Appraisal of the Archeological Resources of Coralville Reservoir, Iowa River, Iowa

The preliminary investigation of the archeological resources of the Coralville Reservoir was made by the River Basin Surveys, Smithsonian Institution, between January 24 and February 3, 1949, The District Engineer’s Office, Corps of Engineers, at Rock Island, Illinois 3 furnished maps and provided 4 days transportation. Some time was spent in consultation with local residents, and with Dr. C. R. Keyes, Director of the Archeological Survey of Iowa, at Mount, Vernon, Iowa. The survey was made in order to discover any archeological remains in the area to be flooded by the dam and to determine whether there are sites of major importance which should be excavated prior to the filling of the reservoir. The archeology of the Iowa River in the Coralville Reservoir area is known only through surface finds. Artifacts collected by local residents suggest variants of the widespread Woodland pattern which, when more material has been made available through controlled excavations, may be resolved into several phases and aspects (Keyes,1929, 1942; Mott, 1938). Owing to unfavorable weather, the preliminary
reconnaissance was limited to an inspection of the dam site araa and to a spot--check of the rest of the mservoir area. Nine archeological sites were located (see the accompanying map). Three of the sites had been reported previously. Ten other sites were recorded prior to the survey, Seven of these sites could not be found, and three could not be reached, at the time the survey was made. Of the nine sites located, eight are mound sites and one is an occupation site.