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ARCHEOLOGY

DAY GOES

INTERNATIONAL!

In 2011 US Congress declared October 22nd as Na-
tional Archaeology Day. Events throughout the month of
October across the nation and beyond celebrate archae-
ology from the thrill of discovery to the illumination of
our past through research. Join us this year to celebrate
Archeology Day and visit www.archaeologyday.org for
details of events in your area.

GREAT Iowa Archaeology 2013 is fortu-
nate to have received an educational
OASIS outreach grant from the ARCHAEO-
LOGICAL INSTITUTE OF AMERICA.
SITES The AIA is North America’s oldest and
largest organization devoted to the
A small cluster of Great Oa- world of archaeology. The Institute is a
sis sites are located along the South nonprofit group founded in 1879 with
Raccoon River in Dallas County, south nearly 250,000 members in over 100
of the 2013 route. Great Oasis culture (A.D. local societies. As the Iowa Society of
900–1100) extended throughout the eastern the AIA, we are pleased to be a con-
Plains across eastern Nebraska and southwest tributing member of this year’s Team
Minnesota, central and western Iowa, and South Archaeology riders as they participate
Dakota. Great Oasis sites are small hamlets in their 6th consecutive RAGBRAI Iowa
and farmsteads found along major stream ter- Archaeology outreach event!!
races. Archaeological investigations of Great
Oasis sites indicate increased reliance on
agriculture combined with hunting and
gathering. Pit houses and a transi-
tion from Late Woodland to Late
Prehistoric ceramic forms are
also characteristic.