"The King Hill Site (23BN1) islocated in a residential area
in the southern part of the city of St. Joseph, Missouri on top of a high, west facing bluff
overlooking the Missouri River Valley. It was excavated by members of the St. Joseph Chapter
of the Missouri Archaeological Society and the Summer Field School of the University of
Missouri - Columbia over a 10 day period in the summer of 1966 under a cooperative agreement
with the St. Joseph Museum. Work was continued in the fall of that year and into the next
by the St. Joseph Chapter.
Pottery through thte deposits, and limited trade goods in the upper levels indicate a late
Oneota, early historic occupation, possibly by the Kansa tribe, about AD 1700. The site was
placed on the National Register of Historic Sites in 1968 and a preliminary report was issued that same year.
In 1972 further excavations, funded by the National Science Foundation, were undertaken
by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. The Missouri Field School and the University of Nebraska
excavations were directed by Dr. Dale R. Henning" (Cutler and Blake 1982).
Dale Henning (far left) uses a plane table to
map features and artifacts during the 1966 excavation at King HIll. This photograph and the others
at this website were taken by Michael Fisher and digitized by Michael Fuller.
Dale Henning (left) photographs excavations during 1966.
J. Mett Shippee, well known specialist in Kansas City
archaeology examines deeply buried pit features at King Hill during th 1966 excavation.
Mike Rupert shovels soil from deep test units during
1972 field season.
Deep profile from the 1972 field season.
Deep test units during 1972 season.
Dr. Leonard Blake (Archaeobotanist at Washington
University in St. Louis), Dale Henning, and a student recover carbonized seeds by floating
soil samples from King Hill during 1972.
Narrow slit trench excavated at King Hill. Such narrow
trenches are no longer considered appropriate archaeology methodology because of the risk of
collapse.
Block style excavation method from 1966. This excavation
technique tends to define multiple features such as storage pits, trash pits, and house post molds.
Members of the St. Joseph chapter of the Missouri
Archaeological Society excavating in the Watkin's garden portion of the King Hill Site
during 1989. The crew (from left to right): Jackie Lewin, Ed Barlow, Bonnie Watkins,
and Lester Watkins.
Michael Fisher standing in the backfilled excavation area of the site during June of 2007.
Click Here to see digital images of the artifacts
from the King HIll excavation
References:
Cutler, Hugh and Leonard Blake
1982 "Plant Remains from the King HIll Site (23BN1)
and comparisons with those from the Utz Site (23SA2)"
The Missouri Archaeologist, 43.
Vradenburg, Joseph A., and R. Eric Hollinger
1994 "Analysis of Human Skeletal Remains from the King HIll Oneota Site (23BN1).
Missouri Archaeological Society Quarterly 11(2):14-22.
Website creasted in June 2004
Updated Juje 2007