The latest volume of the journal Indiana Archaeology is available at https://on.in.gov/archaeo-pubs. Included are articles on two Ball State University archaeology projects that received federal financial assistance from the Historic Preservation Fund Program for the identification of cultural resources. These archaeological investigations took place in Fulton County and Montgomery County. In addition, the journal includes text of the first interview conducted as part of the DHPA’s archaeology outreach initiative “Hoosier Archaeology Insights”. Check out Volume 16, Number 1, but while you are on our webpage, see the other past volumes of the journal.
You can vote for Indiana’s Archaeology Month poster in the Society for American Archaeology’s State Archaeology Celebration Poster Contest! Cast your vote by 5 p.m. ET on April 7, and help spread the word to others.
Archaeologist Craig Arnold (Weintraut & Associates, Inc.) has written about archaeological site 12P735, the Salmon Lusk Home, which lies within Turkey Run State Park in Parke County. This site is a new addition to the DHPA Storymap “Highlighting Hoosier Archaeological Sites: Examples from 92 Counties”. The creation of Turkey Run State Park would not have been possible without Salmon Lusk’s original land acquisitions or his son John’s guardianship. The Lusk Home and Mill Site is listed in the National Register of Historic Places under Criteria A and C, with an 1841 period of significance. You can learn about archaeological investigations at this site, including the most recent, during which shovel probes identified soils that exhibit evidence of having been heat-altered by the firing of bricks used in the 1841 house construction.
Another recent addition to Highlighting Hoosier Archaeological Sites: Examples from 92 Counties is a feature on site 12Vi1821. Dr. Shawn Phillips with the Human Osteology Lab, Indiana State University has written about Terre Haute’s “Old Burial Ground” (Indian Orchard Cemetery; CR-84-20). The Vigo County site represents the settlement, pioneer historical phase for an Indiana community, and is nestled between two unique events in Indiana history, the War of 1812 and the installation of the Wabash and Erie Canal. You can read about the discovery and excavation of several historical burials as well as the analyses of the artifacts found in mortuary contexts at the site.
Archaeological field schools - As planning for Indiana archaeological field schools begins, qualified archaeologists please remember that per 312 IAC 22-2-3 (2), an application to conduct a scientific investigation under Indiana Code 14-21-1 shall be filed at least 30 days before the proposed commencement of the project. Let the DHPA archaeologists know if you have any questions.
What: Spring Mill State Park / Historic Preservation Fund Grant Presentation
When: Saturday, April 15, at 12:30 p.m.
Where: Meeting House, Pioneer Village, Spring Mill State Park, Mitchell, Indiana
New archaeology sites were documented in Spring Mill State Park as part of a Historic Preservation Fund grant after archaeologists from the Applied Anthropology Laboratories, Ball State University, explored parts of the park in Lawrence County this past summer. Attend the public presentation on Saturday, April 15 at 12:30 p.m., at the park’s Meeting House to learn more.
The public presentation will review project goals, objectives, and results of this year’s surveys and focus on what the features and artifacts tell us about pre-contact and historic land use in what is now the park and its surrounding area. Archaeologists will have artifacts from the surveys available to view and will show images that highlight their field and laboratory methods. This project was funded in part by a grant from the U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service’s Historic Preservation Fund administered by the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Division of Historic Preservation & Archaeology.
For more information, please contact Christine Thompson, Archaeologist, Applied Anthropology Laboratories, Ball State University at 765-285-5328 or ckkeller2@bsu.edu.
What: Harrison-Crawford State Forest / Historic Preservation Fund Grant Presentation
When: Saturday, April 22, at 1 p.m.
Where: 1950s Haypress, O’ Bannon Woods State Park, Corydon, Indiana
New archaeology sites were documented in Harrison-Crawford State Forest as part of a Historic Preservation Fund grant. Archaeologists from the Applied Anthropology Laboratories, Ball State University, explored parts of the state forest in Harrison County this past summer. Attend the public presentation on Saturday, April 22 at 1 p.m., at the 1950s Haypress in O’Bannon Woods State Park to learn more.
The public presentation will review project goals, objectives, and results of this year’s surveys and focus on what the features and artifacts tell us about pre-contact and historic land use in the state forest and the surrounding area. Archaeologists will have artifacts from the surveys available to view and show images that highlight their field and laboratory methods. This project was funded in part by a grant from the U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service’s Historic Preservation Fund administered by the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Division of Historic Preservation & Archaeology.
For more information, please contact Christine Thompson, Archaeologist, Applied Anthropology Laboratories, Ball State University at 765-285-5328 or ckkeller2@bsu.edu.
The INDOT Cultural Resources Office has job openings for the Archaeology Team Lead and a Historian. These positions are in INDOT's Central Office in Indianapolis, with flexible work scheduling options including the potential for hybrid remote work:
Historian, Environmental Manager 2
This position conducts historic architectural and bridge research to evaluate the impacts of proposed transportation projects on cultural resources and reviews reports and documents prepared by outside consulting firms and district environmental staff for compliance with federal and state requirements. Applicants must meet or soon be able to meet the Secretary of the Interior's Professional Qualification Standards as per 36 CFR Part 61. Successful applicants will have a graduate degree in history, architectural history, historic preservation, or a closely related field, with coursework in American history and architectural history; specialization and substantial experience in Midwestern history and historical architecture, including fieldwork, analysis, and reporting; and familiarity with state and federal preservation and environmental laws.
Salary range starts at $53,222 and may be commensurate with education and job experience.
Apply online here: https://workforindiana.in.gov/job-invite/422725/
Archaeology Team Lead, Environmental Manager Supervisor 4
This position manages assignments and workloads for a staff of three archaeologists, manages INDOT's on-call archaeology contracts, and serves as a primary contact and subject matter expert for INDOT personnel, consultants, outside agencies, and consulting parties. Applicants should have experience in applying Section 106 and other federal and state historic preservation laws and must meet (or soon meet) the State of Indiana's requirements for a Principal Investigator as per 312 IAC 21-3-4(b).
Salary range starts at $67,314 and will be commensurate with education, relevant experience, and Qualified Professional status. Apply online here: https://workforindiana.in.gov/job-invite/422037/
Please contact Matt Coon (mcoon@indot.in.gov) if you have any questions about these positions.