US EditionArchaeologists uncover massive 1,000-year-old Native American fields in Northern Michigan that defy limits of farming
- Archaeologists led by Dartmouth surveyed the Sixty Islands site along the Menominee River in May 2023 using drone-based lidar technology.
- The survey followed initial mappings and excavations from the 1950s through the 1990s and was prompted by Menominee tribal requests to document their ancestral lands.
- The team uncovered an extensive raised ridge field system dating from around 1000 to 1600 CE, which covers about 70% of the surveyed 330 acres and includes burial mounds and cultural features.
- Lead author Madeleine McLeester noted that the extent of farming created by the ancestral Menominee people is much greater—about tenfold—than earlier estimates suggested, indicating a level of labor coordination usually seen in larger, more complex societies.
- These findings challenge previous assumptions about northern Michigan's agricultural history and suggest reconsidering the extent of pre-colonial intensive farming and social complexity in eastern North America.
11 Articles
11 Articles
A surprise find in Michigan shows the extent of ancient Native American agriculture
Archeologists studying a forested area in northern Michigan say they’ve uncovered what is likely the largest intact remains of an ancient Native American agricultural site in the eastern half of the United States.The researchers used a drone equipped with a laser instrument to fly over more than 300 acres, taking advantage of a brief period of time after the winter snow had melted away but before the trees had put out their leaves.This allowed t…
Native American Farming Site Uncovered in Michigan Challenges Historical Assumptions
Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, once farmed by ancestral Menominee communities. Credit: Stephanie Harvey / CC BY 2.0 A newly uncovered Native American farming site in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula is prompting researchers to rethink long-held assumptions about agriculture in the region. Led by a team from Dartmouth, the study reveals extensive farming practices by ancestral Menominee communities at the Sixty Islands site, located along the Menominee Ri…
1,000-year-old Native American crop fields covering hundreds of acres in use until 17th century
Native Americans in northern Michigan were prolific farmers according to archaeological research published today in the journal Science. The findings show the high-level societal organisation that the ancestors of the indigenous people of the region possessed. Map shows Sixty Islands and other archaeological sites along the Menominee River, and the lidar survey area. Credit: Carolin Ferwerda. The Sixty Islands archaeological site along the Meno…
Archaeologists uncover massive 1,000-year-old Native American fields in Northern Michigan that defy limits of farming
With its cold climate, short growing season, and dense forests, Michigan's Upper Peninsula is known as a challenging place for farming. But a new Dartmouth-led study provides evidence of intensive farming by ancestral Native Americans at the Sixty Islands archaeological site along the Menominee River, making it the most complete ancient agricultural site in the eastern half of the United States.
LIDAR Discovers Huge, Sophisticated Ancient Native American Farming System In The Sacred Anaem Omot Area In Michigan - Ancient Pages
Jan Bartek - AncientPages.com - Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, known for its cold climate, short growing season, and dense forests, presents considerable challenges to farming. However, recent LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) research has revealed evidence of intensive agriculture by ancestral Native Americans at the Sixty Islands archaeological site, located along the Menominee River. This discovery identifies […]
BLK ALERTS - A surprise find in Michigan shows the extent of ancient Native American agriculture
Hundreds of acres in Michigan are covered in parallel rows of earth that are the remains of an ancient Native American agricultural system. The surprise find has archaeologists amazed. (Image credit: Jesse Casana)
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