A22_Attachment_B_Haasetal_2012.pdf

PHASE II EVALUATION OF 21CP68,

ALTERNATE GATEWELL 2 OUTLET ALIGNMENT

AT THE CITY OF MONTEVIDEO, CHIPPEWA

COUNTY, MINNESOTA

Prepared By: Jennifer R. Haas, M.A., Principal Investigator

Jennifer Picard, B.A., Archaeologist

Caroline Friewald, Ph.D., Faunal Analyst

William Eichmann, M.S., Archaeologist

Great Lakes Archaeological Research Center, Inc

P.O. Box 511549

Milwaukee, WI 53203

Prepared For: United States Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District

ATTN: Ms. Virginia Gnabasik

180 5th Street East, Suite 700

St. Paul, MN 55101

Contract No. W912ES-11-P-0019

GLARC ROI 777

GLARC Project No. 10.146

FINAL REPORT

© March 2012, Great Lakes Archaeological Research Center, Inc.

ii Great Lakes Archaeological Research Center Report of Investigations No. 777

Phase II Archaeological Testing and Evaluation of Site 21CP68 W912ES-11-P-0019, March 2012

W912ES-11-P-0019, March 2012 iii

MANAGEMENT SUMMARY

This document provides the results of Phase II archaeological testing and evaluation of 21CP68, an open-air pre-contact Native American site located within the area of potential effect of the Alternate Gatewell 2 Outlet Alignment, Montevideo Section 205 Flood Control Project, Chippewa County, Minnesota. Site 21CP68 was initially identifi ed during the 2010 Phase I survey of the project area in an open, grassy area along the Minnesota River. In 2011, a Phase II evaluation of site 21CP68 was conducted to determine the eligibility of the site for listing on the National Register of Historic Places. The Phase II study included additional shovel testing south of the alignment proposed in 2010, which confi rmed that the site extends to the south and to the east, paralleling the Minnesota River. Through hand excavation of test units and limited mechanical stripping, the Phase II excavations at 21CP68 identifi ed a series of occupations that date to the Terminal Woodland and Plains Village periods. The occupations are derived from several deeply buried and stratifi ed soil horizons that extend from approximately 50 to at least 130 cmbs. Cultural materials were recovered from all of the buried soils, including diagnostic ceramic wares that date to the Terminal Woodland (Lake Benton) and Plains Village (Great Oasis, Cambria, and Big Stone) periods. The artifact assemblage is comprised of high quantities of faunal and ceramic remains, with very low frequencies of chipped stone fl aking debris and tools. Three cultural features were identifi ed at the site including an expansive shell midden (feature 1), a basin shaped pit of an unknown function, but associated with fi sh remains (feature 2), and a scatter containing a large manuport and several ceramic sherds (feature 3). These Phase II investigations demonstrate that site 21CP68 meets the criteria for listing on the National Register of Historic Places under Criterion D-the property has yielded or is likely to yield information in prehistory or history. In a broad contextual framework, site 21CP68 has the potential to fi ll important data needs regarding settlement patterns, subsistence pursuits, and technological adaptations during the Late Woodland and Late Pre-contact time periods in the Prairie Lakes region. The site can also address the relationships among the Woodland and Plains village groups occupying and using the Minnesota River valley. The archaeological investigations detailed in this document were conducted to partially fulfi ll the obligations of the United States Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) regarding cultural resources obtaining from the execution of Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 (P.L. 89-665), as amended; the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (P.L. 91-190); the Archeological and Historical Preservation Act of 1974 (P.L. 93-291); the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation’s “Regulations for the Protection of Historic Properties” (36 CFR Part 800); and applicable Corps regulations. The work was conducted under the terms of Contract No. W912ES-11-P-0019.

iv

W912ES-11-P-0019, March 2012 v

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Management Summary ........................................................................................................... iii

Part I: Introduction and Project Background Introduction Project Location Report Organization

Part II: Environmental and Cultural Setting Environmental Context

Bedrock Geology and Glacial History Physiography Flora and Fauna Soils

Cultural Historical Context Paleoindian Tradition Prairie Archaic Tradition Middle Pre-contact Period

Mountain Lake Phase Fox Lake Phase Lake Benton Phase

Late Prehistoric Period Great Oasis Phase Cambria Phase Big Stone Phase Blue Earth Phase

Protohistoric and Historic Native Americans Previous Archaeological and Historical Research

Part III: Research Design Introduction Phase II Archaeological Evaluations

Backhoe Trenching Test Unit Excavation Feature Excavation Soil Sample Processing Field Data Management Site Clean Up and Backfilling

Laboratory Methods and Analysis Initial Procedures Size Grading Ceramic Analysis Projectile Point Analysis Miscellaneous Lithic Tool Analysis Debitage/Lithic Waste vi

Phase II Archaeological Testing and Evaluation of Site 21CP68 W912ES-11-P-0019, March 2012

Faunal Remains Zooarchaeological Method Floral Remains Historic Materials

Historic Artifacts Precontact Artifacts

Cataloguing Curation

Part IV: Results of the Investigations Introduction Phase I Investigations Phase II Investigations Shovel Testing

Test Unit Excavations Test Unit 1 Test Unit 2 Test Unit 3 Test Unit 4 Test Unit 5 Test Units 6 and 7

Trenches Features

Feature 1 Feature 2 Feature 3

Discussion Pre-Contact Ceramics

Terminal Woodland Ceramics Lake Benton Ware

Plains Village Ceramics Great Oasis Ware Cambria Ware Big Stone Ware

Summary of Ceramic Analysis Lithics

Tools Flaking Debris

Faunal Mammals and the Distribution by Test Unit Feature 1 Feature 2 Discussion: Diversity as a Subsistence Strategy

Historic/Modern Ceramics Glass Metal Building Materials

W912ES-11-P-0019, March 2012 vii

Miscellaneous Artifacts Conclusions

Part VI: Synthesis and Recommendations Synthesis Recommendations Generalized mitigation plan

References Cited

Appendix A: Scope of Work Appendix B: Updated Site Form Appendix C: OSA Permit Appendix D: Artifact Inventory

LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 1.1 Project location in Minnesota Figure 1.2 Location of 21CP68 depicted on the Montevideo 7.5’ USGS Quadrangle Map

Figure 2.1 Project location relative to the physiographic provinces of Minnesota Figure 2.2 Project location relative to the ecological classification of Minnesota

Figure 4.1. Phase II site map for 21CP68 Figure 4.2 Overview photo of site 21CP68 during the Phase II investigations Figure 4.3 West and north wall profiles of Test Unit 1 Figure 4.4 West and south profiles of TU2 Figure 4.5 East and north profiles of TU3 Figure 4.6 East and north profiles of TU4 Figure 4.7 East and north profiles of TU5 Figure 4.8 Feature 1 in planview (TU6 and TU7). TU 8 unexcavated Figure 4.9 Profiles of Test Unit 6 and 7 Figure 4.10 Photo of feature 1 in planview (TU6 and TU7), view to the north Figure 4.11 Photo of feature 2 in profile within Test Unit 1 Figure 4.12 Photo and planview of Feature 3

Figure 5.1 Pre-contact ceramics: Lake Benton ware, exterior Figure 5.2 Pre-contact ceramics: Lake Benton ware, interior Figure 5.3 Pre-contact ceramics: Great Oasis Wedge Lip, exterior Figure 5.4 Pre-contact ceramics: Great Oasis Wedge Lip, interior Figure 5.5 Pre-contact ceramics: Cambria Figure 5.6 Pre-contact ceramics: Big Stone Figure 5.7 Stone tools Figure 5.8 Distribution of Analyzed Faunal Remains viii

Phase II Archaeological Testing and Evaluation of Site 21CP68 W912ES-11-P-0019, March 2012

Figure 5.9 Distribution of Analyzed Mammal Remains Figure 5.10 Dog canine from Test Unit 2 (60 to 65 cmbs) Figure 5.11 Bovid vertebrae with chop marks from Test Unit 5 (45-50 cmbs) Figure 5.12 Identified mussel species and MNI Figure 5.13 Fish remains from Feature 2 Figure 5.14 Pike vertebrae from the Feature 2 assemblage and a modern comparative specimen Figure 5.15 Metal stamp

LIST OF TABLES

Table 4.1 Cultural Material from the Deep Shovel Tests Table 4.2 Excavated Test Units Table 4.3 Cultural Material from Test Unit 1 Table 4.4 Vertical Distribution of Cultural Material from Test Unit 1 Table 4.5 Cultural Material from Test Unit 2 Table 4.6 Vertical Distribution of Cultural Material from Test Unit 2 Table 4.7 Cultural Material from Test Unit 3 Table 4.8 Vertical Distribution of Cultural Material from Test Unit 3 Table 4.9 Cultural Material from Test Unit 4 Table 4.10 Vertical Distribution of Cultural Material from Test Unit 4 Table 4.11 Cultural Material from Test Unit 5 Table 4.12 Vertical Distribution of Cultural Material from Test Unit 5 Table 4.13 Cultural Material from Feature 1 (TU 6 and 7)

Table 5.1 Cultural Material Totals Table 5.2 Pre-Contact Ceramics: Surface Treatment by Sherd Type Table 5.3 Pre-Contact Ceramics: Diagnostic Sherds Table 5.4 Pre-Contact Ceramics: Vertical Distribution Table 5.5 Chipped Stone Flaking Debris Attributes Table 5.6 Identified Faunal Remains by Species Table 5.7 Species Distribution of Analyzed Faunal Remains Table 5.8 Modern and Ancient Mussel Species

W912ES-11-P-0019, March 2012

INTRODUCTION

This document provides the results of Phase II archaeological testing and evaluation of 21CP68, an open-air pre-contact Native American site located within the area of potential effect of the Alternate Gatewell 2 Outlet Alignment, Montevideo Section 205 Flood Control Project, Chippewa County, Minnesota. Site 21CP68 was initially identifi ed during the 2010 Phase I survey of the project area in an open, grassy area along the Minnesota River (Harvey and Eichmann 2010). In 2011, a Phase II evaluation of site 21CP68 was conducted to determine the eligibility of the site for listing on the National Register of Historic Places. The Phase II study included additional shovel testing south of the alignment proposed in 2010, which confi rmed that the site extends to the south and to the east, paralleling the Minnesota River. Through hand excavation of test units and limited mechanical stripping, the Phase II excavations at 21CP68 identifi ed a series of occupations that date to the Terminal Woodland and Plains Village periods. The occupations are derived from several deeply buried and stratifi ed soil horizons that extend from approximately 50 to at least 130 cmbs. Cultural materials were recovered from all of the buried soils, including diagnostic ceramic wares that date to the Terminal Woodland (Lake Benton) and Plains Village (Great Oasis, Cambria, and Big Stone) periods.

The artifact assemblage is comprised of high quantities of faunal and ceramic remains, with very low frequencies of chipped stone fl aking debris and tools. Three cultural features were identifi ed at the site including an expansive shell midden (feature 1), a basin shaped pit of an unknown function, but associated with fi sh remains (feature 2), and a scatter containing a large manuport and several ceramic sherds (feature 3). These Phase II investigations demonstrate that site 21CP68 meets the criteria for listing on the National Register of Historic Places under Criterion D-the property has yielded or is likely to yield information in prehistory or history. In a broad contextual framework, site 21CP68 has the potential to fi ll important data needs regarding settlement patterns, subsistence pursuits, and technological adaptations during the Late Woodland and Late Pre-contact time periods in the Prairie Lakes region. The site can also address the relationships among the Woodland and Plains village groups occupying and using the Minnesota River valley.

The archaeological investigations detailed in this document were conducted to partially fulfi ll the obligations of the United States Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) regarding cultural resources obtaining from the execution of Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 (P.L. 89-665), as amended; the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (P.L. 91-190); the Archeological and Historical Preservation Act of 1974 (P.L. 93-291); the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation’s “Regulations for the Protection of Historic Properties” (36 CFR Part 800); and applicable Corps regulations. The work was conducted under the terms of Contract No. W912ES-11-P-0019. Currently, all materials, fi eld notes, and supporting documentation are housed at the GLARC facility in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Upon acceptance of the fi nal report, all project documentation and artifacts will be submitted to the Minnesota Historical Society for permanent curation.

PROJECT LOCATION

Site 21CP68 is located in the NE NW of Section 19, Township 117 North, Range 40 West, Chippewa County (Figure 1.1, 1.2).

REPORT ORGANIZATION

This report is organized in six parts. Part I provides the general background data that justifi es the necessity of the study, describes the proposed improvements, and identifi es the project location. Part II represents the environmental and cultural setting for the regional project area. Part III details the research methods used during the course of the

PART I: INTRODUCTION AND PROJECT BACKGROUND

Phase II Archaeological Testing and Evaluation of Site 21CP68 W912ES-11-P-0019, March 2012

Figure 1.1 Project location in Minnesota.

Minnesota

Rock Nobles Jackson Martin Faribault Freeborn Mower Fillmore Houston

Pipestone Murray Cottonwood Watonwan Blue Earth Wascca Steele Dodge Olsted Winona

Lincoln Lyon Redwood

Brown

Nicollet Le Sucur Rice Goodhue

Wabasha

Yellow Medicine Redville

Sibley

McLeod Carver

Scott Dakota

Lac Qui Parle Chippewa

Kandiyohi Meeker Wright

Hennepin

R am se y

W as h in g to n

Anoka

Big Stone

Swift

Traverse

Stevens Pope Stearns

Sherburne

Isanti

Chisago

Benton

Grant Douglas

Todd Morrison

Mille Lacs

Kanabec

Pine

Wilkin Otter Trail

Wadena

Cass

Crow Wing

Aitkin Carlton

Norman

BeckerClay

Mahnomen

C le ar w at er

Hubbard

Itasca

St. Louis Lake

Cook

Koochiching

Beltrami

Lake of the Woods

Polk

Red Lake

Pennington

Marshall

Kittson Roseau

N

E

S

W

0 50 100 Miles

0 50 100 Kilometers

PROJECT LOCATION

W912ES-11-P-0019, March 2012

Figure 1.2 Location of 21CP68 depicted on the Montevideo 7.5’ USGS Quadrangle Map (1965, Photo revised 1994).

Montevideo

Clarkfield NE

0 500 1,000250

Meters

0 1,500 3,000750

Feet

Site 21CP68, Chippewa County, Minnesota

Legend

Quad Sheet Boundary

21CP68 site boundaryUSACE St. Paul Contract# W912ES-P-0019 GLARC Project 10.146

Data: GLARC, ESRI, USGS 7.5' topographic maps (Montevideo and Clarkfield NE)

1:24,000 Chippewa CountyMapped: RHK, 2/17/2012

21CP68

Phase II Archaeological Testing and Evaluation of Site 21CP68 W912ES-11-P-0019, March 2012 investigations. The results of the Phase II evaluation are discussed in Part IV. Part V provides the results of the artifact analyses. Finally, Part VI of the report summarizes the research and provides the cultural resource management recommendations for the project. References cited follow Part VI. Appendices are included after the References Cited section.

W912ES-11-P-0019, March 2012

PART II: ENVIRONMENTAL AND CULTURAL SETTING

ENVIRONMENTAL CONTEXT

This section provides an overview of the environmental context of the study area. The physical setting, including glacial history and physiography, is fi rst discussed and is followed by a summary of the climate, soils, and fl oral/faunal resources.

Bedrock Geology and Glacial History

The Minnesota landscape is a refl ection of its geological foundation (bedrock), glacial history, and climate (Benchley et al. 1997). The physical landscape of Minnesota is largely the result of glacial events acted upon by subsequent erosional and fl uvial processes. The complex series of glacial advances and retreats during the Pleistocene has covered Minnesota with a mantle of glacial sediment comprised of glacial till, meltwater deposits, and lake clays (Benchley et al. 1997). These sediments cover almost all of the rocks in the state; in northwestern Minnesota, there are no rock outcrops at all within an area of 45,000 square kilometers (Benchley et al. 1997).

There is considerable variability in the type and character of bedrock in Minnesota. The Laurentian Upland encompasses more than half of Minnesota and contains ancient Precambrian igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary rocks. The province is coeval with the Canadian Shield, which contains Precambrian deposits that document the geological history of North America from 3,600 to 600 million years ago. The largest exposures of Precambrian rock are in northeastern Minnesota where the glaciers often eroded sediments. A second set of key Precambrian exposures are in southwestern Minnesota near Granite Falls where the Minnesota River has down cut through the glacial sediments to the underlying bedrock. The Interior Lowlands encompasses much of southern Minnesota. The rocks within this province are largely sedimentary rocks of Paleozoic age and are much younger than those of the Laurentian Uplands (Benchley et al. 1997).

The Wisconsin glacial period occurred between 60,000 and 10,000 years ago (Gibbon et al. 2000). During this period, much of Minnesota was covered with glacial ice, however, glaciation took place through a complex series of ice lobe advances and retreats (Wright 1972). Only a small area of central Minnesota and the southern two corners of the state remained ice free during the maximum extent of the ice masses, which occurred about 20,000 years ago (Gibbon et al. n.d.). Toward the end of the Wisconsin glacial period, two principal ice lobes covered Minnesota—the Superior Lobe and the Des Moines Lobe. The Superior Lobe moved southwestward out of the Lake Superior basin into east-central Minnesota. The Des Moines Lobe inched south through the Red River valley and then turned east into the Minnesota River valley (Gibbon et al. 2000).

Two bedrock based features, the Minnesota River Lowland and the Coteau des Prairies shaped the Late Wisconsin glaciation of the region (Anfi nson 1997). The Coteau is a wedge-shaped highland with its point near the South Dakota- North Dakota state line and its indistinct base extends across southeastern South Dakota and southwestern Minnesota.

Physiography

The project area is in the Minnesota River valley physiographic province (Wright 1972) (Figure 2.1). The deeply entrenched Minnesota River valley was excavated largely by Glacial River Warren, which was the only outlet of Glacial Lake Agassiz during its early history (Anfi nson 1997). The Minnesota River valley extends between the Blue Earth and the Olivia Till Plains in a straight course for 180 miles from its head at Brown’s Valley to the big bend at Mankato and then northeast for an additional 40 miles to the moraine complex west of Minneapolis (Benchley et al.

1997). In the upper reaches of the river, two long river lakes are present. These lakes (Lac qui Parle and Big Stone Lake) were created by fans from the Chippewa and Whetstone rivers that dammed the Minnesota River. Downstream from these lakes, the river has down cut into very ancient Precambrian rock and outcrops of these materials continue to Mankato, where Paleozoic rocks appear (Benchley et al. 1997).

Phase II Archaeological Testing and Evaluation of Site 21CP68 W912ES-11-P-0019, March 2012

Figure 2.1 Project location relative to the physiographic provinces of Minnesota (after Wright 1972).

26 COTEAU

DES PRAIRIES,

INNER PART

20 COTEAU DES

PRAIRIES, OUT

PART

BLUE EARTH TILL

PLAIN

OWATONNA

MORAINE

AREA

EASTERN

ST. CROIX

MORAINE

27 ROCHESTER

TILL

PLAIN

15 BEMIDJI AREA 7 CHISHOLM-

EMBARRASS

AREA

22 OLIVIA

TILL

PLAIN

12 ANOKA SAND PLAIN AREA

23 MINNESOTA RIVER VALLEY

24 GLACIAL LAKE AGASSIZ

25 BELTRAMI ARM OF LAKE AGASSIZ

18 ALEXANDRIA MORAINE

AREA

W

ES

TE

RN

ITASCA MORAINE

ST

. C

RO

IX

M O

RA

IN

E

SUGAR

HILLS-

MILLE

LACS

MORAINE

AREA

2 N

ORTH SHORE H

IG

HLAND

4 GIANTS

RANGE

SS 10

BARNUM

CLAY-TILL

AREA

11 BRAINERD-AUTOMBA DRUMLIN AREA

WADENA\

DRUMLIN

AREA

9 GLACIAL

LAKE DULUTH

AREA

GLACIAL

LAKES UPHAM

AND AITKIN

RANGE

AURORA-

ALBORN

CLAY

TILL

AREA

TOIMI

DRUMLIN

AREA

4 BORDER LAKES AREA

EXPLANATION

Moraines and bed rock highlands

Till plains and drumlin areas

Sand plains, lake plains, and large valleys

0 10 20 30 40 50 miles

AA

CCTTS

KK

(after Wright 1972)

PROJECT AREA

W912ES-11-P-0019, March 2012

Minnesota is comprised of a mosaic of forests, lakes, wetlands and prairies (Minnesota Department of Natural Resources 2004b). The project area is within the Minnesota River Prairie Subsection of the North Central Glaciated Plains in the Prairie Parkland Province (Figure 2.2). Loamy ground moraine (till moraine) is the dominant landform, but end moraines, and lake plains also occupy a signifi cant area. Ground moraine topography is level to gently rolling.

The steepest topography of the subsection is along the Minnesota River and on the Big Stone Moraine, which has steep kames and broad slopes.

Flora and Fauna

Prior to intensive Euroamerican settlement, the region was part of the True Prairie, an ecosystem dominated by tallgrass vegetation of the Andropogon-Panicum-Sorghastrum type. The True Prairie was the most typical and maximally developed grassland of the various tall grass prairies present in North America (Anfi nson 1997; Clements and Shelford 1939). The pre-settlement vegetation was primarily tallgrass prairie, with many islands of wet prairie.

Forest of silver maple, elm, cottonwood, and willow grew on fl oodplains along the Minnesota River and other streams.

This portion of the Big Stone Moraine supported dry and dry-mesic prairie.

Numerous species of mammals were native to the region at the time of Euroamerican contact (Anfi nson 1997;

Ernst and French 1977). The largest mammal reported in the region for the 10,000 years prior to Euroamerican settlement was the bison. At the time of contact, bison were found throughout the region, however, herd sizes and numbers dramatically increased as one moved westward through the region. In the early nineteenth century, bison were rare east of the region, but large herds were still common in its western part. These herds may have moved seasonally into the region, arriving in summer and leaving in the fall. Bison disappeared from the region in the mid-nineteenth century with the last bison reported in southwestern Minnesota in 1879 (Anfi nson 1997; Moyle 1965).

Other animals present in the region include elk, deer, and muskrat. Waterfowl, birds, and fi sh were also abundant resources during pre-settlement times.

Soils

Dominant soils of the area are well to moderately well-drained loamy soils formed in gray calcareous till of Des Moines lobe origin (Brug 1979). Other soils are clayey and sandy, and gravelly soils are present locally. Most soils are Udolls and Aquolls on relatively level topography. Dry prairie soils, primarily Ustolls, are present on level or gently rolling topography.

CULTURAL HISTORICAL CONTEXT

The project area is located within the Northeastern Plains subarea of the Prairie Lake Region archaeological culture area and within the Minnesota Archaeological Region 2n: Prairie Lake North (Gibbon et al. 2000) . The Prairie Lake Region includes southwestern Minnesota, northeastern South Dakota, and north-central Iowa. The following narrative summarizes the broad regional account of the historic and pre-contact periods. Much of the discussion of the culture history of the southwestern Minnesota is based on the excellent summaries provided by Benchley et al. (1997) and Anfi nson (1997).

Paleoindian Tradition

The fi rst documented pre-contact inhabitants of the Prairie Lake Region were descendents of Upper Paleolithic hunters, generally thought to have migrated to the New World through Beringia, land beneath what is now the Bering Strait. This strip of land was exposed during the last Ice Age when sea levels were dramatically lower. The Paleoindian tradition is traditionally viewed as an adaptation to hunting large Pleistocene megafauna (Frison 1978). On the Plains, the main quarry of Paleoindian hunters were now-extinct species of mammoth and bison (Gregg et al. 1996). Two distinct patterns can be identifi ed within the Paleoindian tradition: the Fluted point pattern and the Lanceolate point pattern (Benchley et al. 1997; Bonnichsen et al. 1987).

Phase II Archaeological Testing and Evaluation of Site 21CP68 W912ES-11-P-0019, March 2012

Figure 2.2 Project location relative to the ecological classification of Minnesota (Minnesota Department of Natural Resources 2004b).

ASPEN

PARLANDS

HARDWOOD

HILLS

ANOKA SAND

PLAIN

BIG

WOODS

ROCHESTER

PLATEAU

OAK

SAVANNA

PROJECT AREA

W912ES-11-P-0019, March 2012

The distribution of Paleoindian sites and materials throughout the Plains suggests that Paleoindian people lived in small, highly mobile groups that occupied landscapes associated with retreating glacial ice margins (Frison 1978).

Paleoindian sites include kill sites, processing sites, and campsites.

The Fluted point pattern includes the Clovis and Folsom complexes. The earliest documented Paleoindian complex on the Northeastern Plains is the Clovis complex, which is known primarily from surface fi nds of distinctive Clovis fl uted projectile points. Clovis fl uted projectile points are lanceolate shaped, parallel-sided, concave based points with a characteristic longitudinal “fl ute”, or groove, extending about half way up the length of the point. Clovis points have been recovered in the Prairie Lake Region, however, none of these have been recovered in formal excavation (Anfi nson 1997:28). Clovis complex sites on the Northeastern Plains are found at and above the elevations of the Manitoba and Pembina escarpments, which mark the highest levels and greatest areal extent of glacial Lake Agassiz (Gregg et al. 1996). Clovis materials have also been reported in the Souris River basin and on Pleistocene terraces along the lower James River (Fosha 1994).

Archaeological sites on the Northeastern Plains attributable to the Folsom complex (ca. 9,000-8,000 BC) are recognized based on the presence of diagnostic Folsom fl uted points. Like Clovis points, Folsom fl uted points are lanceolate shaped, with parallel sides and concave bases. Folsom points have broad fl ute scars that extend nearly the entire length of the point. In the Prairie Creek Region, Folsom points have been found in Nobles, Brown, and Freeborn counties (Anfi nson 1997:29).

The Lanceolate point pattern (Plano) appears sometime after 9,000 B.P. and likely represents a continuation of the technological and hunting tradition of the Fluted point pattern. The Plano complex (ca. 8,500-5,500 B.P.) on the Northeastern Plains is recognized based on a variety of projectile point types, including Hell Gap-Agate Basin, Cody, Parallel-Oblique Flaked, and Pryor Stemmed (Gregg et al. 1996). The most common points found in the Prairie Lake region are Agate Basin, Eden, Scottsbluff, Dalton, and Brown Valley (Anfi nson 1997:30). Surface fi nds of Plano points are also relatively common throughout Minnesota, especially in the western portion of the state (Dobbs et al.

1994).

Eden and Scottsbluff points have been characterized as part of the Cody complex in the Northeastern Plains (Anfi nson 1997:30). These points are dated to 6,800 to 6,400 B.C., however, may be several hundred years younger (Anfi nson 1997).

Late Paleoindian component sites with parallel-oblique fl aked points such as Browns Valley, Lusk, and Frederick, date to between 7,000 to 5,500 BC on the Northeastern Plains (Gregg et al. 1996). Browns Valley points were fi rst recognized in the Lake Traverse-Big Stone Lake region of Minnesota, where they were found in association with 9,000 year old human skeletal remains (Jenks 1937). Browns Valley points have been recovered from the Hildahl site (21YM35), south of the project area. The site, which is suggested to date from 4,500 to 8,500 years ago, contains Cambria, Early Archaic, Middle Woodland, and Late Woodland components.

Prairie Archaic Tradition

The Prairie Archaic tradition represents a variety of cultural adaptations to the changing environmental conditions that occurred on the Northeastern Plains during the Holocene (Dobbs et al. 1994; Gregg et al. 1996). The extinction of Pleistocene megafauna and the rapidly changing landscapes and climatic regimes of the early Holocene presented major subsistence challenges for human groups occupying the Northeastern Plains (Gregg et al. 1996). These challenges were met by shifts in Paleoindian hunting strategies towards the taking of smaller game and the collection of different plant species (Dobbs et al. 1994; Frison 1978). An increasing regionalization, that appears to be linked to the major biomes, occurs throughout the Archaic (Dobbs et al. 1994).

Technological changes and innovations serve to defi ne the Prairie Archaic stage. One distinguishing feature of the Archaic stage is the appearance of notched and stemmed points, atlatl darts, and knives. The Archaic stage also witnessed the introduction of groundstone tools that are manufactured by pecking, polishing, and grinding pieces of granite, basalt, gabbro, and other igneous and metamorphic rocks (Dobbs et al. 1994).

Phase II Archaeological Testing and Evaluation of Site 21CP68 W912ES-11-P-0019, March 2012

The boundaries of the Archaic tradition are unclear, with the small game hunting and gathering of the Paleoindian tradition and also ceramics, mound burial and horticulture of the Woodland blended in (Anfi nson 1997:35). The Archaic of the western Midwest is referred to as the Prairie Archaic due the prairie landscape that covered the area 8,000 years ago (Anfi nson 1997).

The Prairie Archaic defi nes a hunting and gathering complex distributed throughout the tall-grass prairies of North America and Canada. The Prairie Archaic is closely related to the Plains Archaic, found across the high plains west to the Rocky Mountains (Dobbs et al. 1994). The Prairie Archaic is primarily defi ned by its reliance on bison hunting. The artifact assemblage of the Prairie Archaic, although poorly known, is comprised of projectile points and hafted knives, end/side scrapers, choppers, and utilized fl akes.

The Granite Falls Bison site (21YM47) is one of the best dated Archaic sites in the Prairie Lake Region and is located just east of the project area. The site was located while digging with a backhoe. A bison kill site was uncovered, with a large ovate biface found in situ (Anfi nson 1997:36). Additional excavations occurred at the site, with a determination that the bison were Bison occidentalis and had been driven into the bedrock basin by early Archaic people from 7,500 to 7,000 years ago (Anfi nson 1997:36).

Middle Pre-contact Period

The Woodland tradition in Minnesota is better known than the preceding Archaic and Paleoindian traditions in the state (Benchley et al. 1997). The Woodland tradition is characterized by the initial appearance of pottery vessels and the construction of earthen mounds. Cultural trends during this stage include increasing population growth, an intensifi cation of regional identity and local groups, increasingly effi cient use of raw materials and food resources, and the intrusion of ideas, materials, and technologies from other regions into Minnesota (Benchley et al. 1997:124).

The Prairie Lake Region’s cultural history is more diffi cult to defi ne, as it does not fall into Early, Middle, and Late periods. This is due to lack of ceramic and lithic attributes, absence of Hopewell infl uence, lack of horticulture, and possibly the late use of burial mounds in the area (Anfi nson 1997). More useful classifi cation can be found in the Fox Lake and the Lake Benton phases.

The Middle Prehistoric period includes the Mountain Lake, Fox Lake, and Lake Benton phases and dates from 3,000 B.C. to A.D. 1,200. Sites associated with the Middle Prehistoric period are more numerous than those of preceding periods. The climate became cooler and moister during this period. Lake levels rose and supported a greater abundance of aquatic resources. Prairie vegetation and bison herds expanded westward. Environmental changes affected human subsistence and settlement patterns in the region.

Mountain Lake Phase

The terminal Archaic phase of the Prairie Lake Region is referred to as the Mountain Lake phase and is characterized by a cooler moister climate beginning in 3,000 B.C. (Anfi nson 1997). During this time, bison herds shifted west, there was a slight increase in woody vegetation, and most of the shallow lakes were full (Anfi nson 1997).

While hunting bison was still important, the use of aquatic species became equally important. No evidence of agriculture, ceramic manufacture, or mound burial is apparent during this phase. Mountain Lake phase populations had a more sedentary lifeway with settlements on islands and peninsulas.

Fox Lake Phase

The Fox Lake phase dates from 200 B.C. to A.D. 700 and is defi ned by the beginning of ceramic manufacturing and the use of bow and arrow. The largest change from the Mountain Lake phase is the manufacture of side-notched, corner-notched, and triangular points. Five Fox Lake pottery types have been named, characterized by a slight thinning of the vessel, an increase in surface smoothing, an increase of narrow trailed lines, appearance of cord marking, decrease in bossing, and appearance of cord-wrapped stick impressions below the lip (Florin 2009). Four point types have been defi ned for the Fox Lake phase, including stemmed, side-notched, corner notched, and triangular. The change in the point types are likely related to the use of the bow and arrow.

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Lake Benton Phase

Lake Benton phase dates from A.D. 700 to 1,200 and is defi ned by the use of burial mounds, modifi cation in pottery techniques, and further use of the bow and arrow. The subsistence patterns did not change much and were similar to the Fox Lake phase. Pottery tended to be thinner, more globular, with a decrease of decoration on the exterior and an increase of decoration on the lip. Point types tend to be small side-notched and are similar to the side-notched points from the Plains (Kehoe 1966). These small points were used primarily for the bow and arrow. The majority of the burial mounds in the Prairie Lake Region tend to be temporally associated with the Lake Benton phase (Anfi nson 1997).

Late Prehistoric Period

The Late Prehistoric period includes the Great Oasis, Cambria, Big Stone, and Blue Earth Phases and dates from A.D. 900 to 1,650. Signifi cant changes are made in form and decoration as compared to the Woodland ceramics.

Gardening and river subsistence take the focus and Plains Village and Oneota complexes replace earlier cultures (Anfi nson 1997).

Great Oasis Phase

Part of the Plains Village phase, the Great Oasis phase is one of the earliest and most widely spread (Anfi nson 1997). Ceramics from the Great Oasis sites have been divided into Great Oasis High Rim and Great Oasis Wedge Lip, both being globular, grit-tempered, smooth to slightly polished rims, and cordmarked-smooth exterior bodied. The High Rim ware resembles its Woodland antecedents and the Wedge lip resembles some Central Plains types (Anfi nson 1997). The majority of the Great Oasis points are small side-notched and unnotched triangular points, however, some corner-notched and stemmed points have been found (Anfi nson 1997). The sites with the Prairie Lake Region are found in traditional Woodland locales.

Cambria Phase

Little is known about the Cambria phase, as all of the information is from one site, 21BE2, the Cambria site. It appears that the Cambria phase is a mixture of Woodland, Middle Mississippian, and Plains Village traits. Most signifi cantly, this blending is seen in the ceramics. The vessels are grit tempered, globular and have smooth surfaces.

The lithics are also a blending of the cultures and consist of small, side-notched and triangular points. Elden Johnson proposed that the Cambria phase was linked to Cahokia and that the Cambria site was a northern extension of the network (Anfi nson 1997). Settlements are located on terraces of the upper Mississippi River and near lakes and rivers.

Big Stone Phase

The Big Stone phase is part of the Plains Village complex and dates from A.D. 1,100 to 1,300. Small fortifi ed villages characterize the sites. Ceramics are similar to Linden and Mankato types and Knife River Flint dominates the lithic material. The artifact densities, however, are sparse and small. Bison were important, with most major western sites occurring on lakes or rivers. Fortifi ed sites are located on high bluffs overlooking Big Stone and Traverse Lakes, with unfortifi ed sites lying in the lower terraces on lakes.

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Blue Earth Phase

The Blue Earth phase dates to A.D. 1,000-1,650 and is an Oneota micro-tradition in the Prairie Lake Region (Anfi nson 1997). The ceramics are similar to the Correctionville Trailed type in Northwestern Iowa. Some feel that the Correctionville and Blue Earth are synonymous types and phases (Anfi nson 1997). It is possible that the these phases are not one or two, but rather four different phases: Red Wing, Center Creek, Correctionville, and Fort Ridgely.

Center Creek and Fort Ridgely are both Prairie Lake phases (Anfi nson 1997). Most of the ceramics from the region are too small to analyze. They can be defi ned as shell tempered, smooth surface sherds.

Protohistoric and Historic Native Americans

French fur traders and explorers were the fi rst Euroamericans in the region in 1660s. Contact period sites in the Prairie Lakes Region are primarily associated with the Yankton Dakota at the time of contact, circa 1700. Lands in these areas were widely disputed and passed from the French to the Spanish and eventually claimed by the British.

Finally, American fur trade companies replaced the British until the decline in the fur trade in the 1800s. The Europeans were associating with the Wahpeton and Sisseton Dakota by the early 1800s. Large Dakota villages were located along the Minnesota River. French, English, and Americans established fur and wintering posts, concentrated mostly along the upper Minnesota River between 1750 and 1800. By the early 1800s, American traders were located in wooded locations in the interior of the state. In the mid 1800s, the Dakota ceded land to the U.S. Government, however, the treaties compensations were never received by the Dakota. This caused the “Sioux Uprising” of 1862 and the death of hundreds of civilians before the Sioux surrendered. The captives of these battles were released near Montevideo where a state memorial was later established. The Dakota were banished from the state, however, they were allowed to return to establish Sioux communities. The construction of railroads allowed for the settlement and farming of the region.

Chippewa County was established in 1862, with Montevideo incorporated as a village in 1879 and as a city in 1908.

PREVIOUS ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND HISTORICAL RESEARCH

Archaeological research in southwestern Minnesota began in the late nineteenth century with the Northwestern Archaeological Survey by Alfred Hill and Theodore Lewis (Anfi nson 1997; Keyes 1928). Lewis worked primarily south of the Minnesota River in the 1880s and north of the river in the 1890s, mapping most of the mound groups and other earthworks. Newton Winchell and Warren Upham, of the Geological and Natural History Survey of Minnesota also recorded some archaeological data of the region (Winchel 1911). Three mounds sites (21CP8, 21CPj, and 21YM23) were identifi ed within one mile of the project area by the Northwestern Archaeological Survey.

The fi rst scientifi c excavations in the region were completed by William Nickerson of the Minnesota Historical Society at the Cambria site (21BE2) in 1913 and 1916 and at the Juson Mound (21BE148) in 1916 (Anfi nson 1997).

In 1934, the University of Minnesota began archaeological work in the region. Albert Jenks and his assistant, Lloyd Wilford, excavated several mounds in the Lake Traverse vicinity and the Fox Lake Site (21MR2). Wilford also presented the fi rst detailed overview of the precontact history of Minnesota in his doctoral dissertation (Anfi nson 1997).

Starting in 1938, Wilford directed the archaeological program at the University of Minnesota for the next 21 years. Wilford catalogued known sites and excavated many habitation and mound sites in the region. Wilford published several overviews of the precontact history of Minnesota (Wilford 1941, 1955, 1960); these overviews prevailed as the basis of the cultural history for the region well into the 1970s (Anfi nson 1997).

In the 1930s and the 1940s, several excavations were funded by the Works Progress Administration and the Civilian Conservation Corps. These excavations focused on historic sites along the Minnesota River (Larsen 1942;

Smith 1938; Nystuen and Lindeman 1969).

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Archaeological research in the region was sporadic during the 1960s. In the 1970s, however, there was resurgence of interest in the archaeology of the region owing to new federal preservation laws and academic study (Anfi nson 1997). Archaeological excavations and studies were completed at numerous sites in the region by the University of Nebraska, the Minnesota Historical Society, the Science Museum of Minnesota, Mankato State University, and the University of Minnesota.

The 1970s also witnessed the completion of several cultural resource management (CRM) studies. These studies were conducted to mitigate the adverse effects of construction. Of particular note is the Hildahl complex (21YM33, 21YM334, 21YM35) investigation for the Trunk Highway 23 project which encountered Early Precontact, Woodland, and Cambria components (Anfi nson 1997; Dobbs 1979; Hudak 1978). The Statewide Archaeological Survey of the Minnesota Historical Society also investigated six counties, including Blue Earth, Brown, Douglas, Faribault, Kandiyohi, and Redwood, from 1978 to 1981 (Anfi nson 1997; Minnesota Historical Records Survey Project 1981).

CRM studies and a few academic investigations were conducted in the region during the 1980s. Most of the CRM studies were comprised of limited reconnaissance completed for various federal agencies. Highway reconnaissance surveys have been responsible for most of the archaeological work done in the region in the 1980s.

Specifi c to the project area, Peterson (1986) conducted a survey at 21LP13, the Camp Release State Monument.

Other surveys include a Fish and Wildlife Survey in 1987 (Roetzel et al. 1987), a Yellow Medicine County highway survey in 1992 (Johnson 1992), and a survey for the Corps of Engineers in 1993 (Ollendorf and Mooers 1994).

Lastly, in 2009, a Phase I archaeological survey was conducted for Gatewell 2 Outlet Alignment at the City of Montevideo (Florin 2009). Florin (2009) identifi ed on archaeological site, 21CP66, that is directly adjacent to the current project area.

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PART III: RESEARCH DESIGN

INTRODUCTION

The methods and techniques used during the Phase I cultural resource investigations of the project area were consistent with those standards promulgated in the Secretary of Interior’s Standards and Guidelines for Archeology and Historic Preservation as well as in the SHPO Manual for Archaeological Projects in Minnesota (Anfi nson 2005), established by the Minnesota State Historic Preservation Offi ce.

PHASE II ARCHAEOLOGICAL EVALUATIONS

The site datum established for each site during the Phase I surveys was relocated during the Phase II evaluations.

Using a Zeiss Elta R50 total station TDS Recon data collector running TDS Survey Pro software, a map was developed for each site, plotting excavation units, modern features, and landform features. An arbitrary site grid was then established for the site. Test excavation units were placed within the site grids in locations thought likely to yield subsurface data. Post-fi eld manipulations of survey data was accomplished using TDS Foresight DXM software and ESRI ArcGIS.

Backhoe Trenching

Backhoe trenching was conducted in order to identify truncated cultural features beneath the disturbed plow zone of the cultivated fi eld. The area chosen for mechanical stripping was determined by the locations of artifacts recovered during Phase I survey. A track backhoe equipped with a 3 foot, fl at-edged landscape bucket was used for trenching.

Test Unit Excavation

The archaeological evaluations included the completion of 1 x 2 m2 test excavation units at the 21CP68. These units were excavated by hand in arbitrary 10 centimeter levels below the modern ground surface. A unit datum was established for each unit at the corner with the highest surface elevation and was occasionally located above the modern ground surface. Depths were typically recorded in cm below surface (cmbs) but cm below datum (cmbd) was used in certain circumstances, such as piece-plots. All level matrix was dry-screened through ¼ inch hardware mesh.

Excavation of each unit generally proceeded until excavators reached two consecutive culturally sterile levels. Upon completion of the test unit excavations, all excavated areas were backfi lled and compacted.

Feature Excavation

The subsurface features encountered during the course of the investigations was excavated according to strict parameters to control contamination of the feature matrix and to retain as much information about the feature as possible. Once identifi ed, the features were mapped in plan view. Following this, features were bisected and one half of the feature was excavated separately. Once half of the feature was removed, a “window” was excavated to reveal the profi le of the feature along the plane of bisection, which was then mapped. After the shape of the feature is recorded, the remaining half of the feature was excavated. All feature material was bagged and removed from the site due to time constraints and inclement weather. The material was later dry screened through ¼ inch mesh off-site, with samples from the east half of the feature processed through 1/16 inch water screen and fl otation.

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Soil Sample Processing

As described above, portions the subsurface features were processed either through water screening or fl otation.

Upon being brought to the processing site, all sample bags were entered into a processing log, where provenience and processing information was maintained for each sample.

For water-screening, the soil samples were placed on 1/16 inch hardware mesh and the matrix was broken up and forced through the mesh with water from a garden hose. The material remaining in the screen was collected into a muslin bag labeled with provenience information. The labeled fl agging tape and wired paper tags that had been created for the soil samples when they were fi rst bagged in the fi eld were kept with the samples after processing.

Samples were allowed to dry and were then brought to the GLARC laboratory in Milwaukee to be checked for cultural material.

Flotation samples were allowed to dry before processing. All fl otation samples were processed using the Shelton and White (2010) hand pump fl otation system. An air compressor was used to help froth the water/soil mixture. The light fraction was captured in a brass geological sieve, 40 mesh per inch, lined with tightly woven nylon mesh. The heavy fraction was captured on a 1.0 mm mesh and then placed on tightly woven nylon mesh and/or muslin. Both the light and heavy fraction were allowed to thoroughly dry. Care was taken to avoid too rapid drying of the light and heavy fractions that can lead to breakage of the delicate macro-botanical remains (c.f. Pearsall 2000:51).

Field Data Management

Standard fi eld documentation was completed including: fi eld notebook, unit summary forms, unit level forms, feature forms, and photography log books. The general progress of the excavation, fi eld conditions, and observations were recorded in fi eld notes maintained by the fi eld supervisors. Upon completion of the fi eldwork, all documentation was removed to GLARC’s archaeological lab for review, processing, analysis, and interpretation.

Site Clean Up and Backfi lling

All stakes, fl agging, equipment, and refuse were removed from the project areas after the completion of fi eldwork. All nails were removed, save those representing the datum for each site. All excavated areas were backfi lled with soil removed during the excavations. Areas that had been mechanically stripped were backfi lled and graded to match the pre-existing surface topography.

LABORATORY METHODS AND ANALYSIS

All artifacts, samples, maps, records, notes, and other project documentation generated during the fi eld investigations were brought to the GLARC laboratory in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Laboratory staff processed the artifacts and samples according to the Field Conservation Guidelines for Minnesota Archaeologists (Storch 1996a), Field and Laboratory Methods for Handling Osseous Materials (Storch 1996b), and the SHPO Manual for Archaeological Projects in Minnesota (Minnesota State Historic Preservation Offi ce 2001).

Initial Procedures

Initial procedures involved generating a laboratory log, cleaning, and rebagging. The laboratory log sheet cross checked the fi eld lot numbers with actual artifact and sample bags entering the laboratory. All artifacts were removed from their paper fi eld bag, cleaned, and placed in an archivally stable zip lock plastic bag. Artifact cleaning included gentle dry brushing and water processing. Provenience information from the paper fi eld bag was transcribed onto the plastic bag and the original information clipped and placed inside the plastic bag.

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Size Grading

Certain artifacts, namely potsherds and debitage, were graded into fi ve nested screens of differing sizes comprised of Size Grade 1 (25.0 mm), Size Grade 2 (12.5 mm), Size Grade 3 (5.6 mm), Size Grade 4 (2.8 mm), and Size Grade 5 (1.18 mm).