News Release

Archeological Research Tours at Knife River Indian Villages NHS

A researcher matches a soil sample with a color grid in Sakakawea Village.

NPS Photo / Gray

News Release Date: July 22, 2019

Contact: Alisha Deegan, 701-745-3300

Participate in an archeological research tour daily at 1pm from Tuesday, July 23rd through Thursday, August 1st. Visitors can watch the work anytime during the day. A special chance to talk with an archeologist from the crew will occur only at 1pm each day. 

An archeological excavation is a controlled exploration of what lies below the ground surface, carried out systematically with shovels and trowels. Artifacts and features are meticulously documented in this process. The Paleo Cultural Research Group from Boulder, Colorado; the Midwest Archeological Center from Lincoln, Nebraska; and students from several locations performed geophysical surveys at the beginning of June. Now, they will use those surveys to begin the excavation process.

The goal for this project is to document the ongoing loss of significant cultural resources currently at risk along or near the former river bank at Awatixa (Sakakawea) Village. Data and interpretations generated by this project will provide the basis for recommendations for additional research and stabilization actions.