Lithic & Historic Artifact Exhibit
About the Exhibit
Private collections of lithic (rock) and historic artifacts have been donated to Polk County Conservation (PCC) from families and individuals. The combined collections include over 600 artifacts collected in or around what is now Yellow Banks Park in SE Polk County. Artifacts include a wide variety of projectile points, axes, celts, mauls, pottery sherds, grinding slabs, and a rare banner stone. The artifacts represent four distinct archeological time-periods spanning over 13,000 years of human inhabitance in the area.
Learn more about this collection:
- Overview of Collection with Glossary and Slide Navigation Key
- Priest Collection
- Johnson-Keeling Collection
- Mary Brown Collection
- Swearingen & Pasker Collection
- Phipps Collection:
- Iowa State University Collection
Land Acknowledgement
We recognize that Polk County Conservation properties sit on land once occupied by numerous different groups of Iowa’s Indigenous People. Through several treaties with the United States, Tribal Nations unwillingly ceded land which made way for the State of Iowa. Dealings between the United States and American Indian Tribal Nations were not always honorable, and some of the provisions of these treaties have been broken. A new community now thrives on these lands and we owe a debt to the Tribal Nations that occupied this land previously. These Tribal Nations are an important part of our national and regional heritage; many of them persist today and continue to be recognized formally by the U.S. government.
We hereby acknowledge those Tribal Nations and Iowa’s Indigenous People, and express our appreciation and respect.
Artifact Donors
PCC would like to express sincere gratitude to the families and individuals that generously donated the following artifacts. Without their thoughtfulness, this cultural and historic resource would not have been possible. These artifacts will help to educate and inform our community about Iowa’s cultural heritage and the people who called this land home long before it was called Iowa.
Exhibit Donors
PCC would also like to thank the families and individuals who have donated money to help make this exhibit possible. Please follow this link for a list of our current exhibit donors.
