A collaboration between Dartmouth College in Hanover, NH, and Wichita State University (WSU) in Wichita, KS has discovered the remnants of an ancient settlement along the Walnut River in Kansas. The Ancestral Wichita people lived throughout the Great Plains 2,000 years ago. Archeologist date Etzanoa, a major Wichita settlement, to have thrived between 1450 and 1700 with more than 20,000 people. Records of Spanish explorers, such as Juan de Onate, visiting Etzanoa exist, however, it wasn’t until recently that the exact location of the settlement was found.

In 2017, a local teenager happened upon a cannonball in Arkansas City. Archeologists determined that the cannonball was a relic from a known battle that took place in 1601, leading researchers to pinpoint geographical locations of the widespread Ancestral Wichita settlement. Prior to this archeologists had uncovered about 20 smaller sites along the Walnut River. These sites included home and refuse structures, storage caches, and ceremonial mounds. These sites were found in the 1930’s and by 1967 archeologists believed that any and all Ancestral Wichita settlements in the Walnut River valley had been discovered. But when the cannonball was discovered, researchers hypothesized that there was still more to be found.

Archeologist Jesse Casana is a Professor of Anthropology and the chair of the Department of Anthropology at Dartmouth. He employs a wide range of technology to explore ancient settlements. Many of his research projects utilize drones to gather data that would not have been possible previously. Professor Casana and two of his graduate students joined forces with WSU Professor of Archeology Dr. Donald Blackeslee who specializes in the archeology of the Great Plains. The team sent a drone up to scan a bluff overlooking the Walnut River, which today is a cattle ranch. With the drone’s thermal and multispectral camera Professors Casana and Blakeslee discovered a 50 meter wide by 2 meter thick ceremonial circle along with further evidence of an expanded settlement.

As Professor Casana explained, there would have been no way of knowing an ancient civilization once called the 18 hectrae area of land surveyed with the drone as their home. The land is flat and featureless, perfect for grazing cattle. Centuries of landscape shifts have completely hidden the development from view. But, with a drone, these secrets are easily uncovered. The specific drone the team used was a Solo 3DR, an easy to use drone that is available for under $1,000. Casana had to first wait to receive a waiver from the FAA to operate the drone at nighttime. The drone’s thermal camera reveals fossil remains better under dark conditions, enabling the operator to distinguish between fossils and modern substances. The following morning, Professor Casana returned to the site to take daytime images to be compared for visual reference.

Professors Casana and Blakeslee compared the data taken by the drone to other aerial maps taken over the years. The comparison revealed that vegetation growth in the region was different than the surrounding areas, indicating that the buried earthworks caused the ground to retain water. Now the team can examine older maps for similar signs of water retention as possible archeological sites. Once a new site is identified, a drone with a thermal camera can once again be used to remap the region. As Professor Casana said, “Our findings demonstrate that undiscovered monumental earthworks may still exist in the Great Plains. You just need a different archaeological approach to recognize them.” With the advancement of drone technology, a new archeological approach is possible.