Archaeological excavations at the Hinckley Mounds site near Utah Lake in the US state of Utah have revealed significant remains of a Fremont settlement dating back roughly 1,000 years. The pit houses, tools and hunting debris uncovered by students from Brigham Young University and Weber State University are seen as crucial for understanding the complex lifeways established by Indigenous communities in the region long before the arrival of European settlers.
Subterranean pit houses and daily life
Around 30 university students taking part in the fieldwork have brought to light arrow points, stone tools and ceramic sherds that shed light on the daily lives of people belonging to the Fremont culture [1]. Researchers estimate that roughly 1,000 Fremont people may have lived in this settlement for about 300 to 400 years. Excavations have shown that the pit houses, which were dug down into the ground, were roofed with timber and mud coverings supported on four main posts.
An economy shaped by farming and hunting
The evidence suggests that this community practiced maize agriculture near the Provo River Delta while also hunting and fishing around the lake and river [2]. Bison bones, projectile points and pottery fragments recovered at the site indicate that Fremont people developed a mixed economy based on both farming and the hunting of large game [4]. According to the researchers, the work offers a rare opportunity to better understand the history of Indigenous cultures that thrived here long before the arrival of modern settlers [3].
Training the next generation of archaeologists
These summer excavations at Hinckley Mounds, a locality that has hosted archaeological research for nearly a century, are giving students the chance to put classroom knowledge into practice in the field. The research team, which works 40 hours per week, aims to analyze the data in detail and produce new scholarly publications on the architecture and social organization of Fremont communities.
Sources and further reading
- [1] Utah archaeology students unearth artifacts in 1,000-year-old village
- [2] Utah archaeology students unearth artifacts in 1,000-year-old village
- [3] Utah archaeology students unearth artifacts in 1000 year old village
- [4] Provo excavation finds artifacts tied to 1000-year-old Fremont village
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