Buried under the forests of Michigan lies a vast, forgotten agricultural marvel—one that rewrites our understanding of indigenous innovation and ancient farming.
Key Points at a Glance
- Ancient ridge farming by the Menominee was 10 times larger than previously thought
- Lidar surveys revealed extensive raised field systems dating back 1,000 years
- The findings challenge assumptions about indigenous farming in cold, forested regions
- The site includes burial mounds, dance rings, and possibly a Colonial-era trading post
Michigan’s Upper Peninsula isn’t exactly the kind of place where you’d expect to find ancient intensive agriculture. Harsh winters, short growing seasons, and deep forests paint a picture of rugged wilderness—not organized farming. And yet, beneath the canopy of trees along the Menominee River, a stunning archaeological discovery is rewriting that narrative.
Led by researchers from Dartmouth College, a new study reveals that the Sixty Islands site—part of the culturally significant Anaem Omot region—contains the most complete ancient agricultural system ever found in eastern North America. Using cutting-edge lidar technology and drone surveys, the team has uncovered a patchwork of raised ridged fields, forming geometric patterns that suggest deliberate, large-scale landscape engineering.
These garden beds, built between the 10th and 17th centuries, are clustered ridges 4 to 12 inches high. Once used to cultivate corn, beans, squash, and more, the ridges are a testament to the ingenuity and adaptability of the ancestral Menominee people. Far from the primitive subsistence farming long assumed of pre-Colonial societies in this region, the system reveals intensive planning, sustained soil management, and a surprising level of social coordination.
“The scale of this agricultural system is 10 times larger than previously estimated,” says Madeleine McLeester, the study’s lead author. “That forces us to reconsider a number of preconceived ideas we have about agriculture not only in the region, but globally.” The implication? Smaller, egalitarian indigenous societies may have achieved a level of organized agriculture typically reserved for larger state-level civilizations.
In total, the team surveyed 330 acres—only about 40% of the suspected full extent. What they found goes beyond farming. The lidar scan unveiled circular dance rings, looted and unknown burial mounds, remnants of logging camps, and even a rectangular foundation potentially linked to early colonial trading activity. This layered history amplifies the cultural richness of the site, which has been listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places.
The ridges weren’t random. Despite being oriented in different directions—likely based on individual farmer preferences—they reflect consistent practices over centuries. Charcoal and ceramic fragments found in the soil suggest the Menominee used composting techniques, enriching their fields with household waste and wetland soils to maintain productivity.
“Forests are notoriously difficult for archaeologists because they obscure what’s underneath,” says Jesse Casana, a senior author of the study. “But drone-based lidar gives us ultra-high-resolution data that can see through the canopy.” It was this technology—operated during a narrow window in early spring—that allowed the researchers to detect features invisible to satellites or planes.
The radiocarbon dating of charcoal found in the ridges dates their initial construction to around the year 1000, in the Late Woodland period. Even more remarkably, the ridges show signs of being rebuilt and maintained over a 600-year span—a continuity that’s rare in North American archaeological records.
This longevity and scale force a rethinking of the environmental history of the Upper Peninsula. If the Sixty Islands site was actively farmed for centuries, then much of what is now forested may once have been open fields. “This may be just a little remnant of what must have been a much larger system,” Casana notes.
Excavations also show the Menominee practiced topographical modification—reshaping the land to support agriculture near the northernmost limits of viable corn farming. It’s a revelation that echoes across disciplines: from anthropology and ecology to Indigenous studies and agronomy.
While much of ancient North America’s agricultural past has been erased by urban sprawl, industrial farming, and logging, this discovery offers a rare preserved glimpse into an alternative legacy. One built not on conquest, but on community-driven land stewardship and deep ecological knowledge.
As researchers continue their work with the Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin, future surveys aim to locate village sites and expand understanding of this complex network. It’s a project with potential to span generations. “One of the things we’ve talked about is seeing this project go on for another 50 years,” McLeester reflects. “It’s a great project, and to be part of such a legacy with this is incredible.”
In an era defined by climate urgency and food insecurity, perhaps the deepest roots of resilience were already laid a millennium ago—beneath the forests of Michigan.
Source: Dartmouth News
