The Bone Bank project has received the first grant awarded by the State of Indiana for rescue investigations at an endangered archaeological site. Cheryl Ann Munson, research scientist in the IU Department of Anthropology, is directing the investigation. Located in Posey County, the site has nearly been lost to erosion by the Wabash River. Many human burials were washed out from there in the 1800s, giving the site its name. Though the village's cemeteries have long since been destroyed, the refuse dumps have been located, and they are a valuable source of information about the daily life and diet of the villagers.
Every high water washes away more of the site.
It would be wonderful if we could preserve what is left of this important site, but there is no way we can stop the river from eroding its banks. Archaeological rescue excavations are the only alternative. IU has extended its pact with Microsoft Corp. , continuing the groundbreaking enterprise license agreement until June 2003. The existing agreement between IU and Microsoft provides the university's nearly 100,000 computer-using students, faculty and staff access to Microsoft's most popular software, including operating systems, desktop productivity tools, server software and messaging products. Indiana's top high-potential companies were awarded IU's Growth 100 designation last week by the Johnson Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, part of IU's Kelley School of Business.