Middle school students help to discover artifacts during archaeology camp

Published 9:01 am Tuesday, July 17, 2018

By Kelsey Hammon

NILES — South of the Broadway Bridge, past the boat dock is a small grassy clearing surrounded by trees on the bank of the St. Joseph River. While birds, insects and frogs are the primary occupants of the natural space today – the area was once a thriving hub of trade where a fort drew people across nationalities to barter for trade goods and furs, and battles raged between multiple parties, who sought to claim the important landmark as their own.

This was the picture that principal investigator Michael Nassaney painted on a muggy Monday afternoon, as middle school students peered inquisitively into the depths of several archaeological dig sites during the first day of the Fort St. Joseph Archaeology Camp.

“There were materials coming from all over the Atlantic World that made it right here to Niles,” Nassaney said. “This place was a hub of international commerce. This was a very, very, important place and that is why we are doing the archaeology.”

The project is a partnership between the city of Niles and the Western Michigan University Archaeological Dig Site. Every summer, students and experts in the archaeology field return to the river’s bank to continue searching for artifacts and tracing the history of some of Niles’ earlier occupants. Ten middle school, high school and adult residents sign up to take part in a week-long camp, where they have the opportunity to work one-on-one with experts in the field.

Under the mentorship of Western Michigan University students and other experts, middle schoolers will get to spend the next week working at the dig. They will learn a number of hands on skills, including how excavate and catalogue artifacts, as well as how the fort ties into Niles’ history.

Tim Bober, the camp’s public education coordinator and an instructor at Western Michigan University, said the camp is a unique privilege for residents and college students involved.

“It’s doing all the basics of archaeology in a week,” Bober said. “The pull of discovery is real. I mean we are pulling things out of the ground that are hundreds of years old that no one else has seen before. It’s a unique experience and a lifelong memory.” 

First established in the 1680s by French Jesuits, the fort has been occupied by the English, French, Spanish and Native peoples — giving Niles its namesake as the City of Four Flags. The fort was one of the earliest European settlements in the western Great Lakes region, according to Western Michigan University.

This summer marks the 20th year of excavation at the site. Archaeologists have uncovered hundreds of thousands of artifacts, making it possible to discover new things about the Fort St. Joseph each year.

“We can show university students how to deal with complex and unusual circumstances, features, houses, fireplaces — things you don’t find all the time,” Bober said. “And we can train them how to excavate them and document them.”

Already, beads, calcified bone, clay piping and several other artifacts have been discovered. Bober said the dig site serves as a way to get youth and residents that take part in the camp excited about history.

“I think they can use their imagination and really get into what we are doing,” Bober said.

Among those who signed up to participate in the camp was Noah Runyon, 13, of Niles and Natalie Atwater, 13, of Paw Paw.

Atwater said she took an interest in archaeology during a social studies class and when she heard about the camp, jumped at the opportunity to be part of the experience.

So far, Runyon said he had learned quite a bit about the fort’s history and trade impact. In the days ahead, the students said they were eager to pick up some tricks of the trade and find some treasures of their own.

“I would like to find some things,” Runyon said. “I think that would be cool.”

People will be invited to look at the dig site during an open house from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Aug. 4 and 5. During that time, people will be able to see the artifacts discovered, dig sites and immerse themselves in historical re-enactments, crafts and activities. The event is free and open to the public to attend. The fort is located at the corner of Fort and Bond streets. Additionally, lectures about the fort will take place at 7 p.m. Wednesdays through Aug. 1. To learn more about Fort St. Joseph, visit wmich.edu/fortstjoseph.

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