(Arnolds Park)– Another archaeological dig is underway on the grounds of the Abbie Gardner cabin in Arnolds Park. This dig, similar to one last year, is being headed up by State Archaeologist Dr. John Doershuk and a team of students from the University of Iowa. Dr. Doershuk gave a presentation on their work Wednesday. He says they’ve uncovered in recent days a site that could date back as far as 2,000 years…
“This is my speculation at this point. The stratographic position beneath the ground surface is suggective of something older than even the 1700’s. We don’t have any definitive artifacts that yet to allow us to say what the date is, but there is material from stone tool making which could represent a wide period of time. Right now we’re looking for charcoal, if there’s pottery that will really help us to pin it down, or a finished stone tool. So it’s a work in progress but an exciting find.”
He says it could go back to the time when the Oneota tribe of native Americans was residing here…
“Oneota dates back to as early as about early 1300’s in this part of the world, and this could be older than that.”
Dr. Doershuk says digs on other parts of the site so far this season have turned up items similar to what they found last year…
“There’s a lot of material from the 1891 to 1921 Abbie Gardner return period: metal buttons, pieces of glass, nails, ceramics with patterns on them, those kind of things.”
Dr. Doershuk says they’ve doubled the number of sites in the dig this year compared to last year…
“We’ve gotten more accomplished already this year than we had last for two reasons: one, we know more about the site already so we’re moving a little bit quicker, decision making; and two, we have a volunteer group from the Sanford Museum in Cherokee that’s tagged onto our work and they’ve been here a couple days this week. They’ll do a couple more days next week, so we just have more labor than we did before so we’re to move a little bit quicker.”
He says the decision as to where to dig is based on information gathered last year, but he says they’ve been able to add a new layer to that thanks to the use of a drone and what’s known as LIDAR technology…
“And so it’s doing really, really high detailed mapping of the ground surface. So detailed that sometimes you can see changes that even though when you’re walking on the surface you can’t really tell that they’re there but when you do the digital model it shows up. That might be a clue of where there was a foundation, a pit, anything like that.”
Dr. Doershuk says whether or not the dig will be extended another year isn’t certain yet…
“I understand there are discussions about the cabin and the property’s future that are very active right now. With the change with the State Historical Society out of Cultural Affairs into Administrative Services there may be a change of priorities, so I think there’s things that will come but I’m hoping that we can continue the research.”
