Mill Ruins Public Archaeology Program
In 2003 the Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board (MPRB) commissioned a feasibility study to determine if they could incorporate formal archaeological investigations into their public interpretive program at Mill Ruins Park. Between 2003 and 2006 program details and funding opportunities were examined. In 2006, MPRB staff secured grants from the St. Anthony Falls Heritage Board, Save our History: The History Channel, and the Mississippi River Fund to launch Dig In! at Mill Ruins Park. Only the Mississippi River Fund continued its support of the dig in 2007.
The Dig In! at Mill Ruins Park public archaeology program allowed school groups and summer camps, as well as the general public to help archaeologists excavate at the Cataract Mill Complex. Archaeologists and trained Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board Naturalists supervised the excavations which ran from April through October 2006, and again from May through October 2007. Twenty-one one by one meter test units were excavated during the program, resulting in the recovery of over 7,700 artifacts.
The Dig In! at Mill Ruins Park public archaeology program allowed school groups and summer camps, as well as the general public to help archaeologists excavate at the Cataract Mill Complex. Archaeologists and trained Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board Naturalists supervised the excavations which ran from April through October 2006, and again from May through October 2007. Twenty-one one by one meter test units were excavated during the program, resulting in the recovery of over 7,700 artifacts.