14MP1, Paint Creek Site Effigy or Chipped Stone Tool?
Date: 1500-1800 CE
This artifact was found at the Paint Creek village in McPherson County. It was donated to the Kansas Historical Society in 1971. Archeologists sometimes ponder how to classify an artifact: is this an effigy or a chipped stone tool? The Paint Creek site is what archeologists call part of the Little River Focus of the Great Bend aspect (ancestral Wichita), whose people practiced fishing, hunting, gathering, and agriculture.

1819 One cent coin from Fort Hays, 14EL301
Date: 1867-1889
This one cent coin was recovered by Kansas Historical Society archeologists during excavation at historic Fort Hays in Ellis County. The cent, now commonly called a penny, was also called a large cent. The Matron head design shown here was minted between 1816 and 1839. Fort Hays was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1971 and is a State Historic Site.

1823 Liberty Dime from Soldier Creek Crossing, 14OS1302
Date: 1823
This Liberty dime was recovered at a Santa Fe trail stream crossing site in Osage County. The silver dime, minted in 1823, is a type called "Capped Bust," meaning it was struck over a 1822 Liberty dime with the "3" of 1823 directly on top of the "2" of the 1822 date. The site was the focus of a 1995 Kansas Archeology Training Program event with Kansas Historical Society archeologists and volunteers from the Kansas Anthropological Association.

1844 Quarter from the Last Chance Store, 14MO367
Date: 1844
This quarter was minted in 1844 in New Orleans. It was recovered from the site of the 2016 Kansas Archeology Training Program, the Last Chance Store in Council Grove. It shows a seated Liberty on one side and an eagle on the other. The Last Chance Store was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1971.

1853 Half Dime from Fort Zarah, 14BT301
Date: 1853-1868
This silver half dime was recovered from Fort Zarah during the 1969 Kansas Archeological Training Program field school, a joint project undertaken by Kansas Historical Society archeologists and Kansas Anthropological Association volunteers. The obverse side shows a Seated Liberty with her right hand resting on a striped shield and her left hand holding a Liberty pole. Six-pointed stars surround Liberty and arrows are present on each side of the date of 1853. The reverse side has the words "HALF DIME" and "UNITED STATES OF AMERICA" surrounded by a wreath of laurel leaves. Fort Zarah, located along the Santa Fe trail in Barton County, was active from 1864 to 1869.

1856 One-Cent Coin from the Canville Trading Post, 14NO396
Date: 1856-1872
This one-cent coin was found at the Canville Trading Post in Neosho County near the Osage Reservation and was donated to the Kansas Historical Society in 1994. The obverse of the coin shows Liberty with braided hair surrounded by stars and the date 1856. The reverse side shows an oak leaf wreath surrounding the words "ONE CENT." Large one-cent coins were discontinued in 1857 and replaced with smaller one-cent coins of the size we use today. The Canville Trading Post was established in 1847 by A. B. Canville. When the Osage reservation land was ceded to the United States in 1870, the Osage left for Oklahoma and Canville followed in 1872.

1876 Liberty Quarter from Fort Hays, 14EL301
Date: 1876-1889
This seated Liberty quarter was recovered by Kansas Historical Society archeologists during excavation at historic Fort Hays in Ellis County. On the obverse side of the quarter Liberty is seated on a rock holding a liberty pole, resting her hand on a shield and surrounded above by 13 stars. On the reverse side is an eagle with a ribbon with the words "IN GOD WE TRUST" on it. An olive branch and arrows are positioned in the eagle's talons and there is a shield on its breast. The quarter was minted in 1876 in Carson City, Nevada. Fort Hays was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1971 and is a State Historic Site.

1876 Penny from the Kaw Mission, 14MO368
Date: 1876
The 1876 penny was recovered during excavations at the 2018 Kansas Archeology Training Program field school at the Kaw Mission. The penny, sometimes called an Indian Head cent or Indian Head penny shows Liberty with a head dress on the obverse side. The reverse side shows an oak wreath and shield surrounding the words "ONE CENT." The Mission was built over the winter of 1850 - 1851 by the Methodist Episcopal Church South as a school for boys in the Kaw (or Kansa) tribe. The site was acquired by the state of Kansas in 1951 and it was listed in 1971 to the National Register of Historic Places.

1878 Penny from the Mine Creek Civil War Battlefield, 14LN337
Date: 1878
This penny dates to 14 years later than the Battle of Mine Creek, but still can help archeologists understand activity or disturbance at the site. The site was the location where on October 25, 1864 Union and Confederate forces fought one of the largest cavalry battles in the Civil War. The penny, sometimes called an Indian Head cent or Indian Head penny shows Liberty with a head dress on the obverse side. The reverse side shows an oak wreath and shield surrounding the words "ONE CENT."

1880 Liberty Head Half Eagle from Fort Hays, 14EL301
Date: 1880-1889
This coin was recovered during excavation at historic Fort Hays in Ellis County. The $5.00 coin is 90% gold and 10% copper. Minted in 1880, the coin has a Liberty or Coronet head on the obverse side and an eagle with shield on the reverse side. Fort Hays was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1971 and is a State Historic Site.

1904 University of Kansas Paleontology Expedition Camp
Date: 1904
Little is known about this view of a camp being set up by University of Kansas paleontologists other than it may have been printed in 1904 in a Chicago newspaper. Early paleontologists sometimes served an archeological role in addition to paleontological.

1965 Excavations at the Hill Site, 14JW301
Date: 1965
Shown are six images taken at the excavation at the Hill site in Jewell County in 1965. There were two houses were excavated at the site which dates to the Middle Ceramic period. Shown are a burned rock complex found at the back of one of the houses, a bison scapula hoe, a pot recovered from a pit in House 1, a view of the finished excavation of House 2, and two plan view map of the finished house excavations.

1966 Excavations at Fort Hays, 14EL301
Date: 1966
These photographs were taken by Kansas Historical Society archeological staff during excavation at historic Fort Hays in Ellis County in 1966. The excavations took place in the area of the sutler's store and house. Shown is the archeological excavations in progress, a group of square bricks, a trash pit, and an aerial view showing the excavations, golf course, historic trails, and modern roads. Fort Hays was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1971 and is a State Historic Site.

1967 Excavations at Fort Hays, 14EL301
Date: 1967
These photographs were taken by Kansas Historical Society archeological staff during excavation at historic Fort Hays in Ellis County in 1967. The excavations took place in the area of the Commanding Officer's Quarters and a fort dump. Shown is an excavated foundation, artifacts at the bottom of one of the fort's dumps, and a view of the excavations in progress. Fort Hays was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1971 and is a State Historic Site.

1968 Excavations at Fort Hays, 14EL301
Date: 1968
These photographs were taken by Kansas Historical Society archeological staff during excavation at historic Fort Hays in Ellis County in 1968. The excavations took place in the area of the officer's quarters (Officer's Row). Shown are two views of the House 4 cellar excavation, the archeological excavations of the foundations for Houses 2 through 6 in progress, and a toy dish discovered in the House 5 excavations. Fort Hays was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1971 and is a State Historic Site.

1969 Excavation at Fort Hays, 14EL301
Date: 1969
These photographs were taken by Kansas Historical Society archeological staff during excavation at historic Fort Hays in Ellis County in 1969. The excavations took place in the area of the fort hospital. Shown are the southeast support of the east hospital wing, the east center support of the west hospital annex, the east drain into the hospital cistern, and a bayonet discovered during excavation. Fort Hays was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1971 and is a State Historic Site.

1969 Excavation at Fort Zarah, 14BT301
Date: 1969
These images were taken at Fort Zarah during the 1969 Kansas Archeological Training Program field school, a joint project undertaken by Kansas Historical Society archeologists and Kansas Anthropological Association volunteers. Fort Zarah, located along the Santa Fe trail in Barton County, was active from 1864 to 1869. Shown is a complex of dishes, grinder, and other kitchen detritus, progress views of the exposed footings in structure 1 and 2, and a plan view map of the excavated blockhouse.

1969 Excavation at the Lovewell Mammoth Site, 14JW306
Date: 1969
Shown are three images taken at the excavation at the Lovewell Mammoth site in Jewell County in 1969. Mammoth bones were exposed along the beach of Lovewell Lake. Shown are three views of the work in progress. The site was flooded for several decades thereafter when it was once again exposed. Further excavations revealed flaked mammoth bone, green-fractured bone, and a single Paleoindian artifact, suggesting this was a mammoth processing site by Paleoindian people.

1970 Excavations at Fort Hays, 14EL301
Date: 1970
These photographs were taken by Kansas Historical Society archeological staff during excavation at historic Fort Hays in Ellis County in 1969. Shown is a view of the completed excavation of the fort's coal shed foundation, a view of the main living area of the surgeon's quarters, and a young man drawing profiles of features 834 and 822 at the site. Fort Hays was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1971 and is a State Historic Site.

1972 Excavations at the Hamon Site, 14JF350
Date: 1972
Shown are images taken during the excavation at the Hamon site in Jefferson County by Kansas Historical Society archeologists and volunteers in 1972. The Hamon site has multiple components (occupations) in the Early Ceramic period and multiple activities areas representative of lithic and ceramic production. Shown are two excavation progress views of the site, a chipped stone point in situ, and a view to the northwest across the nearly complete structure floor.

1979 Excavation of Tusk at 14JW310
Date: 1979
Shown are images taken at the excavation of a tusk (possibly mammoth) at the Lovewell Lake in Jewell County in 1979. The tusk was exposed in an eroding bank. Shown are four views of the work in progress.

1981 Excavation at the Kermit Hayes Site, 14RC306
Date: 1981
These images were taken at the Kermit Hayes site in Rice County during the Kansas Archeology Training Program field school in 1981. The site revealed two small Great Bend aspect, Little River focus grass-covered pit houses that included entryways, storage pits, post molds and hearths. Shown are the exposed floor of house 1 two volunteers excavating a trash-filled pit, volunteers exposing the floor of house 2, a detail shot of a storage pit in house 2, and the exposed floor of house 2.

1983 Excavations at the Crandall Site, 14RC420
Date: 1983
These images were shot at the Crandall site in Rice County during the 1983 Kansas Archeology Training Program field school. Shown are images of a bone complex in a pit, a volunteer excavating another pit, bison skulls in a different pit, and two general progress shots. The Crandall site is a Little River focus Great Bend aspect (ancestral Wichita) habitation site.

1983 Excavations at the Lebeau Site, 14NT301
Date: 1983
Shown are eight images taken during the excavation at the Lebeau site in Norton County during the Kansas Archeology Training Program field school in 1983. The Lebeau site has an Upper Republican aspect house with two interior hearths that was occupied during the Middle Ceramic Period. Shown are two aerial views of the site, several volunteers excavation one of the numerous pits, and views of five pits showing dog bones, a bird skeleton, a bison skull, stones, and rim sherds.

1985 Excavation Images at the Jotham Meeker Farmstead, 14FR308
Date: 1985
These images were at the Jotham Meeker farmstead site in Franklin County during the Kansas Archeology Training Program field school in 1985. Jotham Meeker served as a Baptist missionary among the Ottawa on their reservation. Shown are a transect through the cellar depression showing the rubble fill, a coffee grinder part in situ, three shots of hearths 1 and 2, draining the cellar depression after heavy rains, and a map of the excavated areas of the site.