North American Database of Archaeological Geophysics
North American Database of Archaeological Geophysics
Abstract/Summary:
Project Name: Menoken Village State Historic Site, ND (32BL2);
Reference: Kvamme, K.L. (2001). Final Report of Geophysical Investigations Conducted at the Menoken Village State Historic Site (32BL2), 1997-1999. ArcheoImaging Lab, Department of Anthropology and Center for Advanced Spatial Technologies, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Arkansas. Submitted to PaleoCultural Research Group, Flagstaff, Arizona and the State Historical Society of North Dakota, Bismarck, North Dakota.
Kvamme, K.L. (2000). Current Practices in Archaeogeophysics: Magnetics, Resistivity, Conductivity, and Ground-Penetrating Radar. In Earth Sciences and Archaeology, P. Goldberg, V. Holliday, and R. Ferring, eds., Plenum Press, New York, pp. 353-384.
Kvamme, K.L. (1999). Remote Sensing at Menoken Village. In Interim Report and Work Plan for Continuing Archaeological Studies at Menoken Village State Historic Site, 32BL2, Burleigh County, North Dakota. S.A. Ahler, ed., submitted to the State Historical Society of North Dakota, Bismarck.
Kvamme, K.L. (1999). Preliminary Findings of Geophysical and Related Explorations at Menoken Village State Historic Site (32BL2), Burleigh County, North Dakota, 1998 Field Season. Submitted to the State Historical Society of North Dakota, Bismarck.
Kvamme, K.L. (1998). Geophysical Exploration at the Menoken Indian Village State Historic Site (32BL2), Burleigh County, North Dakota, 1997 Field Season. Submitted to the State Historical Society of North Dakota.
Menoken Village (32BL2) is a shallow site that exhibits clear expressions of perhaps 16 prehistoric houses, a fortification ditch, and 4 bastions in the surface microtopography. One benefit of the geophysical surveys conducted at this site is that extensive excavation and testing of anomalies was conducted afterwards facilitating interpretations and anomalie identification. These excavations were conducted by a team involving Stanley A. Ahler (PaleoCultural Research Group), Fern Swenson (State Historical Society of North Dakota), W. Raymond Wood (University of Missouri), and Darcey Morey (University of Kansas), and student from Missouri-Kansas archaeological field schools.
The magnetic survey reveals the village's fortification ditch to the east and south (a steep bluff overlooking Apple Creek protected the site to the north and west), the four bastion loops, historic and prehistoric trails, large burned features interpreted as houses (several verified through excavation), and a number of point anomalies indicative of historic ferrous artifacts. A large circular feature in the lower left of the village is an open pit left from a 1930s archaeological excavation. It is significant that the magnetic data reveal houses and other cultural features not previoously recognized by surface indications. Linear alignments of magnetic highs along the interior of the fortification ditch and on 3 of the 4 bastions wereinitially interpreted as evidence of a burned palisade. Excavations revealed that the magnetic extremes along the interior of the fortification ditch are probably due to a concentration of typically more magnetic A-horizon soils that were removed from the ditch and mounded along the village perimeter. An oval shaped burned house shown magnetically revealsl an interior entryway ramp and a central hearth, features found in one excavated house of the same shape, size, and orientation.
While many features seen magnetically are not as clear in the resistance data, a number of anomalies are revealed that await archaeological testing for identification. The resistance data are particularly useful for delineating what may be prehistoric trails that loop their way around house features. Excavations over one such feature appear to support this interpretation.