Ice Age in Wisconsin: What was happening 15,000 years ago in the region that is now Evansville?
August 27, 2023, the presentation in Leonard Park (the Upper Park), provided the answer to this question.
George Christiansen III, noted Lecturer with the Department of Anthropology, Madison Area Technical College, provided a brief introduction to the Archaeology of Rock County, Wisconsin. The first people to live in the area that we call Rock County today found their way into the fertile river valleys and rolling hills almost 13,000 years ago. Since then, their story has been one of adaptation and survival in the face of changing natural and social environments. Understanding the basic history of the region leads us to realize that while there is a framework for their story, there are important pieces missing. Discovering that lost history will be a future challenge and must involve revisiting 150 years of previous archaeological research, reaching out to First Nations people and avocational citizen scientists and most important, long-term dedication by a community of stakeholders.
Dennis James, Chapter Coordinator – Rock County Ice Age Trail Alliance, continued the conversation and spoke about the Ice Age and the geology it created in Wisconsin and Rock County. He then featured the Ice Age Trail and its development here in Evansville. Rock County Chapter of the Ice Age Trail contributions to the Trail and the communities it passes through. Mr. James had with him some displays and Monty, the Rock County Ice Age Trail Alliance mammoth mascot.
