Diggin' Dale Hollow's Culturally Rich History, Around 7000 B.C. to About 1940
Reprinted from Corps of Engineers District Digest, June, 1997
by Sondra Hafling
"Look what I found!", exclaimed April Goceiher, a student from Clarkrange High School. All eyes from her fellow students gather around to see what she has uncovered. "A spear point!"; hand constructed by an early culture that once inhabited this region," informs Hank McKelway, Supervisory Archeologist.
This was the scene from a recent archaeological excavation held on Dale Hollow Lake as part of the Nineteenth Annual Dale Hollow Lake Environmental Education Camp.
Beginning in early February of 1997, plans were underway for coordination of the annual camp. "We try to involve the students in as many hands-on opportunities to learn about their natural environment", states Sondra Hafling the coordinator for the environmental camp. "We had just concluded an on-site, contracted survey of Dale Hollow Lake. The purpose of the survey was to determine areas on the lake with significant archeological and historical resources. The timing was perfect to take what we had learned and incorporate it into our annual camp."
The Dale Hollow Lake Environmental Education Camp, sponsored by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, is a four-day camping experience designed to give selected students an opportunity to study a wide array of environmental topics. the camp, held each spring at the Dale Hollow Dam Campground in Celina, Tennessee, actively involves the students in stream studies, water safety, canoeing, outdoor cooking, hydrology, solid waste issues and many other studies of environmental importance. But the highlight of this year's camp was the cultural resources component: a full scale archeological dig!
The morning of May 8, 1997 started off dreary with rain and thunderstorms forecasted. But the weather cooperated to allow the 45 student campers, along with ten volunteers and staff personnel, to travel by barge across Dale Hollow Lake to the selected survey site. The area had been previously prepared by staff archeologist from Cultural Resource Analysts, Inc. of Lexington, Kentucky. Like th eatact at D-day, the students unloaded, shovels and screens in hand, to descend upon the nine delineated excavation areas.
"There are two things of importance here", state Supervisory Archeologist Hank McKelway. "First, this thing is being used as an educational oppurtunity for the Corps of enginneers and Cultural Resource Analysts; to give people an opportunity to participate in archeology. that is the the first goal. That way everybody in the wider public arena has a much greater appreciation and understanding of the importance of past cultures. The other thing we are after here is to start building a foundation for prehistoric occupation around Dale Hollow Lake"
| Right: Hank McKelway Supervisory Archaeologist from Cultural Resources Analysts, Inc. shows campers lithic material (chip debris, side cast while making stone tools such as arrowheads) to prepare them for what to look for during the excavation. |  |
Groups of five students each were established. Each group assigned individuals to dig and measure the site, others to screen the removed material, and those to bag and document uncovered artifacts. Nine, one meter by one meter, excavation units were dug 20 centimeters deep.
This was a very small, limited amount of excavation, but by the end of the day, an enormous amount of artifacts were uncovered! Eight thousand and six hundred pieces of flake debris were retrieved! This lithic material is the remains of stone tools manufactured by hand. In addition, 50 tools and implements, and over twenty ceramic pieces of pottery were found. Although the survey area was small, this was a very high density of material and is characteristic of intense human occupation of over several thousand years.
Many of the students were unaware that a "sliver of rock" was a significant find. The archeologists explained that as the various peoples inhabited this area, they left behind the residues of their life styles. This particular site is very significant! It contains a rich history form around 7000 B.C. to about 1940. And each occupation, by both prehistoric and historic cultures, reflects their ability to co-exist with the natural environment. This is important to Dale Hollow's archeological background since little is known aobut prehistoric cultures of this area.
This experience allowed the students an extraordinary opportunity to participate in the archeological "detective" work. Objects exposed from this archeological excavation will help us to understand how early peoples of this region interacted with ad adapted to their environment. Such knowledge allows us to answer questions on how people in the past lived, died, and conducted their daily business in the Obey River Basin.
The benefits from this program do not end with the excavation. Artifacts salvaged by the campers will be processed and inventoried. Results of the dig will be returned to the Corps of Engineers. This information will assist the Corps in making management decisions on existing developed areas, future construction projects, and protection of areas from illegal collecting. The protection of archaeological sites from inadvertant and deliberate damage is a top priority since these sites are non-renewable resources. Once gone, the information thay contain can never be recovered.
At intermittent times during the archeological dig, students were cycled through a tour of the total site area and instructed with regard to the legal requirements needed for an archeological survay, proper excavation techniques, observation of eroding bank lines, interpretation of structural remains, and known history of the site area. At day's end, the students received an overall review with the major emphasis on protection of our cultural resources.
The accelerating loss and devastation of these cultural resources is of great concern. Increased bank erosion, impact from shoreline camping and recreational overuse continues to diminish these resources into the waters of Dale Hollow Lake. Worse yet is the intentional destruction and vandalism from thosewho are looking to collect native artifacts or historic items as souvenirs. The destruction, defacement, removal or any alteration of public property, including historical and archaeological features, is illegal and punishable by fine or imprisonment.
Teachers, staff and volunteers expressed that the camp is not just a learning experience for students, but for everyone involved. Todd Burnett, a volunteer with Clarkrange High School, said, :"When I was in high school, I came to this camp a couple of times. And really learned a lot about the environment and about some of the things the Corps does here, and the importance of their work. And I think this camp and archeology dig is a really worthwhile program".
"It is important to respect and preserve our cultural past", states Dale Hollow Lake Resource Manager, Franklin Massa. "The preservation of these areas is just as protection and preservation of our environment. That is why we involve these students in active awareness programs. They are our future!" Cultural resources are our link to the past. They determine, as a people, who we are and what life was like. Although selected students were invited to participate in this cultural experience, visitors to Dale Hollow can discover all the history that is so prevalent in this area while reminiscing what it was like to live here years ago. And through public awareness programs, such as the Environmental Education Camp, the Corps of Engineers can share the vital message to not collect or pack home cultural souvenirs - to protect our past, to preserve out future! Allow our cultural artifacts, history and significant treasures to remain for our future visitors so that they too may enjoy the same, great experiences on Dale Hollow Lake.