Scioto Trails Site (also known as the Zencor or Merion Village site) dates to the Late Woodland time period and is located in the Central Ohio area. Portions of the site were excavated in the 1960s and 1980s and most recently investigated using a fluxgate gradiometer (2006). This site is similar to the nearby, Late Woodland Water Plant site (33FR155), in that they both exhibit the presence of a semi-circular prehistoric ditch circumscribing the sites along major waterways, with steep banks. It is important to investigate and publicize sites like these before they totally disappear.
