**Hopewell Archeology:**

**The Newsletter of Hopewell Archeology in the Ohio River Valley**

**Volume , Number 1, July 1998**

**1. Weymouth Awarded Fryxell Medal by SAA**

Dr. John Weymouth, Professor Emeritus of Physics, University of
Nebraska, Lincoln, was recognized by the Society for American Archeology
(SAA) at its 63rd Annual Meeting in Seattle on March 27, 1998. Weymouth
was presented the Fryxell Award for Interdisciplinary Research, which
was initiated in 1977 to recognize excellence by a distinguished
scientist whose research has contributed significantly to American
archeology.

Each year the award is based on performance in one of five disciplines:
earth sciences, physical sciences, general interdisciplinary studies,
zoological sciences, and botanical sciences. The award, which consists
of a citation and a medal, was named in memory of Roald Fryxell, whose
career exemplified so well the crucial role of interdisciplinary
cooperation in archeology.

To further recognize the contributions of Dr. Weymouth, many of his
colleagues presented a symposium in his honor on Saturday, March 28,
1998, as part of the SAA Annual Meeting. The paper I presented at the
symposium is printed in this issue of Hopewell Archeology to offer some
documentation of Dr. Weymouth\'s important contributions to midwestern
archeology.

**2. Geophysical Surveys in the Mid-Continent: John Weymouth and the
Midwest Archeological Center By Mark J. Lynott**

A paper presented at the 63rd Annual Meeting of the Society for American
Archeology, Seattle, Washington, March 28, 1998.

When I got started in archeology, the skills of archeologists were
judged largely by their ability to move dirt and dig a nice square hole.
Archeology was highly excavation oriented. As a graduate student in the
mid-1970s, I received my first exposure to geophysical survey techniques
being developed in Great Britain. I was fascinated with the idea of
seeing subsurface features without actual excavation, and the newly
developing conservation archeology provided further inspiration for
interest in non-destructive research. Unfortunately, the early
application of geophysical survey methods were very limited in North
America, and I soon gave up hope of having access to a magnetometer or
soil resistance meter.

Imagine my surprise in 1978 when I moved to Lincoln, Nebraska, to join
the Midwest Archeological Center and discovered that John Weymouth was
using magnetometers to map village sites in the Middle Missouri
drainage. My delight in discovering a physicist located in the city
where I lived, and with an interest in archeology, has subsequently
multiplied as I have come to know, respect, and admire the man as much
as his work.

I count myself as truly fortunate to have had the opportunity to work
and interact with John Weymouth on a regular basis for the last fifteen
years. Not only has he taught me the value and importance of geophysical
survey methods for archeology, but his energy, interest, and
professionalism have served as inspirations for all of us at the Midwest
Archeological Center who have had the good fortune to work with him.

During the last twenty years, John Weymouth has worked on geophysical
survey projects in National Park Service areas throughout the United
States. Although the bulk of his National Park Service work has been
done in association with the Midwest Archeological Center in the Midwest
Region, his expertise has led to his participation in projects from
Ninety Six in South Carolina, to Chaco Canyon and Tumacocori in New
Mexico, to Fort Clatsop in Oregon, and Knife River Indian Villages and
Fort Union Trading Post in North Dakota.

He has worked on projects relating to at least eighteen parks, on sites
that range from Hopewell, Anasazi or Plains Village to frontier forts,
fur trade posts, and presidential homes. Time does not permit me to
review all of his accomplishments and work with the Midwest
Archeological Center. But, I would like to take this opportunity to
highlight his contributions in three midwestern areas.

Plains Village Sites

John\'s work with the Midwest Archeological Center began at the Walth
Bay site (Weymouth 1976) on the edge of Oahe Reservoir, south of
Mobridge, South Dakota. His work at the Walth Bay site demonstrated that
in flat areas with relatively uniform soil conditions which have not
been cultivated, it was possible to locate fire basins, cache pits, and
house floors up to 0.5 meters below surface. This initial study
demonstrated the potential value of magnetic survey for planning
excavations at Plains Village sites.

John continued his work in refining the applicability of magnetic survey
in this region at Knife River Indian Villages near Stanton, North Dakota
(Weymouth 1986, 1988; Weymouth and Nickel 1977). At sites like
Sakakawea, Lower Hidatsa, and Big Hidatsa, he was able to identify an
earthlodge anomaly pattern. This pattern included a central hearth
feature that was recognized as monopole anomaly with typical values of
30 to 40 nT. This anomaly was surrounded by a magnetically lower region
associated with the house floor.

Many of the earthlodges that we examined exhibited evidence of entryways
that also appeared as magnetically low regions. The houses were usually
surrounded by magnetic highs produced by slumped roof soils and midden
deposits. This work demonstrated that magnetic survey could be used to
examine the internal composition of house depressions visible on the
surface, and magnetometers could also be used to identify subsurface
house features that are not visible on the surface. John demonstrated
that magnetic survey could be used effectively in cultivated areas,
although he recommended that data collection intervals be reduced under
these circumstances.

John\'s work at Knife River Indian Villages reflects methodological
themes that he has subsequently applied to research at other sites
throughout North America. Of particular importance, he demonstrated that
it is possible to mathematically filter data to neutralize the effect of
large, modern magnetic disturbances adjacent to prehistoric
archeological sites (Weymouth 1986) when he identified prehistoric
hearths near a modern courthouse at the Amahami site. He also deduced
that under local conditions, pits must be at least 0.1 cubic meter to
produce anomalies of at least 1 nT, which led him to suggest that more
sensitive magnetometers were needed to detect smaller features.

Eastern Ozarks

The Midwest Archeological Center initiated a long-term study of human
adaptations in the Eastern Ozarks in 1981. At that time, little was
known about the archeology of that region, and chronology building was a
prime consideration of our research. As part of that study, we hoped to
use geophysical survey to assist us in identifying subsurface features
that would provide materials suitable for dating. John Weymouth assisted
us by conducting proton magnetometer surveys and data analysis at both
Emergent Mississippian and Mississippian sites in this region (Weymouth
1982), most of which showed considerable promise.

Real progress in our use of geophysical survey techniques during limited
archeological testing was realized at the Shawnee Creek site (Lynott and
Price 1989). Initial testing at this site revealed the presence of a
burned, rectangular wall trench house, characteristic of the later
Mississippian stage, but dating to the Emergent Mississippian, twelfth
century A.D. Our goal was to identify other houses or features that
might provide datable materials and diagnostic material culture relating
to the Emergent Mississippian occupation.

We surveyed three 20-m by 20-m blocks adjacent to the burned house. Dr.
Weymouth requested two surveys at this site. One was conducted with the
magnetometer sensor 60 cm above surface, and the second survey was
conducted with the sensor 30 cm above surface. This was done with two
Geometric G856 Memory Magnetometers. The two surveys with different
instrument heights effectively simulated a gradiometer survey, and they
eliminated some broad geological trends present at the site.

In his analysis of the Shawnee Creek data, John identified fourteen
anomalies of possible archeological significance (Weymouth 1988). The
Center returned to the site a year later and tested five of the
identified anomalies. Four of these proved to be features associated
with the Emergent Mississippian occupation. No feature was identified at
the location of the fifth anomaly, but this may be due to its location
on the edge of the survey grid.

It is possible that the feature does indeed exist just outside the
magnetic survey grid. Our excavation unit should have been extended to
the east. However, the overall results of the magnetic survey were
extremely satisfying. We were able to economically and effectively
locate subsurface features at the Shawnee Creek site and greatly reduce
the amount of time spent in the field trying to locate suitable
features.

Ohio Hopewell

John Weymouth\'s introduction to Ohio Hopewell came in the late 1970s,
when a crew from the Midwest Archeological Center collected magnetometer
survey data from three 20-m by 20-m blocks at Seip and from a single
block at Harness. John analyzed the data and identified anomalies that
might be of archeological significance. More recently, John has been
working closely with the Center and Dr. N\'omi Greber on a variety of
geophysical survey projects associated with Hopewell mounds and
earthworks in southern Ohio.

In 1994, the National Park Service initiated a five-year study of
Hopewell culture in Ross County, Ohio. Ohio Hopewell is best known from
the large, geometric earthwork complexes in the Scioto River valley in
southern Ohio. Within this region, Ross County contains many impressive
earthwork sites, and it is the location of Hopewell Culture National
Historical Park. Although many Hopewell sites were carefully documented
as early as the middle of the nineteenth century (Squier and Davis
1848), annual cultivation has severely impacted many of these sites.

Consequently, the multi-year study initiated by the National Park
Service was designed to document the existing conditions at these sites
and to develop techniques that could be used to record and interpret
mounds and earthworks without further damage to these features.
Geophysical surveys were proposed to relocate earthworks and mounds that
are no longer visible today, and to study the extent and structure of
mounds visible today.

Our five-year study was also aimed at identifying possible settlements
or habitation sites associated with the larger earthwork sites in Ross
County. Although the earthworks and mounds have received considerable
archeological attention, they did not appear to be used for day-to-day
settlement, and very little was known about habitation sites associated
with Hopewell culture. Therefore, we intended to identify, study, and
interpret habitation sites and features **(Figure 1)** associated with
the use and construction of earthwork complexes.

![](media/image1.jpeg){width="4.84375in" height="3.1354166666666665in"}

**Figure 1. Pit filled with fire-cracked rock, charcoal, and lithic
debris at the Hopeton Earthworks, excavated in 1994.**

Geophysical surveys were an integral part of the project design, and
John Weymouth was extremely helpful in developing a plan to incorporate
geophysical surveys into this project. The first large-scale attempt at
geophysical survey associated with this five-year study was undertaken
at the Hopeton Earthworks, where two parallel walls have been
obliterated by cultivation. In 1994, we established a grid near the edge
of the terrace upon which the earthwork is constructed. John Weymouth
directed field data collection for eight 20-m by 20-m blocks with a
resistance system and three blocks with magnetometers **(Figure 2)**.
About that time, John also worked with our colleague N\'omi Greber on
using both of these techniques at the High Banks site.

![](media/image2.jpeg){width="2.9791666666666665in" height="3.875in"}

**Figure 2. Forest Frost conducting a resistivity survey**

**at Hopeton Earthworks, 1994.**

These surveys were somewhat successful in relocating one wall of the two
parallel walls. Although no conclusive evidence was detected from the
magnetometer data, the resistance data did indicate a linear area of low
resistance angling about 55 degrees east of north across the study area
(Weymouth 1995). This is consistent with the location and bearing of
these features as mapped by Squier and Davis (1848). Although the area
of survey coverage was not large enough to have identified both of the
parallel walls, it would appear that the feature, roughly 9 to 12 meters
wide, is the remains of one of the walls.

John provided additional support and direction for geophysical study of
mounds and earthworks in 1996, when he and Bruce Bevan and N\'omi Greber
joined us for multi-instrument studies of two mound sites at
Wright-Patterson Air Force Base near Dayton, Ohio. The study was funded
by the U.S. Air Force and the National Park Service and was intended to
determine whether geophysical survey methods could be used to
investigate the structure, content, and condition of mounds and
earthworks (Lynott 1997). John Weymouth\'s role in this study was to
advise on the design, scheduling, and implementation of the study, and
to direct the collection of gradiometer and soil resistance data.

The Wright-Patterson study is important because it represents one of the
few studies where geophysicists and archeologists have collaborated to
deal with the problems associated with topographic variability in the
study of mounds and earthworks. The importance of developing
non-destructive methods of studying mounds and earthworks has been
recognized by archeologists for many years, and that need has been
reinforced by the passage of the Native American Graves Protection and
Repatriation Act.

Identification of habitation features from geophysical surveys has been
a signficant theme in John Weymouth\'s research with the National Park
Service for more than 20 years. Unfortunately, the nature of these
features in Ross County Hopewell sites is poorly understood.
Consequently, John\'s work to identify features at the Overly site has
been quite important. The Overly site geophysical surveys were
accomplished with two GEM GSM-19 Overhauser magnetomers and a Geoscan
RM-15 resistance meter with twin probe configuration. The survey areas
were identified by surface remains recorded during pedestrian surveys by
Ohio State University.

Results of the geophysical survey of the Overly site were reported after
an Ohio State University field school (Dancey 1997) stripped the
plowzone from a 15 by 40 meter area and excavated 22 cultural features.
John\'s analysis of this data (Weymouth 1996) focused on the size (as
indicated by volume and quantity of fire-cracked rock) of features that
were positively identified as geophysical anomalies.

Of particular importance from this study was John\'s recognition that
smaller features did not produce sufficient magnetic signal to be
recognized by surveys conducted at one-meter intervals. Consequently,
John recommended that future surveys in this area be conducted at
smaller intervals, thereby allowing identification of smaller
archeological features. This led to our current project, which required
a return to the area of the parallel walls at the Hopeton Earthworks
that we investigated in 1994.

![](media/image3.jpeg){width="4.854166666666667in" height="3.40625in"}

**Figure 3. Geophysical survey team at the Hopeton Earthworks. Left to
right, front row: N\'omi Greber, John Weymouth, and Steve De Vore; back
row: Debra Wood, Bret Ruby, Phil Wanyerka, and Forest Frost. Not shown:
Mark Lynott.**

In September 1997, John Weymouth, Steve DeVore, Bret Ruby, and N\'omi
Greber joined a Midwest Archeological Center field team **(Figure 3)**
in collecting gradiometer and soil resistance data from twenty-seven
20-m by 20-m blocks along the edge of the terrace at the Hopeton
Earthworks. Although the results of this survey are not yet available,
it is worth noting that this represents one of the largest geophysical
survey data sets collected from the eastern United States.

The study also incorporated John\'s concern for smaller data collection
intervals, with a commensurate increase in data points, thereby making
recognition of smaller features more likely.

The study also demonstrates the importance of using multiple
instruments. While the RM-15 resistance system did produce some evidence
of a large feature that appears to represents remnants of one of the
parallel earthen walls, the two gradiometers used at the site did not
produce evidence of these larger features. On the other hand, the
gradiometers did appear to be more productive in collecting evidence of
possible habitation features than was the resistance meter. It is our
intent to return to this area in July 1998 to conduct excavations and to
evaluate the data and interpretations resulting from continued
geophysical surveys.

Conclusions

Those of us in the National Park Service who have had the good fortune
to have worked with John Weymouth have learned a great deal about
geophysical survey and its application to archeological research. We
recognize the advances that John has made in refining methods and
interpretations, thereby allowing us to derive more and better
interpretations from geophysical data. However, it is likely that the
real impact of John\'s work is yet to be fully understood. As
geophysical survey techniques become an ever increasing component of
archeology\'s research arsenal, it is likely that we will develop an
even greater appreciation for what John Weymouth has done for
archeology. His pioneering efforts have brought geophysical survey to
the attention of the North American archeological community.

The staff of the Midwest Archeological Center is honored to have had the
opportunity to work with John Weymouth over the last twenty years, and
we look forward to another twenty years of participating in his
productive and interesting geophysical study of archeological sites.

References Cited

Dancey, W.S.

1997 Interim Report on Archeological Investigations Undertaken on the
Overly Tract, Ross County, Ohio, March, 1995 to November, 1996.
Manuscript, Midwest Archeological Center, Lincoln.

Lynott, M. J. (editor)

1997 Geophycial Surveys at Two Earthen Mound Sites, Wright-Patterson Air
Force Base, Ohio. Midwest Archeological Center, Lincoln.

Lynott, M. J., and J. E. Price

1989 Shawnee Creek, An Eleventh Century Emergent Mississippian
Occupation in the Upper Current River Valley, Southeast Missouri.
Midwest Archeological Center, Lincoln, Nebraska.

Squier, E.G., and E.H. Davis

1848 Ancient Monuments of the Mississippi River Valley. Smithsonian
Contributions to Knowledge 1, Washington, D.C.

Weymouth, John

1976 Magnetic Survey of Archeological Sites. Paper presented at the 34th
Plains Anthropological Conference.

1982 An Analysis of Magnetic Surveys on Four Sites in or near the Ozark
National Scenic Riverways. Manuscript, Midwest Archeological Center,
Lincoln.

1986 Magnetic Survey of Archeological Sites in the Knife River Indian
Village National Historic Site: Small and Non-Village Sites. Manuscript,
Midwest Archeological Center, Lincoln.

1988 Magnetic Surveys of Archeological Sites in the Knife River Indian
Village National Historic Park: Major Village Sites. Manuscript, Midwest
Archeological Center, Lincoln.

1988 Magnetic Survey and Excavation Results From a Mississippian Site in
Missouri. Paper presented at the 46th Plains Conference, Wichita.

1995 Geophysical Evalution of Two Hopewell Sites in Ross County, Ohio.
Manuscript, Midwest Archeological Center, Lincoln.

1996 Geophysical Surveys on the Overly Tract, Ross County, Ohio and
Correlation with Test Excavations. Manuscript, Midwest Archeological
Center, Lincoln.

1998 Three Geophysical Surveys of the Hopeton Earth- works: The Second
Season. Manuscript, Midwest Archeological Center, Lincoln.

Weymouth, John, and R.K. Nickel

1977 A Magnetometer Survey of the Knife River Indian Villages. Plains
Anthropologist, Memoir 13: 22-78, Pt. 2: 104-118v.