Archaeological Signatures for Mechanized Threshing Operations in the Midwest and the Plains

Nineteenth and twentieth century grain threshing operations left imprints on the rural landscape and social fabric of midcontinental North America. Traces of threshing activity are seldom recognized archaeologically, despite the importance of this activity to the history of agricultural development and rural lifeways in the Midwest and Plains regions. Changes in threshing technology followed a chronological sequence with inter-regional variability. Different stages of the technology can be identified and dated through specific archaeological signatures, which are discussed here.