By Cindy Parish
Prepared for the Indiana Department of Transportation. Report of Investigations 39. Archaeological Resources Management Service, Ball State University.
Archaeological investigations of the Gronauer Lock #2 revealed the presence of the well-preserved lower portion of the lock and associated cribbing. Clearing of the fill in the lock proper and wing area and test excavations in the southern cribbing provided important details on the construction of the lock which were not completely consistent with the historical documentation and building specifications. Few artifacts directly associated the construction and use of the lock were found although significant numbers of secondarily deposited artifacts form the adjacent lockkepper's house were recovered. Dating of the artifacts was consistent with the recorded history of the construction and use of the lock. In general, without the physical details recovered through the archaeological investigations, interpretations of the site from the written records alone would have presented an inaccurate view of the actual situation.