Minnesota

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Archaeological Sites

Battle Point
On the Leech Lake Reservation, a site best known for the 1898 encounter between the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe and U.S. army troops, but also containing prehistoric site debris.

Bridgehead Site
From the From Site to Story website, historical urban occupation of the twin city metro area.

Buena Vista Town Site
Late 19th, early 20th century logging town in Beltrami county.

Carver's Cave
Rock art site called the "House of the Spirits" by Dakota residents of the twin cities area.

Cass Lake
Woodland habitation, with evidence for early wild rice use, on the shores of this lake; report from the Site to Story website.

Cross Bison Kill
Archaic period site in the twin cities area.

Diamond Point
From Site to Story; Elk Lake, Laurel, Blackduck, and Wanikan occupations on the shores of Lake Bemidji.

Federal Courthouse Site
Excavations in advance of the building of the new courthouse revealed information about the 19th century residents of the twin cities area.

Felknor Village Site
Minnesota; from Hamline University and Christy Hohman-Caine, excavations at this Late Prehistoric site.

Five Mile Point
Early fur trading site (1830s and 1840s) on the shores of Cass Lake; from the Site to Story web site.

Harvey Rockshelter
Woodland and Mississippian occupations were found in the 1930s in this rockshelter on the banks of the St. Croix River.

Horseshoe Bay
Historic and prehistoric site on the southwest side of Leech Lake.

Indian Mounds
A high bluff overlooking St. Paul contains what's left of a large Woodland mound group.

Itasca Bison Kill Site
From the Site to Story website, an Archaic bison kill near Clearwater.

Jeffers Petroglyphs
From the Minnesota Historical Society, discussion of the famous rock art site in southeastern Minnesota, with some jpegs of the images.

Knutson Dam
Precontact Late Woodland and early Ojibwe site where the Mississippi leaves Cass Lake, from the Site to Story website.

Nushka Lake
From Site to Story, a report on this Brainerd and Sandy Lake site, with a preceramic occupation as well, between Ball Club and Bena.

Ogema Geshik Point
Woodland site, one of the earliest usages of wild rice; in Itasca county, from the Site to Story website.

Old Agency Site
The Leech Lake Agency site, established by the government to manage dealings with the Ojibwe (Anishinaabeg) people living west of Lake Superior, and in use from 1855 to the late 19th century.

Pamida Burial Salvage Project Site
Cemetery site in the town of Bemidji, Paleo-Indian, Early Woodland, and Late Woodland periods; from the Site to Story website.

Pipestone
From the Upper Midwest Rock Art Research Association (UMRARA), a rock art site in Minnesota. 

The Red Rock
Reported as known to the Dakota Indians by Henry Lewis in 1840, this historical marker was recently relocated by Kevin Callahan.

Rice Creek Drainage
In the Twin Cities metropolitan area, paleoindian through present day occupation, but most intensively Middle Woodland period.

St. Anthony's Falls
From Minnesota Historical Society's MARP, a 19th century mill site and subsequent industrial components. 

Sibley House
From Minnesota Historical Society's MARP, a multi-component site containing occupations associated with the 19th century American fur trade and elements of the heritage of pre-contact Native Americans

Spring Lake Sites
Several sites dated from Early Woodland to Mississippian times on the banks of the Mississippi River.

Third River Bridge West
Late Woodland fishing village in Itasca county, from the Site to Story website.

Williams Narrows
A multicomponent site located on the Lake Winnibigoshish reservoir on Cut Foot Sioux Lake

University Programs

Minnesota Historical Society
Location of the Minnesota Archaeological Research Program, conducts and supports archaeological investigations in the state.

Minnesota Office of the State Archaeologist
Charged with sponsoring, conducting and directing research into the prehistoric and historic archaeology of Minnesota; protecting and preserving archaeological sites and objects; disseminating archaeological information through the publication of reports and articles; identifying, authenticating and protecting human burial sites; reviewing and licensing archaeological fieldwork conducted within the state

University of Minnesota Minneapolis/St. Paul
MA, and PhD

University of Minnesota Classical and Near Eastern Studies Minneapolis
MA, PhD, Ancient and Medieval Art and Archaeology

University of Minnesota Duluth
MA/MS, PhD

Current Researchers

Cultural History

From Site to Story
From the Institute of Minnesota Archaeology, includes a bibliography of over 1,000 archaeological references and a couple of essays on archaeology of the Upper Great Lakes Region.

Minnesota Prehistory
From Mankato State University, a substantive look at upper Mississippian archaeology.

General Information

Archaeology at About.com

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