Phase II Archaeological Testing of Nine Sites Within the Right-of-Way of the Proposed Reconstruction of USH 151, Platteville to Dickeyville, Grant County, Wisconsin

In July, August, and September of 1996 Great Lakes Archaeological Research Center, Inc. conducted Phase II evaluations of nine archaeological sites within the proposed right-of-way of the reconstruction of USH 151 between Platteville and Dickeyville in Grant County, Wisconsin. These investigations were
undertaken to recover information necessary to determine the eligibility of five prehistoric sites; Shinn/Lange site (47 Gt 560), Wolf site (47 Gt 561), Southwest Landscaping site (47 Gt 567), Kieler I site (47 Gt 593), Kieler II site (47 Gt 594), and four Euro-American historic sites; Tyrey Homestead (47 Gt 409), Melssen Digging site (47 Gt 564), Broessel site (47 Gt 572), and the Wayside Park Mining Site (47 Gt 599) for listing on the National Register of Historic Places. Field investigations included
detailed mapping, systematic surface collection, remote sensing, close order shovel probing, and more intensive manual and machine-assisted excavation. Levels of effort include 66 square meters subjected to hand excavation, 2,225 square meters (0.5 acres) subjected to metal detector-aided reconnaissance, 43,000 square meters (10.6 acres) subjected to close interval surface survey, 813 square meters (0.2 acres) subjected to trench excavations, 65 backhoe-aided close interval shovel
probing excavations, 37 core locations subjected to Geoprobe coring during the geomorphological studies, and 45 shovel test probes excavated at various sites. Results of the Phase II investigations at the nine sites indicate that five sites do not meet the criteria for listing on the National Register of Historic Places. These include three prehistoric sites (the Wolf site, 47 Gt 561; the Southwest landscaping site, 47 Gt 567; and the Shinn-Lange site, 47 Gt 560) and two historic sites (the Melssen Digging site 47 Gt 564; and the Broessel site 47 Gt 572). No further archaeological investigations
are recommended at these five sites. The archaeological Phase II evaluations of four sites indicated
the presence of historic and/or prehistoric in situ cultural debris. Subsurface investigations at two prehistoric sites ( Kieler I, 47 Gt 593 and Kieler II 47 Gt 594) resulted in the definition of potentially significant archaeological deposits. A Raddatz projectile point and a high frequency of heat treated Galena chert debitage suggest that the primary component at Kieler I belongs to the Raddatz phase of the Middle Archaic period. Intact deposits with well preserved faunal and floral remains, debitage and ceramics from at least two Woodland occupations is present at Kieler II. An early Late Woodland Millville phase occupation is underlain by a late Middle Woodland Millville occupation. If either site can not be avoided through design, data recovery by means of mitigative measures are appropriate. Investigations at two Historic Euro-American sites, the Tyrey Homestead (47 Gt 409), and the Wayside Park Mining site, (47 Gt 599) have served to demonstrate the significance of both sites. The Tyrey Homestead (47 Gt 409) is characterized by intact surface features, organic remains and numerous artifactual remains. The historic deposits at the Tyrey Homestead, particularly when supplemented by information drawn from oral history and historic records can be expected to provide significant historical information about a mid nineteenth century/early twenty century farmstead. The Wayside Park Mining site,(47 Gt 599) is a pre-Civil War mining site in Grant county. It is characterized by three distinct clusters of historic surface mining pit features. Project design should attempt to avoid impacting the three clusters of 47 Gt 599. If either historic site can not be avoided through design, mitigative measures by means of data recovery are appropriate. Based on the results, four sites: the Kieler I, 47 Gt 593; the Kieler II, 47 Gt 594; the Tyrey Homestead, 47 Gt 409 and the Wayside Park Mining Camp, 47 Gt 599, are recommend as potentially eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places.