Archeologists to host training

Southeast Kansas residents are invited to join in a scientific, educational, fun opportunity to explore past cultures.

The Kansas Archeology Training Program, held June 5-20, will give volunteers an opportunity to participate in salvage excavation of a well-preserved prehistoric site threatened by river erosion in Montgomery County. Professional and avocational archeologists form the Kansas Historical Society and the Kansas Anthropological Association will work together to recover as much data as possible from the site before a major portion is destroyed by a stream bank stabilization project.

Artifacts recovered from a cutbank during preliminary excavations in 2009 at site 14MY388, also known as the Eastep site, appear to date to the Late Archaic period, 2500 B.C. to A.D. 1. The surface artifacts include a variety of stone, shell, and bone, as well as ceramic shards identified as Cuesta phase, an Early Ceramic archeological culture, A.D. 1-1000. Overall the results of this research will contribute not only to knowledge of the Eastep site specifically, but also to better understanding of regional adaptations during the transition from the Late Archaic to the Early Ceramic periods in the Central Plains.

The public is welcome to participate in the field school lab and excavation. No experience is necessary. Participation can be for all or part of the project. The deadline for the lowest registration fee is May 1. For full details and registration information, log on to www.kshs.org/research/katpcurrent or contact Kansas Historical Society Public Archeologist Virginia Wulfkuhle at 785-272-8681 ext. 266 or vwulfkyhle@kshs.org.

Project headquarters will be at the North Lawn Elementary School in Neodesha, beginning June 5. Visitors can visit the field school lab at the school to see the artifacts being processed and get directions to visit the excavation site. Another opportunity to learn about the project is at orientation, 8-9 a.m. daily from June 7 to June 18 at the school.

Free evening programs are open to the public. At Collectors Night, June 9, the public is invited to bring artifacts for identification by archeologists. June 18 will be Resume, a summary of research on the Eastep site.

The field school will offer a number of formal classes that can be taken to earn college credit through Emporia State University or simply to learn more about a particular topic. The classes are Archeological Fieldwork, Mapping, From the Ground Up: Preservation Basics, Kansas Prehistory, and Cultural Reconstruction Excavations at the Eastep site would not be possible without the assistance of the landowner, Dr. Phillip Eastep, other community leaders and USD 461 in Wilson County. Realizing the importance of the site and demonstrating his commitment to preserving the state's cultural resources, Dr. Eastep invited the KSHS and KAA to undertake the KATP field school.