Jones, James R., III (Department of Anthropology, Indiana University- Indianapolis
)
KETHTIPPECANUNK, A MIXED 18TH- AND EARLY l9TH-CENTURY TOWN
ON THE BANKS OF THE TIPPECANOE RTVER- RECENT RESEARCH
Early aboriginal, and later, mixed Euroamerican-Indian occupations near the mouth
of the Tippecanoe River are reported in documents during the latter two-thirds
of the 18th century, and continue until the early 1800s. Inhabitants or users
of the area included Native Americans such as the Wea, other Miami groups, the
Potawatomi, and Euroamericans such as French traders. By the late 1700s, the mixed
French-Indian town of Kethtippecanunk (site 12 T S9) was flourishing there, and
consisted of a large number of substantial structures and a predominantly Euroamerican
settlement style, until destroyed by militia in 1791. Analysis of past surface
artifact collections from the site (1984-present), and controlled archaeological
and magnetometer reconnaissance by IU-Indianapolis in 1987, reveal an occupation
quite different from the downstream sites of the Wea Village (12 T 6), Fort Ouiatenon
(12 T 9), and the "Kickapoo Mascouten" area north of the fort. Given its cultural
"mix" and utilitarian emphasis upon trading, artifacts from Kethtippecanunk were
expected to reflect a predominantly Euroamerican pattern, especially in terms
of architectural, construction, hardware, and kitchen items. Comparison of 12
T 59 to the other 18th-century sites in the region should help reveal differential
patterns of acculturation and historic development for the various early historic
cultures in Tippecanoe County. An ethnically mixed town such as this one is especially
important for studies of the influences of different cultures upon one another.
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