Two archeologists sifting dirt from a 1x2 meter excavation pit. This dig was done as an outreach event in celebration of the Midwest Archeological Center's 50th Anniversary.
NPS Photo
Homestead National Historical Park commemorates the story of all people who homesteaded under the Homestead Act of 1862. The land the park sits on can reveal stories of the people who were there before homesteaders settled the land. Since, 1948, archeologists have been working to uncover the mysteries underground at Homestead National Historical Park.
Archeology can help us understand aspects of history that were not recorded. That history often cannot be seen above ground; many clues to the past are buried underground. That's where archeologists come in.
Archeologists help identify the archeological resources in the park to help manage, protect, and interpret them. Archeological research ensures that sites are recorded if are being destroyed.
Archeology is the study of the human past through physical remains. Artifacts are objects (from stone tools to forks) that have been made, modified or used by human beings. Features are place based objects, such as cooking hearths or rock walls, that cannot be removed without destroying them. Concentrations of artifacts and features on the landscape are defined as archeological sites.
Archeologists analyze the artifacts, features in archaeological sites to learn more information about what happened in the past. Archeology can tell us about parts of the past that were not recorded through stories or writing and help to clarify bits of information that have been forgotten over time.
Trenches dug during the Bauxer dig at Homestead National Monument of America, 1948
NPS Photo
Timeline of Significant Archeological and Cultural Landscape Research at Homestead National Historical Park
1948: Excavations at the Daniel Freeman Homestead. Study done to find any remaining evidience of the Daniel Freeman homestead structures. The Freeman Cabin, John Suiter Cabin, and Freeman Brick House were found and excavated. The squatter's cabin and brick kiln were not conclusively found.
1967: Historic Structure Report for the Palmer-Epard Cabin
1973: Historic Structure Report for the Freeman School
1975: National Register nomination of the Daniel Freeman homestead
1979-80: Geophyiscal survey of the Freeman School and the purported brick kiln area.
1985-86: 100% surface survey of the park. An American Indian habitation site was found during this survey. The site may be Central Plains tradition or Oneota.
1999: General Managment Plan
2000: Cultural Landscape Report
2002: Assemsment of proposed park trail changes. Mapping of former Highway 4/Old Freight Road after a prescribed burn.
2004: Geophysical survey to determine if there were Euroamerican graves near the Freeman School; no evidence of graves were found.
2004: Survey of the land acquired for the Heritage Center addition
2017: Geophysical survey and testing near the Education Center for a MWAC Paraprofessional Training Workshop
2019: Geophysical survey, site assessment, and testing of sites near eroding areas of Cub Creek as part of MWAC's 50th Anniversary celebration.
On Thursday, September 26th, at 7 p.m. Homestead National Monument of America will host the monthly Beatrice Public Library Book discussion at the Homestead Education Center. In honor of the Midwest Archeological Center’s 50 years with the National Park Service, we will discuss When the Land Was Young: Reflections on American Archaeology by Sharman Apt Russell. Russell covers the rich history of archeology in the United States, including topics such as archeology at National Park sites, working with Native American tribal governments, feminism, and mammoths and saber-toothed cats. Homestead’s Historian, Jonathan Fairchild, will co-lead the book discussion with Beatrice Public Library’s Laureen Riedesel as well as shed light our nation’s epic homesteading story.
On May 4, 2019 at 2 p.m. join the National Park Service in celebrating the Midwest Archeological Center’s 50th Anniversary with a program on archeology and Homestead National Historical Park. There will be several speakers discussing how archeology is used in parks and what has been found at Homestead since the first survey in 1948 as well as American Indian perspectives on the information found during this survey. Archeologists will investigate a Native American settlement site discovered in 1985 and search for the site of a brick kiln and other structures associated with the Freeman Homestead. Archeologists will be working in Homestead National Historical Park from April 29-May10. Visitors are allowed to watch the work being done.
