Bell Site (Wn9)

The Bell site (also known as 47 Wn-09) is located on the south side of Big Lake Butte des Morts in Winnebago County, Wisconsin, about 52 miles southeast of Green Bay. The site is classified as an early (c. 1600–1750 AD) historic village of the Meskwaki (Fox) people.

The Bell site was first discovered in 1911 when gravel mining operations uncovered the burial of an Indian chief and his horse. In the 1950s the site came to the attention of professional archaeologists. Mixed historic and prehistoric materials were being found by collectors, and the pottery was unlike any previously found at archaeological sites in Wisconsin. It was hypothesized that this site could be a village of a Central Angonkian tribe (native to Michigan or Ontario) which had been displaced in the 1600s during the Iroquois wars. Further research in the Wisconsin Historical Collections revealed that early French explorers had recorded a village of the Meskwaki people at the location of the site.

Bell Site is approximately a 44.5-acre area which is then surrounded by an 18.6-acre palisaded residential core on top of a 60-foot-high bank overlooking a lake. Much of the land has been altered, and no clear layout can be made, but there are enough deposit remains to be able to identify several features. Recent GIS (Geographic Information System) analysis has led to the discovery of defense walls that were previously mentioned by the French in 1716. A multitude of artifacts were also found scattered around the site suggesting that production of these artifacts may have been occurring onsite.

In 1959 evacuations took place with the joint efforts of the State Historical Society, the Wisconsin Archaeological Survey and the Oshkosh Public Museum, under the direction of Warren L. Wittry of the Cranbrook Institute of Science. Large portions of the excavation and faunal assemblage were done with the help of the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh in 1990s.

the remains of a palisade or defensive wall 45 storage/refuse pits a bear skull placed in a manner suggestive of the early historic practice of bear ceremonialism a burial of 3 dogs suggestive of the early historic practice of dog sacrifice. Dog burials have also been noted at a site in St. Ignace, Michigan, and there are accounts from early French explorers describing the practice among Great Lakes tribes. a human burial; several other burials were uncovered when the site was originally discovered in 1911 several post molds suggestive of a house structure(s)

A wide variety of artifacts were recovered, including bone and antler artifacts, brass artifacts, pottery, stone tools, glass artifacts, ground and polished stone artifacts, iron artifacts, lead artifacts, shell artifacts and smoking pipes.

Bell site type 1 – represented by 1,079 sherds and one complete restored vessel. This type consists of grit-tempered, smooth-surfaced spherical vessels with everted rims. Decoration consists of punctates and incised lines. Strap handles are present on some vessels. This pottery type has also been noted at the Arrowsmith site in central Illinois and sites in the area of Saginaw, Michigan. The cultural affiliation is believed to be the Meskwaki people. Bell site type 2 – represented by 171 sherds. This type consists of grit-tempered, spherical vessels with everted rims. Exterior surfaces are cord marked from the neck down with the neck area well-smoothed. No decorations were noted other than finger-crimping of the rim. This type has also been found at the Rock Island site in Door County, Wisconsin. The cultural affiliation is believed to be the Potawatomi people. Lake Winnebago focus – 23 sherds were thought by the authors to be affiliated with this Oneota pottery type. These sherds were shell-tempered with smooth surfaces. Cultural

Archaeological site data from Wikidata (CC0). Summary from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA).