ONEOTA SETTLEMENT PATTERNS AROUND LAKE KOSHKONONG IN SOUTHEAST WISCONSIN: AN ENVIRONMENTAL CATCHMENT ANALYSIS USING GIS MODELING By Richard Wynn Edwards IV A Thesis Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in Anthropology at The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee May 2010 1 ONEOTA SETTLEMENT PATTERNS AROUND LAKE KOSHKONONG IN SOUTHEAST WISCONSIN: AN ENVIRONMENTAL CATCHMENT ANALYSIS USING GIS MODELING By Richard Wynn Edwards IV A Thesis Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in Anthropology at The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee May 2010 Major Professor Date Graduate School Approval Date ABSTRACT 2 ONEOTA SETTLEMENT PATTERNS AROUND LAKE KOSHKONONG IN SOUTHEAST WISCONSIN: AN ENVIRONMENTAL CATCHMENT ANALYSIS USING GIS MODELING by Richard Wynn Edwards IV The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, 2010 Under the Supervision of Robert J. Jeske PhD RPA An environmental catchment analysis was conducted to determine the nature of Oneota settlement patterns on the western shore of Lake Koshkonong in Jefferson County, Wisconsin. Previous studies have used coarse-grained analyses which have led to an overgeneralization of Oneota settlement patterns. This research uses a fine-grained analysis to elucidate the variation of Oneota village placement within the study area. Prehistoric vegetation patterns were recreated using the General Land Office Survey notes and soil data. Two kilometer catchments were drawn around four sites; Crescent Bay Hunt Club (47JE904), Schmeling (47JE833), Twin Knolls (47JE379), and the Carcajou Point (47JE002). Analysis of these catchments clarified the nature of environmental variation in Oneota settlement patterns, increasing our understanding of their overall lifeways. Major Professor Date 3 © Copyright by Richard Wynn Edwards IV, 2010 All Rights Reserved 4 TABLE OF CONTENTS List of Figures _________________________________________________________vii List of Tables ___________________________________________________________x Acknowledgements _____________________________________________________xii Chapter One: Introduction _________________________________________________1 Research Problem _________________________________________________ 1 The Sites _________________________________________________________2 History of Oneota Research__________________________________________ 4 Identifying Oneota Archaeologically ___________________________________7 Wisconsin Oneota _________________________________________________8 Oneota Agriculture ________________________________________________14 Langford ________________________________________________________21 Settlement Patterns of Upper Mississippians ____________________________22 Chapter Two: Methodology and Methods ____________________________________35 Optimal Foraging Theory___________________________________________36 Ecotones________________________________________________________41 Catchment Analysis_______________________________________________42 Reconstructing the Prehistoric Vegetation_____________________________ 46 Vegetation Zones_________________________________________________54 Vegetation Zones as Discrete Resource Zones__________________________ 55 Geographic Information Science/ Systems_____________________________ 57 Resource Pull Analysis____________________________________________ 63 Analysis________________________________________________________ 64 Chapter Three: The Study Sites____________________________________________ 67 The Crescent Bay Hunt Club Site (47JE904) ___________________________ 67 The Schmeling Site (47JE833) ______________________________________ 80 The Twin Knolls Site (47JE379) _____________________________________90 The Carcajou Point Site (47JE002) __________________________________ 100 Chapter Four: Discussion________________________________________________ 111 Question #2: Were each of the sites situated in a similar environment? _____ 111 Question #3: Were the Oneota sites situated to maximize agricultural production?_____________________118 Question #4: What was the nature of the Oneota settlement pattern in the Koshkonong Locality? __________________________ 121 Question #5: How does this settlement pattern compare to previous explanations of Upper Mississippian settlement patterns?_____142 5 Chapter Five: Conclusion_______________________________________________ 146 Summary______________________________________________________ 146 Future Research_________________________________________________ 147 References Cited_______________________________________________________149 Appendix_____________________________________________________________165 6 LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1: Portion of “Original Vegetation Cover”______________________________27 Figure 2: Comparison of GLO Surveyor’s Map and Finley’s (1976) “Original Vegetation Cover”____________________________50 Figure 3: Comparison of GLO and Soil Based Vegetation Map___________________________________________________52 Figure 4: Vegetation Model of Study Area___________________________________53 Figure 5: Map of Case Sites within Study Area______________________________ 68 Figure 6: Location of the Crescent Bay Hunt Club site (47JE904)_________________ 69 Figure 7: Map of Archaeological Investigations at CBHC_______________________ 72 Figure 8: Map of Environmental Zones around Crescent Bay Hunt Club___________75 Figure 9: Map of Ecotones near Crescent Bay Hunt Club________________________76 Figure 10: Map of Agricultural potential near Crescent Bay Hunt Club_____________79 Figure 11: Map of the Schmeling Site’s Location______________________________81 Figure 12: Map of Archaeological Investigations at Schmeling___________________ 82 Figure 13: Map of Environmental Zones around Schmeling______________________85 Figure 14: Map of Ecotones near Schmeling__________________________________ 87 Figure 15: Map of Agricultural potential near Schmeling________________________ 89 Figure 16: Map of the Twin Knolls Site’s Location_____________________________91 Figure 17: Map of Archaeological Investigations at Twin Knolls_________________ 94 Figure 18: Map of Environmental Zones around Twin Knolls____________________ 95 Figure 19: Map of Ecotones near Twin Knolls_________________________________97 Figure 20: Map of Agricultural potential near Twin Knolls_______________________99 7 Figure 21: Map of the Carcajou Point Site’s Location_________________________102 Figure 22: Map of Environmental Zones around Carcajou Point_________________106 Figure 23: Map of Ecotones near Carcajou Point _____________________________108 Figure 24: Map of Agricultural potential near Carcajou Point____________________110 Figure 25: Comparison of Environmental Zones (1km) ________________________112 Figure 26: Comparison of Environmental Zones (2km) ________________________112 Figure 27: Biplot Results of wLRA for Environmental Zones___________________113 Figure 28: Ecotone proportions of 1 km Catchment___________________________115 Figure 29: Ecotone proportions of 2 km Catchment___________________________115 Figure 30: Biplot of Ecotonal Data 1km____________________________________117 Figure 31: Biplot of Ecotonal Data 2km_____________ _______________________117 Figure 32: Biplot of Agricultural Data______________________________________120 Figure 33: Agricultural Potential within 1 km of each site_______________________120 Figure 34: Agricultural Potential within 2 km of each site_______________________121 Figure 35: Topography of land near study sites_______________________________124 Figure 36: Resource Pull Analysis: Geographic Distribution of Scores_____________127 Figure 37: Distribution of Resource Pull Scores (1 km Catchment) _______________128 Figure 38: Distribution of Resource Pull Scores (2 km Catchment) _______________129 Figure 39: Physical Relationship among Study Sites and Garden Bed Sites_________132 Figure 40: Oneota Sites in Study Area______________________________________133 Figure 41: Map Results of Carcajou Point Catchment Analysis__________________138 Figure 42: Map Results of Crescent Bay Hunt Club Catchment Analysis___________139 Figure 43: Map Results of Schmeling Catchment Analysis______________________140 8 Figure 44: Map Results of Twin Knolls Catchment Analysis____________________141 9 LIST OF TABLES Table 1: Oneota Site Types________________________________________________30 Table 2: Faunal Remains Recovered from Crescent Bay Hunt Club_______________ 73 Table 3: Environmental Zones within Crescent Bay Hunt Club Catchments_________ 74 Table 4: Ecotones within the Crescent Bay Hunt Club Catchments________________ 77 Table 5: Arable Land within the Crescent Bay Hunt Club Catchments______________78 Table 6: Faunal Remains Recovered from the Schmeling Site____________________83 Table 7: Environmental Zones within Schmeling Catchments_____________________84 Table 8: Ecotones within the Schmeling Catchments____________________________86 Table 9: Arable Land within the Schmeling Catchments_________________________88 Table 10: Environmental Zones within Twin Knolls Catchments__________________96 Table 11: Ecotones within the Twin Knolls Catchments_________________________98 Table 12: Arable Land within the Twin Knolls Catchments ______________________99 Table 13: Faunal Remains Recovered from the Carcajou Point Site_______________104 Table 14: Environmental Zones within Carcajou Point Catchments_______________ 105 Table 15: Ecotones within the Carcajou Point Catchments______________________107