OSHKOSH, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – UW Milwaukee archaeologists are processing Native American artifacts located at the former Lakeshore Municipal Golf Course in Oshkosh.
The city reports archaeologists found a “high number” of artifacts and more human burial features than expected.
Because of the high number of artifacts found, it has taken UWM archaeologists longer than they anticipated.
The city approved paying UWM an extra $15,000 for excavations and research at its common council meeting last week. The city has spent just under $200,000 in total.
Allen Davis, the city’s Community Development Director says the digging started in early 2018 and began again in the spring of 2019 after remains were found.
The Wisconsin Historical Society says pinpointing exactly which tribe these artifacts belonged to is difficult.
Anna Cannizzo with the Oshkosh Public Museum says we probably won’t know which tribe they belonged to until the artifacts are analyzed. UWM archaeologists expect to have the final report of findings submitted by June 2020.
“This area has been inhabited for a very long time by many Native cultures that are represented by a lot of different time periods,” Cannizzo said.
As for what is now called Lakeshore Park– the parks department will submit a plan for the park by the end of the year.
“I’m expecting that as time goes by the parks department will develop more features out there. We’re putting in that riverwalk that goes right along the lakeshore and that’s almost done, that’ll be done in the spring,” Davis said.
When research is done, the tribal artifacts are expected to go to the Oshkosh Public Museum.
