Welcome to the
Minnesota Archaeological Society
MAS invites you to share with us exciting discoveries from Minnesota’s past.
Cover photo of Jeffers Petroglyphs courtesy of the Minnesota Historical Society
Welcome to our website
The Society, established in 1936, is a private, non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation and study of archaeological resources in the Upper Midwest. All persons with an interest in archaeology – those just beginning to explore the field as well as avocational archaeologists and professionals – are welcome. MAS members volunteer their time and energy to participate in Society programs, helping to protect Minnesota’s rich heritage and learning something about themselves in the process.
Bound by Earth: Archaeology in Minnesota
Watch the documentary below and download lesson plans on our resources page
Bound by Earth: Archaeology in Minnesota focuses on the science and new technology archaeologists use to uncover and preserve archaeological resources in a non-invasive way, and how remaining evidence, such as Indian burial mounds, are still significant to Native people today. Produced in partnership with the Minnesota Archaeological Society with funding from the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.
Letter from the President
March 2025
The letter from the MAS President is intended as a vehicle to inform the general
membership of the Minnesota Archaeological Society of recent Board of Directors
activities. The following is a brief recap of the events, discussions, and decisions that
transpired during the past half year and future planning.
We were proud to send out 2024 Volume of the Minnesota Archaeologist which was a memorial volume to Doug Birk. Doug Birk was remembered by his peers in Minnesota Archaeology for his passion for archaeology and historical research. There are seven great articles that highlight Minnesota Archaeology in the spirit of Doug Birk. Congratulations to our Senior Editor, Danielle Kiesow for completing her sixth volume of the Minnesota Archaeologist. Danielle will be passing the editor role to a new editor. The 2025 journal will be dedicated to Steve Mulholland and will be edited by Susan Mulholland. The volume will focus on topics of flint knapping, lithics, copper, historic trade axes and the fur trade which were all topics that Steve loved. The 2026 journal will be edited by George Holly and the articles lined up cover the archaeology of Western Minnesota. Danielle has set us up very well for this transition and we are very grateful to Danielle for her outstanding work as editor.
September was our annual meeting and archaeology month. MAS was involved in five weekends of activities in support. Programs included Archaeology weekends at Historic Fort Snelling, Split Rock Lighthouse, Jeffers Petroglyphs, and Mille Lacs Kathio State Park. The programs are important to remind the public about the complex and interesting history of Minnesota and that the archaeology under our feet is worth protecting.
We had shocking news last fall with the passing of one of our board members, John Reynolds. We have a memorial in this newsletter recognizing his service to the board and passion for cultural resource management, his people, and their language. We were honored to have his service on the MAS board and will miss his presence. In February, we helped sponsor the Council for Minnesota Archaeology (CMA) biennial conference at the University of Minnesota. The two-day event brought together archaeologists and the community from around the state of Minnesota. There were posters and talks that covered research and the history and archaeology of Minnesota. It was great to see old friends and meet new ones. Many thanks to the CMA for the opportunity to participate and contribute.
Deb Pommer has let us know that after nearly 45 years of participating on the MAS Board she will be retiring from the board. She has served in a variety of roles on the MAS board. Her latest role has been to manage our web site and provide information on archaeology from around the state. She will be passing her role to Valerie Warfel. We are excited to learn more about Valerie and her talents as an Archaeology Illustrator. Please follow MAS on our Website, Facebook, and watch for announcements of online lectures.
Dan Wendt
(MAS Board President)