Professor Struever speaks to NALWO
The hope that the NAL site again will be the locale of an intensive archaeological search in the summer of 1971 was expressed by Prof. Stuart Struever. Professor of Anthropology, Northwestern University, in a lecture sponsored by the NAL Women's Organization.
About 100 persons attended Prof. Struever's seminar, held in the NAL Village Barn. It was the first Fall meeting of 1970 for the group, and was preceded by a tea.
Prof. Struever outlined the historical background and the intensive efforts of two students, Miss Ann Early and Miss Susan Howser, whom he supervised, in conducting a survey of the NAL grounds for pre-historic sites. He pointed out that "this was the first time in the history of archaeology in the Middle West that a small area was given a foot by foot scrutiny by trained observers for artifacts and clues as to the possible location of early life." For weeks the two co-eds walked over portions of the entire 6,800-acre site.
Prof. Struever reported that the Summer, 1970, search apparently uncovered some 24 pre-historic sites on the NAL grounds. Of those, he said, it is believed that about 14 belonged to the Archaic period, (the era from about 7,500 B.C. down to about 1,000 B.C. in which man primarily was a hunter-gatherer).
Four more sites were related to the Woodland era, which began about 1,000 B.C. In addition, Struever said, some eight to 10 sites appear to belong to the Mississippian period (800 A.D. to about 1,600 A.D., the beginning of recorded history in this sector).
Prof. Struever pointed out that the opportunities for archaeological investigations in the Chicago metropolitan area are diminishing year by year as the earth is being turned over for new homes, highways, and other modern developments. "I am pleased by the Laboratory's interest in its humanistic background," he said.
Prof. Struever was introduced by Mrs. Isabel Walker, President of NALWO.
