Voice Thread from Susan

Here is a voice thread that Susan did on questions about Imagine Exploring the Past and comments by other students and friends.  Please add your own comments or voice.click here

Last Post from La Crosse

As I reflect on all that I have learned about exploring the past around La Crosse, I thought about all of the birds I have seen.  I never expected to see so many eagles.  We saw 3 Tuesday along the Mississippi River on our way to the Indian Mounds and a family, mother, father, and 2 babies in Myrick Hixon Ecopark across the street from the University of Wisconsin La Crosse campus. Eagles are territorial, so are seen several miles apart.  If eagles aren't far apart, they are the same family or if not near their own nesting territory, they are just hunting and will "hang out" together temporarily.  Walking through the Myrick Hixon marsh, we have seen five Great Blue Herons together, a Green Heron, many Mallard Ducks, Gold Finches, Canadian Geese, Wood Thrushes, and Cardinals and Turkey Hawks.  On the farms we have seen Guinea Hens, chickens and turkeys.  It is a bird watcher's paradise.

Organic Farming

We have explored the past in the Upper Mississippi River Valley for the past three weeks.  Today we looked at organic farming and how some farmers are returning to natural methods.  We visited the Volden Farm near La Farge, again driving through the lush green rolling hills in southwestern Wisconsin.  Dan Volden spoke to us about his decision to not use steroids on his cows.  Over the years the vet bills had increased,  his cows lived only a few years, and had fewer calves.  Since he returned to organic dairy farming, his livestock are healthier, produce more calves and live to 7 or 8 years longer.  His decision was made after visiting Spring Green, WI and there was a sign in a restaurant that said, "Don't Drink The Water."   The pesticides used on the crops runs off the land into the water.  When a farmer decides to change to organic dairy and crop farming, he cannot use steroids or pesticides for three years.  Then the soil and cows are tested. We spent time seeing the cows and new born calves, which was so much fun for a city slicker.  Dan and Joanne's grandson, who is in third grade, accompanied us.  I gave him my email address and when school resumes he will answer any questions we have.  We then went to Organic Valley Family of Farms cooperative. Their brochure explains Organic Farming as a system and philosophy of production that mirrors the natural laws of living organisms. The building was built using green methods, with solar heating, and recycled products such as the carpeting, flooring, and cubicle space dividers.  What have you heard about organic farming?  click here

Effigy Mounds, Cordage, Cahokia Indians

Dr. Theler reviewed our trip to the Effigy Mounds National Monument and discussing Raisbeck Mounds which has 5 basic shapes: 38 conical, 14 linear, 13 bird shaped, 11 "canine" or bear shaped, and 3 oval.  The Hopewell culture, which includes the burial ceremonies, commenced or lived in the Upper Mississippi River Valley in Western Wisconsin from A.D. 1000 to 200 during the Middle Woodland period.  One to 6 humans were buried in some mounds, but the normal count was 1 to 3 individuals. 
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Dr. Theler then discussed William Hurley's study and duplication of the Hopewell cordage, or knotting patterns, found in their fabric made of nettle.  Nettle is the best fiber to use because it is extremely strong and wide spread.  The Amish are still making nettle cords. Sometimes the cordage was imprinted on to wet vessels before they dried in order to make the surface rough and prevent slipping while holding them.  Can you consistently make a square or granny knot?  It's not as easy as you think.  It's easy to make a cord, but the sophisticated technology needed to get a consistent cord is difficult. Anthropologists think mothers handed down their unique pattern to their daughters.  This reminded me of the fishermen patterns unique to each family on their Irish sweaters.

A hypothesis that we typically use for our Science projects is one or two sentences. Dr. Theler's hypothesis on why the Woodland Indians disappeared is complicated, but I will attempt to simplify it.  During AD 1048, there was a severe winter, the population had increased and depleted the resources because the bow and arrow made killing deer easier, and there was little fire wood on the prairie.  They reorganized and moved further West to hunt bison in order to let the deer repopulate.  Once you miss one generation, you forget the hunt cycle so they didn't return to this harsh winter environment.

After the Woodland Indians disappeared, the Cahokia Indians, who had a sophisticated village north of East St. Louis, Illinois, moved into the Upper Mississippi Valley.  The Cahokia Monks Mound near East St. Louis includes a park and museum where you can learn more about their culture.  http://cahokiamounds.org/learn/  They had a specialization of labor, elaborate rituals, spherical pottery, arrow heads with notched points, and the concept of land ownership.  If the winters are harsh in the Upper Mississippi River Valley, why did some Cahokia move here to farm and hunt deer?

Mississippi Valley Archaeology Center Website

This summer 25 teachers from across the United States studied at the University of Wisconsin La Crosse.  Here is their website and it is full of excellent information, pictures, and other links.http://www.uwlax.edu/mvac/

iMovie on Archaeology: "Archaeology: Are You Diggin' Me?

Watch this exciting and informative iMovie by Linda Wohlman from Long Beach, California who teaches Six Grade Ancient Civilizations.

Cave Drawings, Effigy Mounds, 1832 Black Hawk War

Today we visited the Effigy Mounds National Monument in McGregor, Iowa and saw rock art at Larsen Cave, on the Larsen Farm in Eastman, WI. They were about an hour south of La Crosse. We watched a video on the mounds at  the welcome center at the Effigy Mounds.  They have found mounds from New York to Iowa, and then south to New Mexico.  There is a beautiful, but long and steep trail to see the various types and sizes of mounds.  The largest one is just before a panoramic view overlooking the Mississippi River.  Some of the mounds are in the shape of a bear, probably to represent the Bear Clan, some in the shape of birds, and others are conical shaped.  More than half of the mounds in the low lying area were plowed over when the settlers moved here.   There are no artifacts that indicate there were villages near by.  As we stood at Fire Point, overlooking the Mississippi River,  Dr. Theler discussed the Pearl Rush at the beginning of the 20th Century that depleted the clams.  Mussels were later introduced to this section of the river.  Then we rode a short way to the Larsen Cave, where we walked through the corn fields and then down a treacherous path.  But it was well worth the effort.  It was 98 degrees, with a heat index of 102, but inside the cave it was 50 degrees - what a wonderful respite!  The picture above is very hard to seek, but if you look carefully you will see a deer facing left.  There were other drawings of crudely drawn birds and human arms.  The paintings were made with a red ocher dye.  The inside top was black from magnesium leaching out and parts of the walls were red from the iron when it hits air and water and rusts, also called rust oxidize. On our way home we stopped at the Historical Marker for the 1832 Black Hawk War, also known as the Battle of Bad Axe,  on August 1st & 2nd.  Many Sauk died of starvation on their escape through the valley to the Mississippi River.  Approximately 150 men, women, and children were massacred at this site.  Black Hawk escaped, but was later captured in Iowa by the Ho-Chunk Indians and turned over to American authorities.  When you see the mounds, the cave art, and this battle site, it brings alive all that we have read about while studying Native Americans.  Why do you think the settlers plowed the Effigy Mounds without any consideration for these sacred lands?