Swamp sites??

PMazzer (pmazzer@aol.com)
22 Mar 1995 09:23:10 -0500

Hello, I am an environmental consultant, and I have a bit of a problem.
I have been asked to determine whether or not it is likely that there may
be artifacts of archeological interest in a wetland site I am evaluating.
A minor in anthro back in college hardly prepares me for this question,
and I need some more input.

The site I'm interested in is in lowlying glacial moraine, in the
Cuyahoga River Valley of Northeastern Ohio. The area is currently
marshland, and there is no indication that the area has had running water
since the last glaciation. The major fauna are typical wetland
species--cattails, sedges, mosses--and there is little to no fish or other
vertebrates present.

Most of the reading I've done, indicated that the people who would have
lived in this area selected camp sites on high ground associated with
running water. Of course, I have no confirmation of that. In addition, I
suppose it would be possible that there may be evidence of some sort of
gathering activity in this area, though I can't imagine any artifact that
would be preserved more than a week in a swamp environment. I would like
to know if it would be likely that we would have some sort of
archeological artifacts here, or, as I suspect, primative peoples would
have avoided this area as eagerly as I would.

Your help is appreciated,
Paula
Paula Mazzer "Human beings used to be molecules which
could
"pmazzer@aol.com" do many, many different sorts of dances, or
decline
Kent, Ohio dance at all--as they pleased."
-K.Vonnegut
Wetland Systems
Environmental Consulting Service