Archaeological Investigation of the Maier – Speidel Farmstead (12Pe986) on German Ridge in Hoosier National Forest, Perry County, Indiana University

Abstract

The Maier-Speidel farmstead site (12Pe986) is located on German Ridge Road in Perry County, Indiana, within Hoosier National Forest. In 2011, the Maier-Speidel farmstead site was impacted by a new electrical power line installed by Southern Indiana Power outside the right-of-way of German Ridge Road. Hoosier National Forest and Southern Indiana Power agreed on a financial settlement that required the electrical company to pay for an archaeological assessment to determine the damage caused by the intrusive power line and to evaluate this site’s eligibility for the National Register of Historic Places. The fieldwork was conducted by personnel from Indiana University’s Glenn A. Black Laboratory of Archaeology (GBL) between October and November 2012. A second field season was conducted in September 2013 as part of cost-share agreement between Hoosier National Forest and Indiana University to collect additional data for evaluation of its historical significance. The 2013 excavations were conducted through the US Forest Service’s Passport in Time (PIT) project with staff from GBL and Hoosier National Forest as well as five PIT volunteers. Excavations at the Maier‐Speidel farmstead recovered 4,153 artifacts of both prehistoric and historical materials. It has been determined from these investigations that the electrical line did minimal damage to this site’s archaeological deposits.