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Upper Hay Lake Archeological District

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Historic district in Minnesota, United States

United States historic place
Upper Hay Lake Archeological District
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
U.S. Historic district
Partial 1901 survey map of Upper Hay Lake Archeological District
LocationAddress restricted, Jenkins Township, Minnesota
Built800–1600 CE
NRHP reference No.74001016
Designated HDJanuary 21, 1974

The Upper Hay Lake Archeological District (Smithsonian trinomials 21CW7 and 21CW14) is a prehistoric Native American archaeological site in Jenkins Township, Minnesota, United States. It consists of about 75 linear mounds—including one of the state's longest at 725 feet (221 m)—plus the sites of a village and a portage. The mound grouping has also been dubbed Fort Poualak. The site was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978 for having local significance in the theme of archaeology. It was nominated for indicating an area of substantial activity during the Blackduck phase of the Late Woodland period.

Description

The Upper Hay Lake Archeological District has two main groupings of features. The village site is near the shore of Upper Hay Lake, while the mound grouping—also known as Fort Poualak—is 900 feet (270 m) to the northwest. Although they were given separate Smithsonian trinomials, the two groupings are considered one site.

The linear mounds are arranged in five parallel rows, separated by 50 or 60 feet (15 or 18 m). The eastern two rows are the shortest, running only 230 feet (70 m). The longer rows are broken by gaps of 20 to 50 feet (6 to 15 m). The longest unbroken embankment is an estimated 725 feet (221 m) long. An early survey also noted the circular depression of a lodge nearby.

Archaeological history

Jacob V. Brower first documented the site in 1897, excavating one mound and removing some bone material. He returned to conduct a more thorough survey from May 20 to 29, 1901. Brower carefully estimated that the mounds had required 10,108 short tons (9,170 t) of soil to construct. It was he who dubbed the linear mound grouping "Fort Poualak".

In the 1930s, local resident Frithiof T. Gustavson developed a strong interest in archaeology and conducted amateur excavations at the site. He recovered several artifacts from the occupation phase, including an intact ceramic pot that became known as the "Fort Poualak Pot". Gustavson exhibited these relics widely, delivering lectures at schools and county fairs, and ultimately became superintendent of a museum in Cass Lake. Gustavson's descendants donated the pot to the Minnesota Historical Society in 1997. It was classified as St. Croix Stamped ware and carbon from its outer surface was radiocarbon dated to 550 C.E. An analysis of residues on the interior of the pot found traces of wild rice.

Following reports that the site may have been damaged by private timber harvesting, the state arranged a Lidar survey in 2010. Only about 50 of the mounds were found to be still extant.

See also

References

  1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  2. Federal and state laws and practices restrict general public access to information regarding the specific location of this resource. In some cases, this is to protect archeological sites from vandalism, while in other cases it is restricted at the request of the owner. See: Knoerl, John; Miller, Diane; Shrimpton, Rebecca H. (1990), Guidelines for Restricting Information about Historic and Prehistoric Resources, National Register Bulletin, National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior, OCLC 20706997.
  3. "Upper Hay Lake Archaeological District". Minnesota National Register Properties Database. Minnesota Historical Society. 2009. Retrieved December 19, 2016.
  4. ^ Zeik, Susan; Douglas George (April 16, 1973). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory – Nomination Form: Hay Lake Mound District". National Park Service. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  5. ^ Minnesota Historical Society (1911). The Aborigines of Minnesota: A Report Based on the Collections of Jacob V. Brower, and on the Field Surveys and Notes of Alfred J. Hill and Theodore H. Lewis. Pioneer Company. p. 352.
  6. ^ Archaeology in Minnesota: Annual Report of the State Archaeologist, Fiscal Year 2010 (PDF) (Report). Office of the State Archaeologist, Minnesota Department of Administration. January 2011. Retrieved December 19, 2016.
  7. Brower, Jacob Vradenberg (1901). Memoirs of Explorations in the Basin of the Mississippi, Volume IV: Kathio. St. Paul, Minn.: H.L. Collins Company.
  8. "F. T. (Frithiof T.) Gustavson and Family: An Inventory of Their Papers at the Minnesota Historical Society". Minnesota Historical Society. 2015. Retrieved December 19, 2016.
  9. Stubbs, Donna L.; Charles O. Diesen (2001). "A History of the Archaeological Collections of the Minnesota Historical Society". The Minnesota Archaeologist. 60: 37–44.
U.S. National Register of Historic Places in Minnesota
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