Life, Death, and Archaeology at Fort Blue Mounds: A Settlers' Fortification of the Black Hawk War

by Birmingham, Robert A.

• ISBN13: 9780870204920
• ISBN10: 0870204920
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2012-07-31
• Publisher: Wisconsin Historical Society

Summary

Life, Death, and Archaeology at Fort Blue Moundsis an archaeological detective story illuminating the lives of white settlers in the lead-mining region during the tragic events of the historically important conflict known as the Black Hawk War. Focusing on the strategically located Fort Blue Mounds in southwestern Wisconsin, Robert A. Birmingham summarizes the 1832 conflict and details the history of the fort, which played a major role not only in U.S. military and militia operations but also in the lives of the white settlers who sought refuge there. Birmingham then transports us to the site decades later, when he and fellow Wisconsin Historical Society archaeologists and dedicated volunteers began their search for the fort. The artifacts they unearthed provide fascinating-and sometimes surprising-insights into the life, material culture, and even the food of the frontier. Recommended for readers interested in the Black Hawk War, frontier life, Native American history, military history, and archaeology, Life, Death, and Archaeology at Fort Blue Moundsis grounded by a sense of place and the discovery of what a careful examination of our surroundings can tell us about the past.

Author Biography

Robert A. Birmingham served as Wisconsin State Archaeologist at the Wisconsin Historical Society and now teaches at the University of Wisconsin-Waukesha. He co-authored Indian Mounds of Wisconsin and Aztalan: Mysteries of an Ancient Indian Town, which received a Merit Award for history from the Midwest Independent Publishers Association. He has also received honors from the Wisconsin Archeological Society and for his efforts to promote Aztalan State Park.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	p. vi
Preface	p. viii
Fort Blue Mounds and the Black Hawk War	p. 1
Life and Death at Fort Blue Mounds	p. 18
Digging Fort Blue Mounds	p. 37
The Stories Artifacts Tell	p. 61
Epilogue	p. 94
Appendixes
Other Forts, Other Stories	p. 98
Black Hawk War Settlers' and Militia Fortifications	p. 109
Features and Associated Artifacts Found Below the Modern Plow Zone at Fort Blue Mounds	p. 119
Notes	p. 125
Bibliography	p. 134
Index	p. 142
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