In a message dated 97-02-19 03:01:12 EST, you write:
 
<< We are presently involved in a graduate historical archaeology seminar
 here at the Univ. of Alaska Fairbanks dealing with "western" (i.e., west
 of the Mississippi) historical archaeology, archaeological applications of
 "frontier" literature, the (non?) benefits of the so-called "new
 historiographers" to model-building, etc., when the Mormons came up.  The
 goal of self-sufficiency was a sought-after goal, which was not realized,
 in hindsight.  The discussion of recognizing ethnicity in the
 archaeological record of course reared its head, and we all put forth our
 two cents worth.  However, not being familiar with Utah (and surrounding
 states), we were at a loss to come up with archaeological investigations
 conducted at mid- to -late-19th century Mormon settlements.  Leone's
 1970's work being the sole exception, but then again he didn't really dig,
 did he?
 
 Question to Utah archaeologists (and particularly you agency and CRM
 folks):  where is the Mormon archaeology?????  With the plethora of
 offical and personal documentary records available, surely this case study
 has not been overlooked!!
 
 Curious from Fairbanks,
 
 
 Robin Mills ([log in to unmask])
  >>
 
 
First, perhaps one of the best known excavations is that of Cove Fort,
located about 200 miles south of Salt Lake City.  It was a Mormon Fort from
the middle 19th Century which was excavated by Brigham Young University in
the early 1990s.  The report for this project may be available in their CRM
series.
 
An excavation of particular note was that of Block 49, a very early (late
1840s- early in that Mormons only came to the Salt Lake area in 1847)
historic cemetery in downtown Salt Lake City where a parking lot was planned.
 More than 50 bodies were recovered and analyzed.
 
Another historic excavation was of several structures at Little Dell
Reservoir along the Pony Express route east of Salt Lake City.  This was a
Corps of Engineers project directed by Shane Baker of BYU.  A report should
be available.
 
Another was an excavation of Social Hall, an 1852 building used for social
gatherings of Mormons in downtown Salt Lake.  This was a very interesting
excavation created by ZCMI's (department store) need to connect their store
to a parking area across the street.  This, too, was done by BYU and the
report is being finished by Don Southworth of my staff who headed the
excavations.  Perhaps the biggest problem here is that funding was cut off
before all of the work was completed (it was a private grant to have the work
done).
 
Also important is the ongoing excavation of an early 1850s farmstead on
Antelope Island (island in Great Salt Lake) by the Department of State
History/University of Utah.  Jim Dykman at the SHPO should be able to field a
question about this project.
 
Test excavations were also undertaken by Sagebrush Consultants of a telegraph
station on the Overland Trail at Government Creek which manned by a Mormon
man during the 1870s.
 
Other excavations done don't exactly relate directly to Mormons, but they are
important in their influence and impact upon the society.  These include
excavations by Dale Berge at Simpson Springs Station (Pony Express Station),
excavations at Mercur (Mining camp) and Camp Floyd (U.S. Army camp occupied
near Salt Lake for 3 years) by Dale Berge of BYU.  Also, excavations of Fort
Buenaventura ("fort" established by Miles Goodyear, 1840s trapper, in Ogden)
by the U.S. Forest Service in the 1960s and 1970s.
 
There are probably many others, but memory does not dredge them up at the
moment.
 
Mike Polk
Sagebrush Consultants, L.L.C.
Ogden, Utah