Overview
Archaeological Sites
Heyrman I
Heyrman I Site
The Heyrman I site represents a campsite and stone tool workshop occupied almost continuously from Paleoindian to Historic Euro-American times.
The Heyrman I site was situated on a long, narrow saddle-shaped sand ridge, parallel to the original State Trunk Highway 57. The ridge is part of the same ancient lake terrace system that harbored the archaeological deposits at the nearby Fabry Creek (Boss Tavern) site.
The Heyrman I site was first identified in 1994 and archaeological investigations continued through the 2005 field season. These investigations uncovered over 350 features and some 12,500 artifacts. The site is notable for producing evidence of very early human occupation of the area more than 12,000 years ago.
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| Overview photo of site excavations | Soil profile of partially excavated feature |
Cultural Components at the Heyrman I Site
Paleoindian
The Paleoindian deposit was found 160 cm (5 feet 3 inches) below the ground surface. The artifacts included over 1,500 pieces of chipped stone produced during the process of manufacturing a Paleoindian tool. Associated organic materials were radiocarbon dated to between 10,860 and 9,980 B.C.
Along with the materials from the Fabry Creek (Boss Tavern) site this suggests an early and continued Paleoindian presence on the Door Peninsula.
Archaic
The Archaic stage at Heyrman I is represented by chipped stone and ground stone tools including knives, projectile points and hammers. Artifacts from the Archaic component were excavated from levels and features located 40-60 cm below surface.
Middle Woodland
The Middle Woodland period at Heyrman I is represented by North Bay type projectile points, over 5,000 pieces of chipped stone, and three small pieces of grit-tempered pottery.
Late Woodland
Late Woodland artifacts from the Heyrman I site include Hein’s Creek pottery typical of Late Woodland groups on the Door Peninsula.
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| Grit-tempered Rimsherd |
Modified Biface/Scraper |
Chipped Stone Biface |
Grit-tempered Pottery |