An Investigation of the Distribution of Open Archaeological Sites in the Upper Kickapoo Valley Archaeological District, Vernon County, Wisconsin

The Upper Kickapoo River Archaeological District contains over 500 archaeological sites. Spatial statistics and site selection factors were explored for 405 open archaeological sites. Nearest Neighbor Index and Ripley’s K-Function analyses show that the sites have a clustering pattern. Hot spot analyses reveal concentrations near a few stream confluences. Topographic variables of the site locations show a preference for lower elevations and low slopes. Furthermore, comparisons of cultural affiliated sites indicate the Paleo-Indian sites were farther from water resources when compared to Archaic and Woodland affiliated sites.