A surprise find in Michigan shows the extent of ancient Native American agriculture

A surprise find in Michigan shows the extent of ancient Native American agriculture

Nell Greenfieldboyce

June 06, 2025 / 3:00 am

Archeologists studying a forested area in northern Michigan say they've uncovered what is likely the largest intact remains of an ancient Native American agricultural site in the eastern half of the United States.

The researchers used a drone equipped with a laser instrument to fly over more than 300 acres, taking advantage of a brief period of time after the winter snow had melted away but before the trees had put out their leaves.

This allowed the drone to precisely map subtle features on the surface of the exposed ground, revealing parallel rows of earthen mounds. This is what's left of raised gardening beds that were used to grow crops like corn, beans