Minnesota State University, Mankato Cornerstone: A Collection of Scholarly and Creative Works for Minnesota State University, Mankato All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects Capstone Projects 2018 The McClelland Site (21GD258) and the Oneota Tradition in the Red Wing Region Jasmine Koncur Minnesota State University, Mankato Follow this and additional works at: https://cornerstone.lib.mnsu.edu/etds Part of the Archaeological Anthropology Commons, Indigenous Studies Commons, and the Social and Cultural Anthropology Commons Recommended Citation Koncur, J. (2018). The McClelland Site (21GD258) and the Oneota Tradition in the Red Wing Region [Master’s thesis, Minnesota State University, Mankato]. Cornerstone: A Collection of Scholarly and Creative Works for Minnesota State University, Mankato. https://cornerstone.lib.mnsu.edu/etds/802/ This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects at Cornerstone: A Collection of Scholarly and Creative Works for Minnesota State University, Mankato. It has been accepted for inclusion in All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects by an authorized administrator of Cornerstone: A Collection of Scholarly and Creative Works for Minnesota State University, Mankato. The McClelland Site (21GD258) and the Oneota Tradition in the Red Wing Region By Jasmine Charline Koncur A Thesis Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Masters of Science In Applied Anthropology Minnesota State University, Mankato Mankato, Minnesota April 2018 April, 2018 Format of Original Signature Page (No page number The McClelland Site (21GD258) and the Oneota Tradition in the Red Wing Region Jasmine C. Koncur This thesis has been examined and approved by the following members of the student’s committee. ________________________________ Dr. Ronald C. Schirmer (Advisor) ________________________________ Dr. Edward P. Fleming (Committee Member) ________________________________ Dr. Kathleen T. Blue (Committee Member) 2 ABSTRACT The McClelland Site (21GD258) and the Oneota Tradition in the Red Wing Region Jasmine Charline Koncur Master Science in Applied Anthropology Minnesota State University, Mankato Mankato, Minnesota, 2018 There is a long history of Oneota studies in the Red Wing, Minnesota, region, but most have been closely intertwined with the Silvernale phase, either because of site location or actual cultural linking. This has created a literature rife with speculation about the relationship between Silvernale and Oneota. While there are some Oneota sites known to exist near sites with Silvernale phase materials, there are many others away from Silvernale sites that have not yet received detailed analysis. The McClelland site (21GD258) is one of many single component Oneota sites in tributary valleys outside the Mississippi trench. The McClelland assemblage can be used to help construct the framework for a better understanding of the Oneota tradition within the Red Wing region separate from the Silvernale phase. This analysis will help develop a more comprehensive understanding of the unique characteristics of Oneota tradition in the Red Wing Region. 3 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Back in 2010 on my first archeology field school, I had the pleasure of breaking ground at the McClelland site. The overly excited undergraduate (shell!) I was decided the material we recovered was what I wanted to work on for my Master’s Thesis. The research for this thesis was enjoyable. Looking back at all the hard work, which I know I might have grumbled about a time or two, it is enjoyable to see the end result. The journey through my graduate courses and thesis have been influenced by several individuals and my family. I hope to express my appreciation and gratitude to everyone, and if I miss one it was not intentional. To my husband Joe, thank you for the support and encouragement throughout this process. I know between commuting, military separations, classes, teaching and digs you made sure the front lines back home did not crumble. To my children Charlie and Emma, thank you for smiles, hugs, and love, I love you two more than you will ever know. To my adviser, Dr. Ronald Schirmer, thank you for your time, patience, teaching, lectures and being a mentor. Back in 2008 when I enrolled into Ethnobotany, the enthusiasm you had about plants and culture caught me. Never in my life did I ever consider going on for a higher degree beyond a bachelors degree. But, here I am, loving paleoethnobotany and enjoying every conversation we have about it. I would like to also thank my other committee members Dr. Ed Fleming and Dr. Kathleen Blue. Thank you, Ed, for always listening and having conversations with me about archeology, even at times when I was not clear enough in my thoughts. Your mentorship, thoughts, ethics and methods not only have helped form my thesis but myself 4 as an archeologist. Thank you, Kate, for your time with teaching and helping me understand the broader aspects of anthropology and answering any questions I had about fauna. Your knowledge has sparked many more areas of interest that one day I hope to expand on. To the Anthropology department at Minnesota State University, Mankato, thank you for teaching me the four-field approach and supporting me through my time as a non- traditional graduate student. To the Geography department at Minnesota State University, Mankato, especially to Dr. Ginger Schmid, Dr. Forrest Wilkerson, Dr. Fei Yuan, and Dr. Don Friend, thank you for having an interest in my work and helping me incorporate geography into my research and pushing me to broaden my horizons. Thank you to my parents Tim and Amy for the support from a young age to learn about science and to never stop pushing myself. At times when I questioned myself, you stood behind me and kept me moving forward. To my brothers Ian and Sam, thank you for the support, interest and enthusiasm for my work, even though at times it might be a bonfire mood killer. To my in-laws, Al, I wish you were here still, thank you for all the support you gave me when I went back to school after I had Charlie. Nancy, thank you for being supportive and helping with the kids when Joe was gone, without your help I would have struggled more. To my grandparents, Betty and Lindy, and Gerry and Sue, thank you for encouraging me as a child and adult to achieve my education. I would like to also thank my co-workers at the Science Museum of Minnesota for the support. And last but not least the several other undergraduates and graduate students that helped me. Jackie Skinner, our commutes to and from school were times I loved, we 5 had such interesting conversations working out our thoughts on our work. Also, thank you for spending countless hours helping me float all the soil samples from the features. Being my partner through the dark hours of the night working on our research, I would have never been able to do it without you. Thanks to Emily Evenson for taking the pictures of all the diagnostic artifacts from the 2010 collections, and also teaching me how to sketch pottery. Thanks, too, to Travis Hager, for teaching me the basics of paleoethnobotany when I was an undergraduate. Your enthusiasm and passion still vibrate in my mind. Josh Anderson (1.0), was my sound board, my dig partner, helped me with lithics and was there to help me process the heavy fraction at the end of my data collection. Jason Reichel helped with any and every lithic question I ever had. Other students who in one way or another helped me along my thesis work include Cory Nowak, Michelle Neumann, Andy Brown, Ty Warmka, Duncan Widman, Josh Anderson (2.0), Mike Bergervoet, Jared Langseth, and Kyle Harvey. 6 To My Children Charlie and Emma “You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose.” Dr. Seuss “Oh, The Places You’ll Go!” 7 TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ............................................................................................. 4 TABLE OF CONTENTS ................................................................................................. 8 LIST OF FIGURES ........................................................................................................ 10 LIST TABLES ................................................................................................................. 11 CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION .......................................................................... 12 CHAPTER TWO: BACKGROUND............................................................................ 16 Taxonomic History of the Oneota Tradition in the Red Wing Region ......................... 17 Historic Investigations in the Spring Creek and Hay Creek Valleys ............................ 23 CHAPTER THREE: METHODS OF DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS .. 31 Field Methods ............................................................................................................... 31 Lab Methods ................................................................................................................. 33 CHAPTER FOUR: RESULTS AND ANALYSIS ....................................................... 37 Unit Descriptions .......................................................................................................... 38 Block A ....................................................................................................................