Determining the Age of GLO-mapped Trail Networks

A GIS Analysis of Northern Iowa

Bibliographic Data

ID11205323
AuthorsWilliam E Whittaker (0000-0002-2773-0439, University of Iowa, corresponding author)
Year2015
Volume40
Issue2
Pages134-148
Publication date2015-05-01
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueMidcontinental Journal of Archaeology (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0146-1109 • E-ISSN: 2327-4271
PublisherInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1179/2327427114y.0000000019
OpenAlexW2091484435
LanguageEN
Citations received2
References cited10

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

Archaeology · Geography · Period (music · Prehistory · Sample (material · American Environmental and Regional History · Archaeology and Natural History · History · Wildlife Ecology and Conservation

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