February 2018 Program

Location: Beloit Public Library, 605 Eclipse Blvd., Beloit, WI

Speakers: Robert “Ernie” Boszhardt, Driftless Pathways LLC

Title: Hidden Thunder Rock Art and The First Mississippians in Wisconsin

About: This program combines two Wisconsin archaeology projects. The first features the award winning book Hidden Thunder: Rock Art of the Upper Midwest, which Mr. Boszhardt co-authored with artist Geri Schrab. It introduces Wisconsin rock art and juxtaposes archaeological and artistic perspectives on 12 sites, interspersed with Native American reflections. Mr. Boszhardt will illustrate ancient carvings and drawings along with Ms. Schrab’s paintings, while covering aspects of history, geology, and preservation. Second, Mr. Boszhardt will discuss a colony of Mississippians who paddled 530 miles up the Mississippi River from the ancient city of Cahokia around AD 1050 to establish a temple mound complex at Trempealeau, Wisconsin. Recent excavations shed light on why they came to Trempealeau, what they brought with them, and the size and duration of the colony. While fieldwork continues, so has public outreach and heritage tourism such as creating the Little Bluff Mounds Trail. The non-technical book Beneath Your Feet: Archaeology at Trempealeau, by Boszhardt and his wife and Driftless Pathways partner Danielle Benden, is a guide to the Trempealeau Archaeology Project. Copies of both Hidden Thunder and Beneath Your Feet will be available for purchase and signing.