FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — The University of Arkansas will welcome more than 300 researchers, students and enthusiasts of Great Plains history and culture to Fayetteville this week as it hosts the 61^st annual Plains Anthropological Conference. With presentations ranging from Native American glass technology to the new archeological discoveries made possible by geophysical remote sensing devices, the conference aims to prove that Great Plains scholarship is anything but flat.

This represents the first time the Plains Anthropological Society has held its annual meeting in Fayetteville, and this year’s conference showcases research from numerous University of Arkansas faculty and students.

"At best you could argue that Fayetteville is on the edge of what is considered the Great Plains," said Marvin Kay, chair of the UA anthropology department and co-organizer of the conference. "But the expertise of our faculty and the number of people here who study the Great Plains-as well as the caliber of their work-more than justify our hosting the conference."

In addition to research presentations, the U of A has furnished the keynote speaker of the conference — Elliott West, professor of history. A celebrated author and storyteller of Great Plains life and lore, West will speak at the Friday evening banquet, beginning at 8 p.m. at the Fayetteville Town Center.

Conference presentations begin at 8:20 a.m. on Thursday, Oct. 23, at the UA Center for Continuing Education and continue until 11:20 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 25. All members of the public are invited to register and attend the three-day event. Registration fees are $50 for the general public and $40 for students. In addition to scholarly seminars, the conference will offer a variety of poster sessions, receptions, exhibits and field trips. A full schedule of events is available at the conference Web site: http://www.uark.edu/depts/anthinfo/Plains/index.htm.

The 2003 Plains Anthropological Conference is co-sponsored by the department of anthropology in Fulbright College, the Environmental Dynamics Ph.D. program, the Center for Advanced Spatial Technologies and the Arkansas Archeological Survey.

UA Faculty Presentations:

George Sabo, adjunct professor and archeologist at the Arkansas Archeological Survey;

9:20 a.m. Thursday — Room 406-407

"Reading the Past: Current Research on Arkansas Rock Art"

With Archeological Survey colleagues Michelle Berg Vogel and Jerry Hilliard, Sabo will present information about the statewide rock art database and report on a new project to examine connections between rock art and the Southeastern Ceremonial Complex. The researchers explain how they will use field investigations to expand existing information on the geographical and temporal contexts of rock art sites, including new studies of production techniques, styles and themes.

Malcolm Cleaveland, professor of geology

11 a.m. Thursday — Room 406-407

"Dendrochronology: Under-Utilized Tool Of Archaeology"

Cleaveland will discuss requirements and use of tree ring data to date archeological specimens and sites.

Marvin Kay, professor and chair of anthropology department

11 a.m. Friday — Room 403-404

"New Radiocarbon Dates For Dalton At Rodgers Shelter, Missouri"

Kay presents evidence from new dating techniques for the late glacial Dalton Horizon of 9,000-10,000 years ago.

Ken Kvamme, associate professor of anthropology

with Jo Ann Kvamme, environmental dynamics, and Eileen Ernenwein, environmental dynamics

3 p.m. Friday — Room 406-407

"Double Ditch: New Geophysical Findings From 2003"

Kvamme’s geophysical research at Double Ditch state historic site near Bismarck, North Dakota, suggests a complexity, size, and antiquity not previously suspected. His data point to at least two additional outer fortification systems that nearly double the enclosed space, contain regular and irregularly spaced square bastions, rectangular and circular houses and countless subterranean storage pits. The presentation reviews the nature of the evidence; subsequent excavations tied to these data may ultimately provide answers to many of these puzzles.

 

UA Student Presentations:

Jason Hermann "Preliminary Report On Upland Archaeological Investigations At Pea Ridge National Military Park"

10:40 a.m. Thursday — Room 406-407

Hermann presents research conducted at the Pea Ridge National Military Park to examine how people lived on and used a landscape located away from permanent water sources. Using GIS technology, Hermann and his cohorts mapped land use, accounting for cultural remains and environmental variables such as intermittent streams and topographical features. The results of the mapping could serve as a model for how prehistoric hunter-gatherers existed on such a landscape.

Leslie Walker "Late Mississippian Sites Along The Central Arkansas River"

Poster Session, Friday morning — Room 409

Walker’s poster examines the distribution of late Mississippian sites along the central Arkansas River and its tributaries and presents a brief overview of the ceramic styles represented by some of these sites. Ceramic vessels taken from sites in central Arkansas demonstrate characteristics similar to those found on ceramic vessels from other areas of the region, leading to questions regarding the affiliations of the inhabitants of these sites. Ongoing research is examining settlement in the central Arkansas River valley using data from excavated sites, as well as ceramic styles.

Curtis Varnell and J. Van Brahana "The Social, Economic, And Political Impact of Coal Mining in The Arkansas

River Valley"

11:40 a.m. Friday — Room 402

Varnell’s presentation traces the influence of the coal mining industry on social and cultural diversity in the Arkansas River Valley. Around the turn of the century, thousands of immigrants flocked into the region to work the underground mines. This influx of diverse cultures brought with it some drastic changes to the way of life of frontier Arkansas. Varnell’s paper analyses these changes through an examination of historical mine records, photos, historical literature, and personal interviews.

Eileen Ernenwein "Large-Area GPR Survey At Army City Kansas: Methods, Results, and

Interpretations"

1:40 p.m. Friday — Room 406-407

Ernenwein will discuss use of ground-penetrating radar to study Army City — a World War I-era commercial village associated with historic Camp Funston, (now Fort Riley), in Kansas. The town was built in 1917 and burned to the ground in 1921. Today these remains are concealed under a hayfield. The project yielded one of the largest data sets of its kind in North America and Ernenwein will discuss some of the challenges associated with using GPR data collection and processing methods.

Jami Lockhart, Frank Schambach and David Jeane "The Effectiveness Of Archaeo-Geophysical Survey Technologies: A Case

Study From A Prehistoric Caddo Ceremonial Center In Arkansas"

2 p.m. Friday — Room 406-407

Lockhart’s presentation will report on a study in which results from four geophysical technologies (electrical resistance, magnetometry, electromagnetic conductivity and magnetic susceptibility) were compared and examined as they related to the identification, location and excavation of prehistoric houses and other features associated with a Caddo ceremonial mound center in Southwest Arkansas. Using geophysical tools to examine the site, eleven prehistoric structures have been identified and three fully excavated.

Terri Bruce "Deadwood’s Old Chinatown: Mapping Out The Past"

2:40 p.m. Friday — Room 402

Bruce will discuss archeological efforts at the Chinatown of Deadwood, South Dakota. Through the use of old Sanborn Fire Insurance maps, 19^th century photos, current landmarks and aerial photos of the area, archeologists have been able to pinpoint, with some measure of accuracy, the locations of long-buried buildings. Knowing those locations has been instrumental in minimizing testing time and maximizing excavation time. Bruce’s presentation will talk about the process that takes place in extracting useful information from data that is over 100 years old.

Gregory Vogel "Biomantle Formation And The Movement Of Artifacts In The Soil In The

Ozark Uplands"

8:40 a.m. Saturday — Room 403-404

Vogel’s research examines the effects of biomantles formation in artifact depth distribution along streams in the Ozark uplands.

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