Statewide Survey of Historical and Archaeological Sites

Project Details by Fiscal Year
2014 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$300,000
Fund Source
Arts & Cultural Heritage Fund
Recipient
Minnesota Historical Society
Recipient Type
Non-Profit Business/Entity
Status
In Progress
Start Date
July 2013
End Date
June 2015
Activity Type
Analysis/Interpretation
Counties Affected
Statewide
Statewide
Project Overview
The Statewide Survey of Historical and Archaeological Sites focuses on tangible aspects of Minnesota's cultural heritage including historic places, archaeological sites, places with spiritual and traditional importance, and cultural landscapes. The survey focuses on the identification and evaluation of these places in order to improve their management and enhance their interpretation. Projects funded by the Survey include development of historic contexts to better understand the significance of specific types of historic sites; on-the-ground survey to identify previously undocumented archaeological sites and historic structures; in-depth studies to enhance regional understanding of the distribution of significant sites, and evaluation of current and future threats to sensitive sites in order to devise effective management strategies. Information generated by Survey projects is made available to the public on the website of the Minnesota Office of the State Archaeologist.
Legal Citation / Subdivision
Session Law Reference: Laws of Minnesota 2013, chapter 137, article 4, section 2, subdivision 5, (b) (4) Statewide Survey of Historical and Archaeological Sites
Appropriation Language

$300,000 the first year and $300,000 the second year are for a contract or contracts to be awarded on a competitive basis to conduct statewide surveys of Minnesota's sites of historical, archaeological, and cultural significance.

2014 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$300,000
Direct expenses
$300,000
Number of full time equivalents funded
0.10
Proposed Measurable Outcome(s)

Over the past three biennia, the survey has: performed fieldwork in 37 different counties; undertaken intensive archaeological surveys in 12 counties; discovered and documented over 200 previously unrecorded archaeological sites; examined 86 previously known archaeological sites and 78 historic sites; developed innovative strategies using LiDAR to map burial mounds and logging dams; completed the first comprehensive assessment of burial mound survival in over 100 years; compiled the first comprehensive database of all cemetery locations in Minnesota; completed a comprehensive assessment of historical significance for historic dams; sponsored a comprehensive assessment of major historic masonry ruin survival (only 41 remain in the state), and analyzed sites and artifacts from four important prehistoric complexes.

Recipient Board Members
Minnesota Historical Society Governing Board:

William R. Stoeri, President
Missy S. Thompson, Vice President
Ruth Huss, Vice President
D. Stephen Elliott, Secretary
Dean M. Nelson, Treasurer

Suzanne Blue
Brenda J. Child
Robert Bruininks
Judith S. Corson
D. Stephen Elliott
Phyllis Rawls Goff
William D. Green
David R. Hakensen
Ruth S. Huss
Martha Kaemmer
Dennis L. Lamkin
David M. Larson
Charles Mahar
Dean M. Nelson
Elizabeth M. Nordlie
Dennis Nguyen
Peter R. Reis
Hussein Samatar
Simon Stevens
Susan Kenny Stevens
William R. Stoeri
Karen Wilson Thissen
Missy Staples Thompson
Eleanor Winston

Ex-Officio:
Mark Dayton, Governor
Yvonne Prattner Solon Lieutenant Governor
Mark Ritchie, Secretary of State
Lori Swanson, Attorney General
Rebecca Otto, State Auditor"
Project Manager
First Name
Patricia
Last Name
Emerson
Organization Name
Minnesota Historical Society
Street Address
345 Kellogg Blvd. W
City
Saint Paul
State
MN
Zip Code
55102
Phone
612-725-2410
Administered By
Administered by
Location

345 W. Kellogg Blvd.
St. Paul, MN 55155

Phone
651-259-3000