Three grants from the National Park Service totaling more than $150,000 were awarded to Ball State over the summer in order to allow archaeology students to continue to uncover the past.
Because of the grants, Ball State was able to employ almost 40 students to conduct research and uncover historic and prehistoric artifacts in Versailles State Park, Wilbur Wright Fish and Wildlife Area and Calvert and Porter Woods Nature Preserve.
Their time at the sites uncovered evidence of prehistoric humans.
Probable burial mounds and a woodland habitat were discovered at Wilbur Wright, while arrowhead flakes were discovered at both Wilbur Wright and Calvert and Porter Woods, suggesting that ancient humans at least passed through the area.
“The student opportunities that these grants provide are just very unique,” archaeologist Christine Thompson said. “They really give our students training opportunities they couldn’t find any place else.”
To find these types of ancient artifacts, students often lug heavy equipment as they survey the ground and conduct shovel tests to find any treasures that might be hidden beneath the ground. At Calvert and Porter Woods, students conducted more than 2,000 shovel tests over the 118-acre park.
“You’re in the wrong place if you’re looking to be the next Indiana Jones or temple-runner,” said senior archaeology and history major Lindsey Cron.
Staff in the archaeology department joke that it has a 25 percent retention rate for hopeful archaeologists, but those who do stick around, like Cron, find a program that offers an abundance of opportunities for its students.
Cron worked at Versailles State Park this summer to research the homesteads that date back to Indiana’s formation into a state and up until the 1960s.
The number of artifacts at the site, which included glazed ceramics, whiskey-colored shards of broken glass and a near-complete frying pan, offered more than enough excitement for Cron, who sees this experience as a valuable asset to add to a résumé as she applies for graduate school.
While work at Calvert and Porter Woods may be finished, department members hope to continue work at the Wilbur Wright Wildlife Area and Versailles State Park to give more students like Cron the opportunity to discover more about Indiana’s ancient history.
Assistant Communications Director Marty Benson said the “artifacts from this investigation will be cleaned, recorded and then curated at the Indiana State Museum in Indianapolis.” Results from the study will be made public in the Indiana Archaeology journal.
Contact Adam Pannel with comments at arpannel@bsu.edu.
Read More
A 40-year alliance: Brian Dudley is a staple with Wapahani baseball
By Zach Carter / 13 minutes agoBrian Dudley spent 40 years as the Wapahani varsity baseball coach and finished his career with an 828-320 record.
Top-seeded Cardinals’ postseason run ends with upset loss to Lindenwood
By Adam Altobella / 11 hours agoNo. 10 Ball State was upset by No. 18 Lindenwood in a five-set battle (25-20, 21-25, 25-23, 19-25, 11-15) on the Cardinals’ home court Thursday night. With how scarce at-large bids to the NCAA men’s volleyball tournament are, it is likely that the red and white’s 2024 campaign is over.
Thunderstorms likely tonight
By Lance Huffman / 12 hours agoWeather Forecaster Lance Huffman is tracking the potential for some strong/severe thunderstorms tonight.
