ARCHAEOLOGIST 2& flmrfW*** MSm

40 Pages·2012·4.58 MB·English

O H IO
ARCHAEOLOGIST
VOLUME 17 JULY 1967 NUMBER 3
MSm
2& flmrfW***
Published by
THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL
SOCIETY OF OHIO ^ ^%
The Archaeological Society of Ohio
Editorial Office Business Office
519 Front Street 95 Ceramic Drive
Marietta, Ohio Columbus, Ohio 43214
Officers Term
expires
President - Robert N. Converse, Plain City, Ohio 43064 1968
Vice President - Ensil Chadwick, Route #3, Mt. Vernon, Ohio 1968
Executive Secretary-John Sarnovsky, 423 Washington Ave.,Elyria, Ohio44035 1968
Recording Secretary - E. R. Hughs, 216 N. George St., West Lafayette, Ohio
Treasurer - J. Grant Keys, P. O. Box 637, Elyria, Ohio 44035 1968
Trustees
Harry Hopkins, Box 322 - Rt. #3, Piqua, Ohio 45356 1968
Dorothy L. Good, 15 Civic Drive, Grove City, Ohio 43123 1968
Charles L. Gschwind, 308 Grove Ave. , Cincinnati, Ohio 45215 1968
John C. Allman, 1336 Cory Drive, Dayton, Ohio 45406 1970
Harley W. Glenn, 1394 W. Third Ave. , Columbus, Ohio 43212 1970
Summers A. Redick, 35 W. Riverglen Dr. , Worthington, Ohio 43085 1970
Editorial Staff and Publications Committee
Editor - Richard Patterson , 519 Front St. , Marietta, Ohio
Technical Editor - Raymond S. Baby, The Ohio State Museum, N. High and 15th Avenue
Associate Editor - Martha A. Potter, The Ohio State Museum, N. High and 15th Avenue
Production Manager - Ernest Good, 15 Civic Drive, Grove City
Regional Collaborators - John C. Allman, 1336 Cory Drive, Dayton 6
- Gerald Brickman, 409 Locust Street, Findlay
- Jeff Carskadden, 285 W. Willow Drive, Zanesville
- Robert Converse, Plain City
-Mrs. Betty Crawford, 111 9 Seminole Avenue, Mansfield
- Elmer H. Grimm, 1217 Murray Ridge, Elyria
- Richard H. Johnson, R. R. # 3, Marion (Meeker)
- James R. Johnston, 2435 Copland Boulevard, Toledo 14
- Richard Patterson, R. R. # 2, Marietta
- Robert Phillippi, P. O. Box 995, Station A, Alliance
- Dr. Olaf H. Prufer, Dept. of Humanities, Case Institute of Technology,
Cleveland, 6
- Summers A. Redick, 35 W. Riverglen Drive, Worthington
- Ralph J. Servey, 1726 Baird Avenue, Portsmouth
- M. Joseph Becker, University of Toledo, Toledo 43606
- Frank Soday, 5709 East 6lst Court, Tulsa, Oklahoma
Back Issues - Chester Randies, 400 Eleventh Street N. W. , New Philadelphia
Object of the Society
The Archaeological Society of Ohio is organized to discover and conserve arachaeological sites and material within the
State of Ohio; to seek and promote a better understanding among students and collectors of archaeological material, profes
sional and non-professional, including individuals, mi<seums, and institutions of learning; and to disseminate knowledge on
the subject of archaeology. Membership in this society shall be open to any person of good character interested in archae
ology or the collecting of American Indian artifacts, upon acceptance of written application and payment of dues.
The annual dues are payable on the first of January, as follows: Regular membership $4. 50; Husband and Wife (one copy
of publication) $5. 50; Sustaining $25. 00. Funds are used for publishing Ohio Archaeologist and for other necessary expen
ses of the Society. The Archaeological Society of Ohio is an incorporated non-profit organization, and has no paid officers
or employees.
Ohio Archaeologist is published quarterly. Subscription is included in the Society's membership dues. Back issues may be
purchased at these prices; per issue $1. 25, per set of 4 issues $4. 50 exept when one of the following issues is included to
change the price; double issues $2. 00(vol. 12, no. 1-2 Jan.-April, no. 3-4 July-Oct. 1962); "Ohio Flint Types" {vol. 13 ,
no. 4, Oct. 1963) and "Ohio Stone Tools" {vol. 16, no. 4, Oct. 1966) $2. 00 each. Mail your remittance, payable to The
Archaeological Society of Ohio, to Robert N. Converse, Plain City, Ohio.
Address all articles, personal news, queries, comments, etc. to The Editor.
Address dues payments and questions related to dues to The Treasurer.
Address membership applications and other correspondence to the Executive Secretary.
W ll 1W ARCHAEOLOGIST
VOLUME 17 Table of Contents NUMBER 3
Officers, Trustees, Editorial Staff.. second cover
The Cover 88
President's Page 89
Aerial Archaeology; A Developing Science 90-100
Early Elephant Hunters 101-102
Display Awards 102
The Beaver Pond Site; A Multi Component Site
in Shelby County, Ohio 103-104
Fossil Shark Teeth 105-106
Fluted Point Find of the Year 107
Some Odd Types From Northern Ohio 108-110
The Abbott Site: An Archaic-Adena Site in
Shelby County, Ohio 111-114
Objects From The Schlisler Village Site 115-116
Two Dovetails In One Year 117
A Hematite Spearpoint From Ohio 118
Museum Theft 119-third cover
The Cover
The cross on the cover, like the items shown on the January and April
issues, was found on Burial Island (Ewing Island) in the Maumee River, Lucas
County, Ohio. The details of its discovery are unknown; supposedly it came
originally from the Catholic mission at Detroit. It is unengraved. It is 190 mm
(7 1/2 inches) long and 139 mm (5 1/2 inches) wide.
88
The President's Page
During the past few weeks I have received letters and comments with regard
to both the quality and content of the Ohio Archaeologist. Quite frankly, the
quality of the April issue was not what we have come to expect in our publication
since there were a number of printing and spelling errors. On behalf of the
Editor, Richard Patterson, and the Editorial Staff, I would like to apologize to
those who submitted articles in which errors occurred, and to people who were
otherwise affected by our mistakes in printing. Most of our problems arose
from the fact that a new typesetting process was used, but we have been assured
by our printer that forthcoming issues of the Ohio Archaeologist will be of the
highest quality.
Some comment was directed at the strong archaeological content of the
magazine and the feeling was expressed that we should publish more pictures of
fine artifacts and less material of an archaeological nature. This question is not
new to the Board of Trustees and the Editorial Staff and has been discussed at
many of our board meetings. It has always been the policy of the board to balance
each issue with articles and pictures interesting to both the archaeologist and
the collector, and a concentrated effort to do so has been made. Actually, it
would be much easier to publish a magazine containing nothing but pictures and
captions since this requires little editing and set-up work. However, it must be
remembered first of all that our Editor began with little or no backlog of
material of any sort--especially good pictures, and secondly it is the respon
sibility of our membership to provide him with such pictures. Very seldom is any
report or picture submitted which does not eventually appear in the Ohio
Archaeologist. There is always a constant need for interesting and significant
material and if each of our members would contribute one small article or
photograph of a prized artifact we would have ninety per cent of our publishing
problems solved.
As President, one of my prime duties is to take an active role in the publica
tion of the Ohio Archaeologist and most of my time is devoted to that end. Richard
Patterson has done, and is doing, a fine job and it is up to our members to supply
him with material. Both Mr. Patterson and I solicit your comments and thoughts
toward improvement of the Ohio Archaeologist.
Robert N. Converse
President
89
Aerial Archaeology, A Developing Science
by
Donald Hutslar
Ohio Historical Society
A method of archaeology widely practiced in Europe, but little used in the
United States, is aerial photography for archaeological interpretative purposes.
Centers for aerial archaeology have developed in England, France, Germany,
and Italy.
Apparently the first aerial photographs taken specifically for archaeological
purposes were made of Stonehenge in 1906 (by balloon). The advent of World
War I accelerated the rise of aerial archaeology through wartime development
of improved photographic equipment and, of course, airplanes. O.G.S. Crawford's
book. Wessex from the Air, published in 1928, was the first serious work devoted
to aerial archaeology. In the United States, Dache M. Reeves photographed
prehistoric sites in the Ohio and Mississippi river valleys during the 1930's.
World War II solidified the aerial interpretative field as could no other event.
Vast land areas of the European continent, as well as Great Britain and northern
Africa, were photographed for military reconaissance purposes. Archaeologists
working for military interpretation units, particularly in England, were noting
new sites for postwar investigation.
Thus warfare, in its own perverse manner, had a large hand in establishing
the field of aerial archaeology. And, because both world wars ranged the length
and breadth of Europe, bringing military aerial reconaissance to the furthest
corners of the continent, it is natural that aerial interpreters should be more
common there than in the United States. Other factors bear on the limited use of
aerial archaeology in the United States: The United States is a young country
insofar as its cultural development is concerned; there are few, if any, demon
strable ties between our western culture and the prehistoric Indian cultures,
therefore less incentive to spend a vast quantity of money on aerial photography
(it is expensive) for simply archaeological purposes.
Great Britain and the European countries benefit archaeologically from set
tlement patterns which were established hundreds of years ago and continue to
be followed. In England, Roman tilled land became Norman tilled land, then
medieval, and so on until the present. Neolithic village sites became Roman
village sites, with a similar progression to the present. Land in England may have
been enclosed, farming mechanized, towns expanded, but the patterns of civili
zation--composed of many overlaying cultures--still lie on the countryside.
Such is not the case in the United States. It is true that many towns in Ohio
overlay Indian villages, but the village sites have not governed the growthof
these towns. Arable fields may have supported an Indian tribe as they now support
some local community, but the physical pattern of Indian agriculture has
(apparently) not left its mark on contemporary agriculture. Interestingly, the
Romans were at work on the English landscape at the same time that the Adena
people were at work on the Ohio landscape. Both cultures left their marks on
their respective countrysides; however, the Romans left the mark of western
civilization. The wholesale clearing of land in Ohio during the 19th century,
90
followed by intensive mechanical farming techniques, has served to obliterate
countless prehistoric and historic Indian sites, not to mention some early white
settlement areas.
The foregoing paragraphs have merely outlined a few reasons why the
English/European landscape is more ameniable to aerial archaeology than the
American landscape. However, aerial archaeology can contribute greatly to
present archaeological knowledge in the United States, particularly in Ohio where
there are so many prehistoric sites. Of further interest would be the appli
cation of aerial techniques to historic Indian and white settlement features--camp
sites, fortifications, trading posts, paths and trails. Settlement patterns created
by the Grand Council Trail (Logstown, Pennsylvania, to Fort Pickawillany,
Piqua, Ohio) or Zane's Trace (Wheeling, West Virginia, to Maysville, Kentucky)
would be of particular economic and sociological interest. To note the location
of dwellings, field patterns and secondary trails adjacent to these important
routes of communication through Ohio would be extremely difficult from the
ground; from the air, however, such patterns should be clearly evident.
Though the principles of aerial archaeology are simple and sound, the
difficulties lie in interpretating the configurations and tonal values of the photo
graphs. Technically, aerial photography requires special equipment, particularly
cameras and lenses, for critical work such as direct vertical photographs to
accurate scale or photogrammetric mapping. However, for oblique photography,
good quality equipment is all that is needed.
The aircraft, speed, and altitude vary with the photographic requirements.
Very precise flying is needed for direct vertical and photogrammetric work,
and usually a plane must be specially rigged for the camera equipment needed
for such work. For low-altitude, oblique photography (500-2,000 feet is the
practical range), any light plane will suffice. For convenience, the plane should
have a high wing, a removable window or door (venting its exhaust away from
the opening), and a low ground speed. A helicopter is ideally suited for such
work, but expensive to rent.
Light angle is very important in oblique photography. Sidelighting is generally
recommended; however, back-lighting (i.e., the sun behind the subject) has
proved most successful for the author. This is particularly true when emphasizing
topography. For best results from filteration, soft light from a slightly hazy sky
and a less acute light angle work best. Otherwise, direct sunlight is best for
high resolution. Early spring, after the ground cover is growing but before the
leaves are out is good for tonal separation. Drought conditions seem to work best
for sub-soil features.
Panchromatic film, preferably with a filter in the "minus-blue" category
(such as a Wratten 12), is best for general work. Infra-red has not proven overly
useful to this writer, though infra-red does prove valuable after a rain when wet
areas, such as might be formed in a filled-in refuse pit, are being sought.
Infra-red renders water and moist soil as black. It also detects a greater
difference between living and dying or dead chlorophyll-bearing plants, due to
the absorbtion of infra-red by the green of living plants, by rendering them darker
on the photographic print. Panchromatic film, in the above two instances, might
register such subtle differences in tonality to be beyond the capability of the
photographic paper to record; film has a much greater tonal range than does
printing paper.
91
What is important, therefore, in aerial archaeological photographs is the
tonal subtleties of the landscape. These reveal the so-called "sub-soil"
features that are not perceptible at ground level due to the lack of physical
topography. Obviously, any site that projects above ground-level can be clearly
photographed if it throws shadows under the raking light of an early morning or
late afternoon sun. The location of sub-soil features is the great contribution of
aerial photography. Once a suspected site is located by such means, it then
becomes the task of the field archaeologist to investigate the site and prove or
disprove its validity. From this combination of air and field work, new knowledge
is added for future interpretation of aerial photographs — and the science of
aerial archaeology grows ever more sophisticated.
* * * **
A Selected Bibliography
American Society of Photogrammetry
1952 Manual of Photogrammetry (2nd ed.). Banta, Menasha, Wisconsin.
American Society of Photogrammetry
1960 Manual of Photographic Interpretation. Banta, Menasha, Wis
consin.
Crawford, O.G.S., and Keiller, Alexander.
1928 Wessex from the Air. Clarenford Press, Oxford. (Progenitor
of aerial archaeology. O.G.S. Crawford founded the English
magazine, Antiquity, many issues of which contain articles on
aerial archaeology.)
Lueder, Donald R.
1959 Aerial Photographic Interpretation. McGraw-Hill Book Co., Inc.,
New York.
Reeves, Dache M.
1936 "Aerial Photography and Archaeology," American Antiquity,
Vol. 2, No. 2. (An early account of efforts in the United States.)
St. Joseph, J.K.S. (editor)
1966 The Uses of Air Photography. The John Day Company, New
York. (A very fine introduction work on air photography in
England. Dr. St. Joseph is Director of Aerial Photography at the
University of Cambridge.)
(There are several technical journals in the field of photo
grammetry.)
The following diagrams illustrate the types of features that can be seen on
aerial photographs. The photographs show how various aspects of Fort Meigs,
Maumee, Ohio, were discovered by aerial reconaissance.
9:2
Growth line
Sod line
Obstruction Underground
Fig. 1 (Hutslar) Growth lower, thinner, and lighter in color over underground
obstruction.
Growth line
i"iim?itiiilH|lhu..
n
Sod line
Filled Depression
Fig. 2 (Hutslar) If fill is moist and/or if it consists of top soil, growth will be
heavy, tall, and darker in color than surrounding vegetation.
93
Side View
Top View
Definite Color Differentiation
Fig. 3 (Hutslar) Sink holes or deep excavations can act as natural wells or
drains causing heavy growth or bare spots.
94
Sun
Highlight
Ditch
Sun
#
Highlight
Shadow
Fig. 4 (Hutslar) A mound and a ditch present in the same photograph have
opposite shadows and highlights.
95