From 900-year-old canoes to 2,000-year-old houses: Fun events throughout the state highlight the archaeology and cultural heritage of Minnesota

ST. PAUL - Minnesotans have the opportunity to learn about underwater archaeological expeditions, examine artifacts from archaeological digs, and construct a replica of a 2,000-year-old house. These are just a few of the Minnesota Archaeology Week events happening statewide between Sept. 13 and Sept. 21, 2014.

Archaeology Week kicks-off with the Eleventh Annual Minnesota Archaeology Fair at Fort Snelling State Park. The two-day event includes hands-on activities putting archaeology into action, including canoeing, pottery-making, shaping of prehistoric stone tools, and tossing of atlatls (spear-throwers). The fair is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 13 and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 14.

A comprehensive list of events and additional information is available at www.osa.admin.state.mn.us. All Archaeology Week events are open to the public and are free of charge, though in some cases there are associated site admission fees.

Minnesota Archaeology Week has been held annually since 1995 with the goal of promoting interest in archaeology and an appreciation of the state's diverse cultural heritage. The Office of the State Archaeologist is the main sponsor of Archaeology Week, with additional sponsorship support coming from the Minnesota Historical Society, the Minnesota Archaeological Society, the Council for Minnesota Archaeology, the State Historic Preservation Office, and a number of local state parks, museums, historical societies, colleges and others.

The Office of the State Archaeologist is a division of the Minnesota Department of Administration. The mission of the State Archaeologist is to promote archaeological research, share archaeological knowledge, and protect archaeological resources for the benefit of all of the people of Minnesota.

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Contact: Curt Yoakum
curtis.yoakum@state.mn.us
651-201-2771