OAKVILLE, Iowa — History has been unearthed near the Oakville levee along the Iowa River, and though few details have been revealed about the artifacts discovered, it’s clear that completion of the levee repairs has been delayed.

“When we find these things it puts a monkey wrench in some of our plans,” Ron Fournier, public affairs officer for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, said Wednesday.

Officials will not release more information because they do not want the artifacts disturbed, he said.

“We don’t divulge what the artifacts are or where they are located, but preliminary findings indicate that they are historically significant,” Fournier said.

During a federally required archeological survey  along the Oakville levee in the Two Rivers Levee District, four archeological sites were recognized and there could be more as the study continues. Preliminary studies indicate that the items found are more than 1,000 years old.

Because the levee is going to be realigned, the study was required by the National Historic Preservation Act and National Environmental Policy Act. The study is to assess the impact of federally funded projects on cultural resources.

If the Corps had built the levee up, instead of realigning it, the artifacts may not have been found and the levee reconstruction schedule would not have been extended.

“We are doing everything we can to expedite the research and get back to work on the levee,” Fournier said. “After they assess the significance of the findings, sometimes we will avoid the site by realigning or we’ll excavate; or if it’s determined to be insignificant it would not impact the project at all.”

There is a possibility that the items found will not be of historical value but “at the moment it appears that they are,” he added.

John F. Doershuk, state archeologist, said he hadn’t heard of the findings as of Wednesday but expects that his office will be contacted soon if the findings turn out to be significant. Though he

hasn’t seen the material and knows nothing about it, he said it’s practical to speculate that the findings might be related to American Indians who settled in the river valley.

“If it is 1,000 years old that would be a timeframe that we describe as the middle-woodland or late-woodland cultures. They were pottery makers and part-time farmers that created large villages and burial mounds,” Doershuk said of the Native Americans who lived in Louisa County in that era. He said if the remains are of American Indian cultures they could range anywhere from 100-200 years ago — when southeast Iowa was still American Indian territory — to 10,000 years ago.

Louisa County is home to the Toolesboro Mounds, one of the largest American Indian mounds in Iowa. Doershuk said archeological activity is common in that part of the state, especially during road construction and levee work.

Reporter contact information

Melissa Regennitter: 563-262-0526

or mregennitter@muscatinejournal.com