Bowman, North Dakota is a small town in southwest North Dakota. This is where I was based for the majority of the 2020 Summer. When I joined the project in mid-May, we were doing a pedestrian survey. From about 8:00 am to 5:00 PM, we would walk and take note of anything we came across that was culturally significant. The terrain was vastly mixed. Large buttes dominated the landscape, twisting creeks scarred the ground, and flat washes provided provided many stones. There was a mix of pre-historic artifacts as well as historical artifacts and features throughout the project site.
As I gained more experience throughout the Summer, I became skilled at identifying flakes, points, and historical artifacts. I also took on more responsibilities. I recorded notes and took the official pictures for my survey crew.
By the end of the project, we had transitioned into site-recording and I quickly learned how to fill out the North Dakota state archaeological forms. This became a prime responsibility of mine in the later stages of the project. Finally, in the beginning of August, I returned home and completed my work with QSI.
As I gained more experience at identifying flakes, I began to study and learn the surrounding geology. There are five main types of materials found in the area, which people would have used to make points. There were gray porcellanite, knife river flint, chert, petrified wood, and chalcedony. However, we found one flake made out of obsidian which proves there was long distance trade coming through this region. In addition to flakes, many cairns, rock circles, and effigies were scattered about the landscape. One site contained at least 11 rock circles suggesting a heavy presence of people. In terms of historical archaeology and historical architecture, many sites were present. These included an old town, an abandoned school house, and many abandoned homesteads. There were even traces of wagon routes and wagon wheels left behind. Purple glass, milk-ware, and other objects were a common site near these features.
On a weekend, I traveled to Theodore Roosevelt National Park. This was about an hour north of the hotel in Bowman. While hiking, I came across two flakes. These flakes are petrified wood and are identical to the artifacts found on the project site. However, since the project was on private land, I was unable to share pictures of artifacts found on the project.
