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
July 2024
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.
This fall we will be sending out Volume 81 of the Minnesota Archaeologist which will be a memorial volume to Doug Birk. There are seven great articles that highlight Minnesota Archaeology in the spirit of Doug Birk. Our Senior Editor, Danielle Kiesow, with this volume will be completing her sixth volume of the Minnesota Archaeologist. Danielle is looking to pass the Senior Editor role to a new editor. Please consider either a one volume guest editor role or picking up as Senior Editor of the Journal. We are very grateful to Danielle for her outstanding work as editor.
In June we had the Pine City, Snake River Fur Post Knap in. It was very good to see old friends and break some stone. The event was well attended by visitors to the Fur Post. We appreciated the support of the event by the Historical Society staff and volunteers.
September will be Archaeology Month and MAS is involved in three weekends of activities in support. Programs included Archaeology weekends at Fort Snelling, Jeffers Petroglyphs, and Mille Lacs Kathio State Park. Watch our Facebook and web page for more information. September will also be our annual meeting. This year’s event will be Friday September 27th at the Minnesota Historical Society’s Oliver Kelly Farm near Elk River, Minnesota. Please plan on coming to share an evening with friends, dinner, and archaeology. We are excited about this new venue for our meeting.
At the annual meeting we will be awarding the 2024 Hill Lewis Award which recognizes outstanding contributions by avocational archaeologists in Minnesota. This year’s recipient will be Dr. George Shurr for supporting the study of Archaeology in Southwestern Minnesota. Check out the full announcement in this newsletter. We are pleased to continue this important tradition of recognizing avocational contributions to Minnesota Archaeology.
MAS lectures have become a virtual gathering point for our community to discuss regional archaeology topics. Thanks to Michael Michlovic for planning and Mandy Wintheiser for moderating these meetings. In October, Alex Hedquist will give a talk featuring her Master’s Program research at Saint Cloud State University on stone tool technology in Minnesota. Please check the schedule on Facebook and or web page. Also check out past lectures on our YouTube channel.
November 2024
The MAS board received the sad news that board member John Reynolds passed away on October 20, 2024. John’s obituary is below.
https://www.chilsonfuneralhome.com/john-asher-reynolds/
Dan Wendt
(MAS Board President)