Archaeologists uncover massive 1,000-year-old Native American fields in Northern Michigan that defy limits of farming

Drone tech uncovers 1,000-year-old native american farms in michigan

In the dense forests of Michigan s Upper Peninsula, archaeologists have uncovered a massive ancient agricultural system that rewrites what we thought we knew about Native American farming. Dating back as far as the 10th century, the raised ridged fields built by the ancestors of the Menominee Indian Tribe covered a vast area and were used for cultivating staple crops like corn and squash. Using drone-mounted lidar and excavations, researchers fo…

A surprise find in Michigan shows the extent of ancient Native American agriculture

Archeologists studying a forested area in northern Michigan say they’ve uncovered what is likely the largest intact remains of an ancient Native American agricultural site in the eastern half of the United States.The researchers used a drone equipped with a laser instrument to fly over more than 300 acres, taking advantage of a brief period of time after the winter snow had melted away but before the trees had put out their leaves.This allowed t…

Native American Farming Site Uncovered in Michigan Challenges Historical Assumptions

Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, once farmed by ancestral Menominee communities. Credit: Stephanie Harvey / CC BY 2.0 A newly uncovered Native American farming site in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula is prompting researchers to rethink long-held assumptions about agriculture in the region. Led by a team from Dartmouth, the study reveals extensive farming practices by ancestral Menominee communities at the Sixty Islands site, located along the Menominee Ri…

1,000-year-old Native American crop fields covering hundreds of acres in use until 17th century

Native Americans in northern Michigan were prolific farmers according to archaeological research published today in the journal Science. The findings show the high-level societal organisation that the ancestors of the indigenous people of the region possessed. Map shows Sixty Islands and other archaeological sites along the Menominee River, and the lidar survey area. Credit: Carolin Ferwerda. The Sixty Islands archaeological site along the Meno…

Archaeologists uncover massive 1,000-year-old Native American fields in Northern Michigan that defy limits of farming

With its cold climate, short growing season, and dense forests, Michigan's Upper Peninsula is known as a challenging place for farming. But a new Dartmouth-led study provides evidence of intensive farming by ancestral Native Americans at the Sixty Islands archaeological site along the Menominee River, making it the most complete ancient agricultural site in the eastern half of the United States.