Photo by Chris Meyer An artifact takes the form of a fish head. More photos

Staffan Peterson has spent many days and weeks during the last several years roaming the fields at Angel Mounds collecting data. The tedious task of taking readings from a magnetometer—a portable device archeologists use to locate metal deposits—is helping Peterson generate detailed maps of this prehistoric archaeological site near Evansville.

Now, with the data in hand and compiled into a GIS map, this IU Bloomington graduate student is leading a team of undergraduates on an excavation to learn more about the people that once called this river valley home.

"What we are trying to figure out...are the genesis and development—and the decline—of this whole site," said Peterson, a prehistory research fellow with the Glenn A. Black Laboratory of Archeology based at IU Bloomington. "Why did it start in the fashion it did? How many people lived here? How did the way they use space over time change?"

Peterson's current research at Angel Mounds is based on research compiled by archaeologist Glenn Black who started excavations at Angel Mounds in 1939 and continued through the 1960s. Peterson uses Black's original data—combined with GIS technology and data collected through magnometry—to create a more precise look at what lies underground. Peterson's mapping efforts have revealed hundreds of rectangular structures believed to be homes. Additionally, the layered map details what appears to be two distinct palisade walls: a shorter interior and a longer exterior barrier.

One of the theories Peterson would like to study is whether or not the civilization, which is believed to have been settled around 1100 AD, started large and then was scaled back. Or, did the settlement start with a few people and expand its scope, thus creating a need to build a larger exterior barricade?

To help explore these theories, Peterson is leading the IU-sponsored field school not only to teach undergraduates how to excavate, but also to collect more artifacts that will help determine which palisade wall came first.

"We are selectively going in to these houses," Peterson said, pointing to grey marks on a laminated field map, "and putting in very small excavations. We're trying to get more artifacts that are datable to fill in some of the blanks. Right now it is pretty crude. A lot more needs to be done."

For this summer's excavation, the team—comprised of undergraduates from IUB, University of Southern Indiana and University of Evansville—has found a variety of pottery fragments and hearth samples. One pottery artifact displays a fish head, believed to be a part of what was once a handle on a cooking pot.

"We keep every single thing that comes out of these excavations," explained Peterson, adding that the laboratory has ownership of the site's artifacts. With ownership also comes the task of cataloging and securing the several thousand artifact finds. The material is packaged in individually labeled clear plastic bags and transported back to the Bloomington lab for cleaning and analysis. Some may become a part of a display collection, while other items will simply be cataloged for future research. The lab already maintains close to three million artifacts excavated from Angel Mounds.

"For every hour in the field, we'll spend five to ten hours in the lab trying to figure out what it means, analyzing the artifacts," said Peterson. "All of those have to be individually labeled and fashioned into a collection. Then we start to go back to look for evidence in the artifacts for chronology."

Peterson started work on his Ph.D. in 1998, after having a successful career as a housing contractor. "I'm trying to make a contribution other than to myself. I'm doing this for more than making a credential," he said. "I came to this later in life, and I'm hoping all this information can be turned in to knowledge after I'm done."

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