VIRTUAL LECTURE | Insights from an Iroquoian Village

We are excited to welcome Dr. Bill Engelbrecht as our guest lecturer this month. He will be discussing Eaton Archaeological Preserve, a multicomponent site owned by the Archaeological Conservancy. Eaton’s occupation dates from late Paleoindian times through the nineteenth century, the major component being an Iroquoian village dating to the middle of the sixteenth century. The excavation of 257 2m x 2m excavation units over 17 field seasons revealed post molds representing portions of three longhouses and a palisade. The excavations also recovered a variety of artifacts and a large quantity of lithic material.

Dr. Engelbrecht’s presentation will discuss these excavations, and the insights gained from over twenty years of analysis of the artifacts. The major focus is on understanding the presence of projectile points, endscrapers, drills, and utilized flakes. Much of the data from Eaton has been uploaded to the Digital Archaeological Record. He will also share future plans for the site, which involve the eradication of invasive species and a reconstruction of the habitat surrounding the village as it might have been in the mid-sixteenth century.