Students study ancient history

Archaeologists and University of Iowa students are digging through theremnants of a one-thousand-year-old Native American village in northwesternIowa. The site called “Broken Kettle West” is in the Loess Hills about eightmiles north of Sioux City and it’s proving to be rich in artifacts.U-of-I Anthropology professor Larry Zimmerman says he’s teaching thestudents archaeological techniques while on the real “dig.” He’s also tryingto teach them how to respect the remains of Native Americans and theirformerly sacred dwellings.Zimmerman says the site is believed to be the ancestral home of groups likethe Mandan, a tribe now living in North Dakota. He says he’s learned fromthe living Native Americans how to show respect for those who died manycenturies ago.The site is under excavation as a Plymouth County road is planned thatlikely would have obliterated and covered over the ancient village.