Sand Desert

Where the Indians Camped - Village Site Discovered on Allamakee's "Desert"
By Dr. Henry Paul Field

Many relics of prehistoric Indians have been discovered on the site of an ancient Indian village or camp, lying exposed by the shifting of sand dunes on the face of what is believed to be Iowa’s only desert, one of the most unusual regions in the northeastern corner of Iowa.

The "desert" lies three or four miles southwest of New Albin, Iowa, in the south-central portion of a small valley locally known as "Sand Cove." Everywhere in this valley, the soil is slightly sandy, but off toward the southern edge, the rich, sandy loam suddenly turns to pure sand. Although not as large as the better known professional deserts, such as the Sahara, this one does very well as an amateur. Several acres in the center of the "desert" show scarcely a blade of vegetation. Around its edges lies in wait a rank growth of sandburs, ready to scratch the ankles of all comers. The sun beats down more intensely because there is nothing to give any shade or obstruction to its rays. The sand gleams in hot.

On every side, Sand Cove is walled in by steep, high bluffs. Their slopes are well forested with oak and juniper. No doubt, before the advent of white settlers, most of the valley was heavily timbered. But the "desert" itself gives every indication of always having been a bare, treeless area. No doubt, the extreme dryness of the sand effectually prevented the growth of even the hardiest of trees. As a natural open space in a heavily forested region, the "desert" offered an excellent camping ground for the prehistoric Indian. No doubt, it proved especially desirable in the winter time, since it is warm and sunny the year around. Ringed about by high wooded bluffs, it is well protected from the furious blizzards of midwinter, which rage out on the level, open prairies of Iowa. In the winter time, when the sand was frozen motionless and the sun beamed down into its snug retreat, the "desert" must have seemed a hospitable and friendly place to wandering bands of redskins.

A few miles away to the east flows the Mississippi, formerly one of the great highways for traveling Indian tribes. The "desert" lies just near enough to the river to be easily accessible to friendly tribes, yet far enough away to be hidden from hostile marauders. In the summer time, the sand blows about, the dunes are always shifting and changing. They seem to be moving slowly in an easterly direction.

It is in the western portion of the "desert" that the most numerous indications of an ancient Indian camping ground have been discovered. Here the finer particles of sand, which for many years completely covered the ancient camp site with a thick, sandy blanket, have now been partially blown away. Among the coarser particles of gravel and stone which remain, lie exposed a multitude of evidences of the Redman’s habitation or this desert.

Apparently this identical spot was used for a village site by two or more different and distinct tribes, and, of course, as history and human nature make clear, not at the same time. This is indicated by the fact that at least two distinctly different types of pottery are found, now lying side by side. There are many pieces of strong, thick, well preserved and but slightly ornamented pottery, all made from clay into which has been mixed crushed clam shell. Equally numerous pieces of pottery of an indisputably older type may also be found. These are so old and weather-beaten and fragile that they fall to pieces at the slightest touch.

All of the more ancient pottery vessels are much thinner and more delicate than the later, thicker ones. They are invariably made of clay mixed with crushed granite instead of clam shell. Their form, also, is different, as one can reconstruct the general form from the "turn" of some of the larger pieces, especially the rims. These earliest vessels appear to have been wide mouthed and more nearly straight sided, while those mixed with clam shell were narrow mouthed with curving sides. Both types give evidence of having been well fired. The ancient pottery is nearly all more elaborately designed and decorated than the more recent pots and bowls.

Besides pottery, many flint weapons and implements have recently been discovered on this village site. Since flint is but slightly affected by age and weathering, it is difficult to determine the age of these implements, but no doubt some were made by the ancient tribes and others by the more recent Indians. At any rate, the arrow and spear heads are of many different colors and shapes. One small, perfect arrowhead is of a clear, almost transparent crystal white rock; some are pink; some pure white; one of a blackish stone; some gray, red, smoky blue, and so on. Many of the dozen arrowheads found are small arrow points, which were used for killing game such as quail, squirrel, rabbit and pigeon. These arrowheads were fashioned with skillful workmanship, of many forms and designs.

Among the implements which have been found on the "desert" this summer, besides the arrowheads, have been two medium sized spearheads, one of them red, the other brownish; a large, long-knife made from clear white rock crystal; a two-inch triangular flint scraper or flesher, and a large, oval, stone disc, with serrated edges, nearly eight inches long, which may have been used as a saw, for cutting saplings and poles.

A number of years ago, while walking across the "desert," Ed Sadd, who lives along the Mississippi River Scenic Highway, between Lansing and New Albin, discovered a copper awl about seven inches long and with a diameter about that of a common lead pencil, but tapering at both ends. This rather unusual and interesting example of the metal work of prehistoric Indians is now in the possession of Mr. Ellison Orr, well known archeologist, and president of the Allamakee County Historical and Archeological Society, who lives at Waukon, Iowa.

Besides the above mentioned articles of undoubted prehistoric Indian workmanship, many interesting and curious objects may be picked from among the pebbles of the "desert." Some of these may have been associated with the early Indians of pioneer days; others probably were lost by the pioneers themselves. Among this type of object were found several buckshot, large leaden bullets, clam shells and the bones of various birds, animals and fishes. A long, irregular tube of a material resembling glass also was discovered o protruding from the sand. This object may possibly be a fulgurite or tube of natural glass, formed by the fusing of the sand in the exact spot where it was struck by a bolt of lightning. Had the Indians chanced to come upon this curiosity, no doubt they would have considered it a valuable charm or talisman.

What tribe of Indians first pitched its tepees on this "desert," no one knows, but assuredly the camp site was first used hundreds, perhaps thousands of years ago. Later centuries saw other tribes come and go. It is recorded in history that Little Decorah, a Winnebago chief, established a village near the mouth of the Oneota or Upper Iowa River, in the year 1840. The exact location of this village appears to be in doubt. Perhaps it may have been located in the Sand Cove, which lies near the Upper Iowa and only a few miles from its mouth. If so, the Winnebagoes were the last to build their camp fires upon the sands of the "desert." Now it lies hot and burning under the summer suns, unused alike by red men and white. A gusty wind occasionally shifts a dune or two, and reveals more secrets of ancient days. But, buried deeper yet, under thick layers of white sand, what secrets may not the "desert" conceal?

~Wallaces' Farmer, October 4, 1929, pg. 9-10
~transcribed by Errin Wilker