Determining the Age of GLO-mapped Trail Networks: A GIS Analysis of Northern Iowa. Issue 2 (May 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Whittaker, William E.
• Is Part Of: Midcontinental journal of archaeology. Volume 40:Issue 2(2015)
• Page Start: 134
• Page End: 148
• Publication Date: 2015-05
• Subjects: Indians of North America -- Antiquities -- Periodicals; United States -- Antiquities -- Periodicals; 977
• DOI: 10.1179/2327427114Y.0000000019
• Languages: German
• ISSNs: 0146-1109

Abstract

<abstract> <title> <x content-type="archive" xml:space="preserve">Abstract</x> </title> <p>Between 1833 and 1861, the Government Land Office (GLO) mapped almost 11, 000 km of trails in Iowa. It is unknown if substantial portions of this GLO-mapped trail system predate the arrival of Euro-Americans; it is possible they were established in prehistory and used into the historical period. This Geographical Information Systems study compares a sample of archaeological sites within 1 km of the GLO trails in northern Iowa with a control sample. It was expected that GLO trails would be more common near Late Prehistoric sites if much of the GLO trail system was established before Euro-American arrival. Analysis indicates a relationship between GLO-mapped trails and Late Prehistoric, early historic Indian, and early historic Euro-American sites. Statistically, the connection between GLO trails and early historic Euro-American sites is by far the strongest; however, biases in the data suggest the association between Late Prehistoric and early historic Indian sites and GLO trails is underestimated.</p> </abstract>