A Chronology of Archaeology in Minnesota
1836 Catlin to Pipestone Quarry
1849 Mn Territory established; Minnesota Historical Society (MHS) founded
1855 Alfred J. Hill to St. Paul
1856 Edward Neill excavates mound at Indian Mounds Park in St. Paul
1858 Minnesota Statehood; Neill’s History of Minnesota published
1862 Hill and Wallace map Indian Mounds Park site (21RA10) for MHS Committee on Archaeology (CoA)
1863 Oliver Kelley digs fur post at mouth of Crow River
1866 Hill excavates mounds 7 and 8 at Indian Mounds Park for MHS CoA
1867 MHS CoA excavates mounds at Indian Mounds Park and at Lake Minnetonka
1879 Bureau of American Ethnology (BAE); Archaeological Institute of America
1880 Frances Babbitt investigates Little Falls quartz sites
1881 Alfred Hill hires Theodore Lewis and starts Northwestern Archaeological Survey
1882 P.W. Norris of BAE excavates mound at Pipestone
1884 George Bryce excavates at Grand Mound site (21KC3)
1889 Jacob Brower begins formal archaeological surveys for MHS
1892 W.H. Holmes of BAE maps Pipestone site
1895 A.J. Hill dies; Northwestern Archaeological Survey ends
1896 Fire in capitol building destroys Brower’s records
1905 J.V. Brower dies; Newton Winchell becomes MHS archaeologist
1908 Jesuits excavate Ft. St. Charles (21LW6)
1911 MHS publishes Newton Winchell’s Aborigines of Minnesota
1913 William Nickerson excavates at the Cambria site (21BE2)
1914 Newton Winchell dies; Warren Upham becomes MHS archaeologist
1916 Nickerson excavates at Cambria site
1918 Albert E. Jenks starts Anthropology Department at University of Minnesota
1922 D. Albinson and A. Eastman map Ft. Charlotte on Grand Portage for MHS
1928 A. Jenks with Lloyd Wilford excavates Galaz Mimbres site in New Mexico
1929 first meeting of the Minnesota Archaeological Society (MAS)
1930 Jenks and Wilford excavate in Algeria
1931 “Minnesota Man” skeleton found by road crew near Pelican Rapids
1932 U of M field crew excavates five northern Mn sites; Minnesota Arch. Society
1933 Browns Valley skeleton and points found by William Jenson
1934 U of M excavates at Browns Valley site; Warren Upham dies
1935 MAS publishes first issue of The Minnesota Archaeologist
1936 MHS led by Ralph Brown excavates at Grand Portage; G.Hubert Smith at Ft. Ridgely; MAS formally incorporates
1937 Lloyd Wilford finishes PhD at Harvard
1938 A.E. Jenks retires; Wilford takes over U of M archaeology
1939 LaMoille Rockshelter salvage; Minnesota Antiquities Act
1940 Richard Sackett (WPA) excavates historic sites in Minnesota River Valley
1941 Wilford’s first prehistoric cultural classification in American Antiquity
1944 Leland Cooper to Hamline
1946 Wilford resumes U of M field schools after WWII
1953 Elden Johnson to St. Paul Science Museum; A. E. Jenks dies
1955 Wilford’s revised prehistoric cultural classification in American Antiquity
1957 John Callender (MHS) begins excavations at Ft. Snelling; Elden Johnson begins site file at U of M
1959 Lloyd Wilford retires at U of M and is replaced by Elden Johnson; U of M excavates Itasca site
1960 Alan Woolworth to MHS; Superior-Quetico underwater project begins; U of M publishes first Minnesota Archaeological Newsletter
1961 Alan Woolworth (MHS) excavates at Grand Portage
1963 Field Archaeology Act; St. Paul underwater conference; Cooper at Pine City post; Vern Helmen to St. Paul Science Museum
1964 Loren Johnson (MHS) excavates at Cantonment New Hope; MORRC report on archaeology
1965 MORCC funds archaeological work; 1st excavations at Kathio State Park
1966 Timothy Fiske (MHS) fur trade post survey; National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA)
1968 MHS Trunk Highway archaeological survey (MTHARS) starts under Nick Franke
1969 Alan Woolworth Chief of MHS Arch. Dept.; Richard Lane to St. Cloud St.;
Alan Brew to Bemidji St.; MHS publishes Johnson’s Prehistoric Peoples;
U of M excavates at Gull Lake Dam for USACE; Charlie Watrall becomes MTHARS archaeologist
1970 David Nystuen becomes MTHARS archaeologist
1971 Council for Minnesota Archaeology (CMA) incorporates; Richard Strachan to Mankato St.; AIM interrupts MHS dig at Ft. Sweeney (GD86)
1973 Guy Gibbon and Janet Spector to U of M; Ken Ames to Moorhead State; Joe Hudak to SMM; Center for Ancient Studies CAS begins at U of M; Les Peterson becomes MTHARS archaeologist
1974 1st year of extensive CRM archaeology in Minnesota
1975 MHS Municipal-County Highway archaeological survey (MCHARS) begins under Scott Anfinson; Michael Michlovic to Moorhead State; Leland Cooper dies; Dan Bowen 1st USACE district archaeologist; Rip Rapp to Duluth
1976 Sup-Quetico Project ends; Private Cemeteries Act (PCA) includes Indian burials
1977 MHS Statewide Archaeological Survey begins; 1st private arch. firm (Terra)
1978 Elden Johnson resigns as State Archaeologist, replaced by Christy Caine;
Orrin Shane to Science Museum of Minnesota; G. J. Hudak starts ARS; David Berwick USACE archaeologist
1979 Robert Clouse becomes Chief of MHS Arch. Dept.
1980 PCA amended to include professional authentication; C. Caine to CNF
1981 Statewide Archaeological Survey ends; G. Gibbon director of UM CAS
1982 MHS Archaeology Dept. layoffs; IMA founded; Lloyd Wilford dies
1983 First site file computerization by Scott Anfinson
1984 DNR State Parks Archaeology Program at MHS
1985 DNR Trails and Waterways Archaeology Program at MHS; OSA-MIAC burial site procedures
1987 Elden Johnson retires from U of M; joins IMA as Director
1990 Scott Anfinson becomes first full-time SHPO archaeologist; Randy Peterson becomes MCHARS archaeologist
1992 Elden Johnson dies; Christy Hohman-Caine resigns as State Archaeologist in October
1993 CAS becomes Interdisciplinary Archaeological Studies (IAS) at U of M; SHPO Manual for Archaeological Projects
1994 MHS Trunk Highway and Municipal-County archaeological surveys end; SHPO begins site file database review with MnDOT grant
1995 Mark Dudzik appointed State Archaeologist in February; MnDOT MnModel project begins; DNR Forestry Archaeology Program at MHS; Bruce Koenen to OSA; first Archaeology Week in Minnesota; SAA meets in Minneapolis
1996 State Archaeologist to Department of Administration by Executive Order
1997 FAA revised – State Archaeologist becomes state employee
1998 Alan Woolworth retires from MHS; FAA revised – State Arch four year term eliminated
1999 FAA revised – Comm. of Admin appoints State Archaeologist; U of M artifact collections to MHS; Rinita Dalan and George Holley to Moorhead State
2000 Browns Valley skeleton reburied; Plains-Midwest Conference in St. Paul; U of M archaeology records to MHS
2001 DNR Wildlife and Fisheries Archaeology Program at MHS; MnModel report;
Legislative Auditor’s report on the OSA; Bob Clouse resigns as MHS Archaeology Dept. head; Orrin Shane to NSF
2002 Larry Zimmerman appointed as MHS Archaeology Dept. head; UM IAS closes; Rip Rapp retires at UMD and Archaeometry Lab closes; Orrin Shane to NSF
2003 IMA files for bankruptcy; OSA Burial Sites website; OSA Indian burials publication
2004 Strachan retires at Mankato, replaced by Ron Shirmer; Larry Zimmerman resigns as MHS Archaeology Dept. head; Orrin Shane retires from SMM; Excavations at Lincoln Mounds
2005 Pat Emerson appointed MHS Archaeology Dept. head; Mark Dudzik resigns as State Archaeologist; Scott Anfinson appointed Acting State Archaeologist; First Cooperative Stewardship Workshop (CSW)
2006 Scott Anfinson appointed State ArchaeologistDavid Mather becomes SHPO archaeologist; MnDOT Woodland contexts study begins; Mark Muniz to St. Cloud State; the Bois Forte Band acquires THPO status; Mn/DOT Historic Context of Minnesota farmsteads (includes volume on archaeology); Mn/DOT Minnesota Deep Site Testing Protocol
2007 PCA amended to include definitions; Alan Brew retires at Bemidji
2008 OSA issues PCA Procedures; Katherine Hayes to U of M
The initial chronology for this table was created by Scott Anfinson on October 30, 2008.
Additional contributors to this table: Bill Latady, Alan Brew, Michelle Terrell and Andrea Vermeer
Date of last contribution: November 25, 2008