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question that this Mill Creek village contains deeply and recorded over the past 100 years. The original
buried layers, stacked one above the other, and number of lodges was certainly higher, but many
important clues to community planning, layout, and were destroyed by erosion, plowing, and develop-
defense. ment before they could be recorded. Likewise, other
lodges may lie deeply buried in the Missouri River
Sadly, many Late Prehistoric earth lodges in the Loess floodplain waiting to be discovered. For most sites,
Hills are now known to have been destroyed. Despite almost no information about their current condition
this loss, the archaeological research demonstrates exists.
that intact sites still exist, buried beneath the surface
and containing a wealth of important information. Using old field notes and comparisons with modern
aerial photographs, the study prepared a list of poten-
Lost and Found Lodges tially intact lodges, and landowners were contacted
for permission to visit sites. The survey also focused
Prior to field research, archaeologists compiled a list on sites in state and county parks which tend to be
of previously recorded earth lodge sites in the Loess less developed.
Hills. The number varied from 280 to more than
300 due to the inconsistent way sites were mapped Initial results varied. At Mile Hill Lake Park in Mills
County, earthmoving activities had
badly disturbed previously recorded Today almost no lodges have depressions—erosion,
lodges. Only a few out-of-place artifacts plowing, and silting have caused the depressions to
remained. An initial visit to West Oak disappear. The primary way to find buried lodges is
Forest Park (13ML652) near Glenwood, through soil coring. After a lodge was abandoned by
revealed no evidence of earth lodges. A its residents, it gradually accumulated fill as the walls
second visit, this time in the company and roof disintegrated and collapsed into the house
of an experienced collector who knew basin. Today, the presence of fill denotes the exis-
where to look, disclosed a lodge once tence and extent of the lodge.
recorded but incorrectly mapped. The
location of a large Indian mound at West In an area where they suspected a lodge, the research
Oak Forest Park was also accurately team took soil cores at regular intervals, usually 15
mapped. feet apart, to search for signs of house fill. The metal
corer is about an inch wide and can extend 5 feet
Fifty or 100 years ago many earth lodges
still had surface depressions, a low spot
marking where the lodge once stood.
University of Iowa Office of the State Archaeologist 11
