Modern Applications for Detecting Fremont Sites in Utah Valley

In celebration of Archaeology and Historic Preservation Month, the Utah State Historic Preservation Office is excited to host a series of brown bag lectures. Join us on May 20 as we welcome Jacob Jepsen of BYU!

About the presentation:

The high deserts and well-watered valleys of the eastern American Great Basin were home to numerous sites inhabited by the Fremont archaeological culture from AD 300 to 1300. The Fremont were an enigmatic culture that inhabited a vast geographical area in present-day Utah. Unlike native tribes before and after them, the Fremont were primarily sedentary. They built villages of pit houses with adobe structures to store food. They collected wild foods, hunted game, and also cultivated corn, beans, and squash using irrigation techniques. During the early eleventh century, Fremont sites dotted the banks of fresh-water streams flowing into nearby Utah Lake, located in present-day Utah Valley; however, many of these sites were damaged or removed by modern settlers in the mid-nineteenth century. Several sites are still visible today, but many of them are endangered by modern farming practices. In many cases, traditional remote sensing methods are often ineffective at identifying subsurface features often associated with Fremont mounds. This is likely due to the dense, clay deposits naturally found in the region which either absorbs or scatters remote sensing instrument energies. My research involves integrating alternative remote sensing techniques like low-altitude aerial thermography and magnetic gradiometry to indicate where potential buried Fremont architecture or cultural remains may be located.

About the speaker:

Jacob Jepsen is a graduate student in anthropology, with an emphasis in archaeology at Brigham Young University. Jacob’s research interests include utilizing cutting edge remote sensing and geophysical technologies to the field of archaeology. Jacob is currently conducting his research at Fremont sites both in Utah, and Parowan valleys, implementing remote sensing techniques that until now, have never been used to detect buried Fremont sites.

Head to https://www.eventbrite.com/e/modern-applications-for-detecting-fremont-sites-in-utah-valley-tickets-99992249510 to reserve your spot!