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Abstract

To

predict undiscovered archaeological sites in the Lower Grand River, we mapped known archaeological sites using color and infrared aerial photos, digital raster graphics, and digital elevation models. We interpreted the geomorphic settings of sites using this preliminary geographic information system. We found both spatial and temporal patterns in site location. The Lower Grand River valley is cut into Quaternary glacial sediments that formed in front of the retreating Laurentide ice sheet roughly ~16,000 to 13,000 years before present (B.P.). The first inhabitants were the Paleo-Indian culture, which occupied the valley ~11,000 B.P. The following Archaic period spans from ~10,000 to 5,000 B.P. Between ~6,000 and 5,000 B.P., a transgression inundated much of the Lower Grand River Valley. By ~4,000 B.P., Lake Michigan had reached its current level, resulting in down cutting of the Grand River. The evidence for this is a stream terrace at elevations between 590 and 610 feet a.m.s. For the last 4,000 years, the base level of the river has stayed relatively the same, and lake levels have fluctuated by about two meters. The following Woodland (~3,000 to 400 B.P.) and Historic periods had a climate similar as present. The frequency of sites in the valley decreases from higher elevations to lower elevations. The majority of the sites are from the Woodland and Historic periods, and they occupy all surfaces. Most sites are associated with resource gathering and camps, while larger, more permanent occupations are located on alluvial surfaces within the valley.

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