2008 Woodie Awards
Digging for the truth
MSU prof and his students unearch Prairie Island history
by Nia Jonesz
Issue date: 7/9/08
Section: Campus News
Minnesota State archaeology professor Ron Schirmer teaches his students that to find the answers to history's questions, one must look beyond the surface and dig deep - literally.
During an MSU archaeological field school, Schirmer and a group of students recently finished a five-week excavation of sites in the Prairie Island area.
It was the only active archaeological research program in Minnesota at the time and the group found the answers to many questions about the history and culture of the American Indians who lived there. Pottery and pieces of tools were a few of the artifacts discovered.
But it is perhaps the intellectual, not the physical, discoveries that made this dig so significant. The MSU team wasn't the first to take an interest in the area. According to MSU's EMuseum, a virtual museum affiliated with MSU's anthropology department, Elden Johnson, who currently serves as Director for the institute of Minnesota Archaeology and chairs the department of archaeology at the University of Minnesota, excavated the area during the late 1960s. Johnson believed he discovered part of a square-corner wall trench but ran out of time to investigate further. News of the potential discovery spread quickly due to its possible significance. The wall trench is not seen around the north, hinting that Prairie Island natives may have been in contact with American Indians of the south. The trench also might have been the fort of explorer and French fur trader Pierre Charles LeSueur, the man who is namesake to the city of Le Sueur. LeSueur also took part in mining Dakota's "blue earth" which led to the naming of our county.
The stories proved enticing, but Schirmer and his students soon uncovered the truth beyond the tall tales.
Johnson, in his haste, hadn't discovered a trench at all. He had more likely discovered a piece of four large pits the MSU team found.
Understanding the truth buried in the soil means more than just refining history. The unearthing helps determine that the history of Prairie Island's natives was not largely influenced by other parts of the country. This will also help future investigators focus more on the local area rather than outside influences.
According to an article by the Republican Eagle, Red Wing's local paper, the artifacts will be cleaned and cataloged at Red Wing's Anderson Center. From there, Xcel Energy-which owns the land-and the Prairie Island Indian Community will determine if the items will be curated by the community or sent to the Science Museum of Minnesota. The artifacts may even be part of a room dedicated to displaying Prairie Island history at Treasure Island Resort and Casino.
Nia Jonesz is the Reporter news editor
During an MSU archaeological field school, Schirmer and a group of students recently finished a five-week excavation of sites in the Prairie Island area.
It was the only active archaeological research program in Minnesota at the time and the group found the answers to many questions about the history and culture of the American Indians who lived there. Pottery and pieces of tools were a few of the artifacts discovered.
But it is perhaps the intellectual, not the physical, discoveries that made this dig so significant. The MSU team wasn't the first to take an interest in the area. According to MSU's EMuseum, a virtual museum affiliated with MSU's anthropology department, Elden Johnson, who currently serves as Director for the institute of Minnesota Archaeology and chairs the department of archaeology at the University of Minnesota, excavated the area during the late 1960s. Johnson believed he discovered part of a square-corner wall trench but ran out of time to investigate further. News of the potential discovery spread quickly due to its possible significance. The wall trench is not seen around the north, hinting that Prairie Island natives may have been in contact with American Indians of the south. The trench also might have been the fort of explorer and French fur trader Pierre Charles LeSueur, the man who is namesake to the city of Le Sueur. LeSueur also took part in mining Dakota's "blue earth" which led to the naming of our county.
The stories proved enticing, but Schirmer and his students soon uncovered the truth beyond the tall tales.
Johnson, in his haste, hadn't discovered a trench at all. He had more likely discovered a piece of four large pits the MSU team found.
Understanding the truth buried in the soil means more than just refining history. The unearthing helps determine that the history of Prairie Island's natives was not largely influenced by other parts of the country. This will also help future investigators focus more on the local area rather than outside influences.
According to an article by the Republican Eagle, Red Wing's local paper, the artifacts will be cleaned and cataloged at Red Wing's Anderson Center. From there, Xcel Energy-which owns the land-and the Prairie Island Indian Community will determine if the items will be curated by the community or sent to the Science Museum of Minnesota. The artifacts may even be part of a room dedicated to displaying Prairie Island history at Treasure Island Resort and Casino.
Nia Jonesz is the Reporter news editor
Be the first to comment on this story