Six students have worked Thursday through Sunday on the NorthWest Missouri State University Field School at Haun's Mill. We have focused upon three squares on the north side of the checkerboard pattern, looking for structural remains and of course, any material culture. Ms. Twente and Ms. Moad in 160w, 50n have completed level three, troweling and have found a number of artifacts. They see ceramics concentrated to the north and east, ferrous metal to the south and are interested in functional relationships of the site. Mr. Toombs and Mr. Laber in 180w, 50s have used trowel and trenching tool scrapers in uncovering large numbers of artifacts including an unmarked shell casing, sponge ware and a tiny piece of copper. Mr. Yocum and Mr. Kessler in 170w, 60n have finished level 5 and have feature 1 in the southeast corner of the square. It initially was thought to be a builder's trench twelve feet from the foundation stones on the north edge of 170w, 80s. Level 6 has reduced the feature to a figure 8 with tiny white specks which appear to be snails mixed with burned earth, charcoal, a lead musket ball, flattened from impact, and some sandstone and exfoliated limestone. We reconvene Thursday this week to further investigate a site made significant by one day in 1838, but, from the material culture we are finding, significant for at least two thousand years.

    Friday afternoon Michael Riggs conducted a tour of historic sites for the class. We began at Far West the former headquarters of the LDS Church. Next we visited the Kingston Courthouse Recorders office where students saw the original land entries for Caldwell County. While in Kingston, we also saw John Whitmer's grave and modern interperative marker. Riggs, (who had help draft the wording on the marker) discussed the challenges of such projects. Our next stop was in Gallitan where the November 1838 "Election Day fight" was explained and then we proceeded to the Mormon sacred site of Adam-Ondi-Ahman in Daviess County. Here we learned that people in the Western United States (Arizona and Utah anyway), unlike Missouri, do not park on the grass. We had a good lunch in Jamesport and breiflyshoped at the Amish store there. We then went to Breckenridge to see a Mill Stone from Haun's Mill along with its 2001 marker. We met a tour bus there from Salt Lake City and were able to share the experience with them and old friend Kay Godfrey (their tour guide). With that, we made our way back to Haun's Mill and the now familiar command of Paul to move "more dirt."

    Paul DeBarthe
    Michael Riggs

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

Click here for a link to:
Applied History/Archaeology Methods Course Syllabus
Northwest Missouri State University Summer 2006
THE FIELD SCHOOL HAS ENDED FOR THE 2006 SEASON. Thanks to all participants!
    Instructors Paul DeBarthe and Michael S. Riggs

Far West History.com:
ARCHAEOLOGICAL ACTIVITIES AT HAUN'S MILL

2005 Fall Season Events:     Deep Ground Radar Exploration: occured as scheduled Thursday, 8 September and Friday, 9 September 2005.     Newell Kitchen University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri, Soil Scientist, led the effort, resulting in the completion of a deep ground penetrating radar survey of nearly the entire east half of the site.     Bruce Bennett, an Entomologist, also from the University of Columbia, joined in the survey, pushing the wheeled survey sled many miles back and forth across the field surface, recording one meter wide transects of data at a time.     This data will prcessed by computer and converted into three-dimensional images, providing clues to subsurface patterns several meters deep.     Paul and Rina DeBarth were present. Paul and Newell investigated a variety of points of interest around the field with the aid of a hydrolic probe. Previous noted occupation patterns were further confirmed. Paul also cleared some previously opened squares and staked out an additional new square for exploration during the 18 September, Sunday afternon, dig.     Additional Scheduled Digs - Sunday afternoons (2:00-5:00PM):     Sept. 18, 25, Sunday Oct. 9 and 30, Nov. 6 and 13 and Dec. 4 Newell Kitchen compiling data scans Compiled data showing compaction, gravel teardrop driveway Bruce, Newell, Paul, probing, center of teardrop drive Charcoal from 90 centemeters deep
As always, if it rains we won't be digging...     The Sunday afternoon digs are $25 per person for a seasonal pass... the more times you come, the better the value it is!     Please feel free to share this message with all you think would be interested... the bigger the crew each day the more dirt we can move!
See What We Found During the 2004 Season:     Weekly Reports and Photos Provided by Site Archaeologist Paul DeBarthe 2004 Haun's Mill Summer Archaeology Reports 2004 Haun's Mill Fall Archaeology Reports 2003 Haun's Mill Archaeology Reports Easiest Route to Haun's Mill: From KC- up I-35. Exit I-35 at Exit 40 [Lathrop-Polo] turn right (east) on MO Highway 116. At Polo, turn right (north) on Highway 13. Before Kingston- turn right (east) on F Highway. Follow the curves and turns of F for about 6 miles to Catawba. At Catawba turn left (north) - cross Shoal Creek (over the new bridge) and turn left (west) at the end of the bridge. Follow this gravel road to the site. New directional signage is currently planned.     SITE ACTIVITIES HOSTED BY:   And Property Owner: Community of Christ, Independence, Missouri     Community of Christ Historic Sites       SPONSORS:   RESTORATION TRAILS FOUNDATION     Missouri Mormon Frontier Foundation   John Whitmer Historical Association     Internship Program Offered By: Burns & McDonnell Logo
2004 Archaeology Summer Camp and Fall Digs