A detailed investigation of a feature from a Phase II Archaeological Survey is undertaken and described. This feature of unusual shape and size is excavated and interpreted through archaeological and research methodologies to give a better evaluation for the Phase II investigation and a much more comprehensive study of the people who formed this feature in the mid-1800's. The artifacts recovered associated with the documented history gives a view of that time period that shows the history of a particular tract of land - site 12Ma648, Lawrence Township, Marion County, Indiana. From the government's land patent deed in 1826 to the government's reacquisition of the property in 1903, the site's occupants have left evidence of their existence and afforded a unique opportunity to study the lives of early Indiana settlers. / Department of Anthropology

Reconnaissance survey (Phase Ia) provides the backbone to archaeological field methodology. Archaeological sites are typically discovered through reconnaissance techniques, more often via pedestrian survey and shovel probe testing. There is a lack of a consensus in the archaeological community on whether or not these techniques are effective as reconnaissance methodology. The following thesis evaluates these techniques' relative effectiveness at finding and preliminarily evaluating archaeological sites, the main objectives of reconnaissance. This study compares actual and simulated surveys using both techniques on a multi-component site in a woodland setting as well as addressing the cost-effectiveness of these techniques when estimating the time needed to complete them. / Department of Anthropology