SunWatch Indian Village

39.714386 - 84.237027Koordinaten: 39 ° 42 ' 52 "N, 84 ° 14' 13 " W

SunWatch Indian Village or completely SunWatch Indian Village / Archaeological Park is a reconstructed village at the Great Miami River in Dayton, Ohio, dating from around 1300. It is the Anderson phase assigned within the Fort Ancient culture, its Fund number is My 33 127

Already in the 1960s, the amateur archaeologists John Allman and Charles Smith had discovered the first artifacts and excavations began. As there is a construction project should be started, contacted the two James Heilman, the curator of anthropology at that time still the Dayton Museum of Natural History Institute said, because the Indian history was treated until a few decades more on the natural history. 1971 began a rescue excavation. In the excavation, it was found that the village had been inhabited for about two decades, and approximately 3 acres included. The excavations lasted until 1988 at the said at that time still Incinerator Site site. A group of wooden posts, which was found in the center of the village, was interpreted as a means for astronomical measurements. Accordingly, the members of the Fort Ancient culture had possessed a solar calendar.

1974 ( according to the official website 1975), the archaeological site was entered into the National Register of Historic Places, the National Register of Historic Places. As here relevant evidence on the Fort Ancient culture were recovered, the site has also been recognized already under its current name as a National Historic Landmark in 1990.

On 29 July 1988, the site was opened to the public. Experimental Archaeology and an interpretive center to serve the research and the presentation of the results. The center was greatly enlarged and could be reopened in 2006. It created a garden and planted prairie, as it existed in the 13th century, to five houses.

The history of the village is usually divided into three phases. In the early phase, the village was inhabited only in the North and in the south part of the village later, and primarily during the spring and summer. At that time, was one of the two middle pillars in use, as well as the houses were built in pairs in the north, in contrast to the scattered buildings in the south. Added to this was a single large house in the West, this may be at this time, however, was somewhat smaller. An inner palisade surrounding these homes.

In the second phase, the focus artifacts in the west and north, so one assumes that the founding families had lived in the South, a kind of privileged families ended, however, later lived in the West.

Only in the third phase appeared a built after the model of the Mississippi House of Culture, the wall and moat had. The house is a Red Cedar House, was thus built from the wood of the giant tree of life, which is considered a sign of a hierarchy. The outer palisade surrounding all these houses. Next to the house also indicates the type of burials on influences of the Mississippian culture, as well as the typical there near the houses with the greatest prestige to the central place of worship, so the stakes, serving perhaps the sun observation. The three regions of different buildings are at a greater distance from each other, while as social groups, families probably to be interpreted in a broader sense groups closer dwell together. Only a single house in the southwest seems closer links both to the houses in the West and which have entertained in the south. It is believed to be the oldest house, possibly the founder of the village. Apparently the village grew by their own offspring, but also by immigration.

In many cases, it was assumed that the Fort Ancient culture knew no rank hierarchy as concise statement occurs in the Mississippian culture. However, even within this culture existed hierarchical differences that manifested themselves only less clear and need to be broken down into smaller, less dominated by monumental villages. The use of shells in sound processing and negative -drawn designs show the influence of the Mississippian culture. Conjectures about Robert Cook are that a southern group is migrated and brought not only cultural influence, but also soon swung to the leader of the village, which consisted at that time of 27 chalets. This may be achieved by the fact that this group was the only one able to get through a long-distance trade network of desirable goods, which in turn could only come from Mississippi. The new group would have the distinct ritualism, which spread from the cities to the villages of the South brought along, which turned mainly to fertility.

As the chronology of this region of Ohio in the Late Woodland period is quite unclear yet, and therefore the movements between the settlements are difficult to interpret, as is the question of cultural influence, is the archaeological site is a special feature, and a model for the interpretation of other Fort - Ancient - sites. Nevertheless, 2011, no excavation be carried out.