The Annual Meeting of the Minnesota Archaeological Society will be held Friday, April 20, 2012 at Sorin Hall on the campus of Hamline University.  Dr. Michael Michlovic, Professor of Anthropology at Minnesota State University – Moorhead will present a lecture titled “A Survey Archaeologist’s Perspective on Southwestern Minnesota Prehistory.”  The presentation will focus on the 2010 Swift County survey, while at the same time addressing some ideas about culture change, diffusion, and the beginnings of more settled life-ways in the later portion of the prehistoric period.  Some attention will also be devoted to the potential significance and drawbacks of archeological survey in an area such as the Minnesota prairies. 

Dr. Michlovic’s lectures are always entertaining and informative.  The cost is $20 per person which includes a buffet dinner and the event is open to everyone, member or not.  For additional information check out this link.

Olmstead Counties First Residents:  Archaeology Overview and Recent Survey Results. 

Dr. Constance Arzigian, Senior researcher at the Mississippi Valley Archaeology Center and associate lecturer in Sociology and Archaeology at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, will present an overview of past cultures in the Rochester area, from big-game hunters at the end of the Ice Age to the first farmers at 1000 A.D.  In 2010, as part of the Statewide Survey of Historical and Archaeological Sites, Dr. Arzigian received a grant from the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund to study previous archaeological findings in Olmsted County and conduct a new archaeological survey of the region. This lecture will present her findings and interpret them within the broader context of research on Native cultures of our region.  The event is free and open to the public and will be held at the Rochester Public Library on Sunday, March 25 from 2 to 4 pm.  Check out this link to learn more.

The Minnesota Office of the State Archaeologist (OSA) has posted its’ latest annual report to the OSA web site.  The report is an overview of what has taken place archaeologically around Minnesota in the last fiscal year and includes summaries of the various reviews the OSA has undertaken during that period.  Since the annual reports are to be completed on a fiscal year basis, it covers July 2010 through June 2011.  Click here to view the report.

Stephen Kelly has created a database (Excel file) of Minnesota Archaeologist articles and authors from the Minnesota Archaeological Society’s (MAS) CD/DVD containing 50 plus years of past issues of the Minnesota Archaeologist (from 1935-1989).  The MAS CD/DVD has no search functions.  Kelly’s database will allow those who have purchased the CD to search for a specific article or author to learn where to look for it on the CD.   It also allows those researchers who have not yet purchased the CD to find the correct volume and issue for an older article.   The index does not include articles from the more recent issues beyond 1989.  You can download the database by clicking on the link above or here.

The schedule for the Lithic Material Workshop in Iowa City February 24th  and 25^th has been posted.  Click here to see it.

The Minnesota Office of the State Archaeologist has  posted three additional archaeological research reports to their website.  These projects were funded with monies from the Clean Water, Land, and Legacy Amendment.   These are edited versions of the original reports but are still fairly large files.  Clicking on the titles will take you to the documents. Continue Reading →