4.10. SR 06-03-2013 - Laserfiche WebLink

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brochures, booklets, outdoor signs and kiosks, as well as oral programs interpreting Minnesota prehistory. Mr. Cummings has assisted with several public excavations conducted for the City of Elk River. KNOWLEDGE OF ELK RIVER'S ARCHAEOLOGICAL RESOURCES Rothaus has been studying the history and prehistory of Elk River since 2003, when he created an overview study and probability model for the historic and prehistoric archaeological resources of township. The project resulted in a report for the City of Elk River and a publication in the Minnesota Archaeologist. Fieldwork associated with that project identified nine previously unknown prehistoric sites, and sparked the idea for archaeological excavations conducted by volunteers (Rothaus, McFarlane, and Haug 2004; Rothaus, McFarlane, and Haug 2005). In subsequent years, Rothaus conducted excavations at the Hoebelheinrich site (21SH0052) (Rothaus and McFarlane 2005). In 2011 he assisted Alexa McDowell with the National Register nomination of the Elk River water tower (McDowell 2011). EXPERIENCE IN PUBLIC EDUCATION AND VOLUNTEER-BASED EXCAVATIONS Rothaus and the City of Elk River have previously cooperated on such activities with great success. In 2004, Rothaus offered tours of sites discovered in Elk River township, and well over 125 individuals participated. These tours, and requests from visitors, sparked the idea for excavations with public participation, and the City of Elk River sponsored such work at the Hoebelheinrich site in 2005, 2006 and 2007. During those projects over 250 individuals were able to excavate, and an additional 250 individuals participated in tours. Those excavations allowed us to not only demonstrate the role of the citizen-scientist in archaeology, but also fine-tune the methods and techniques that give volunteers the best experience. Rothaus has continued to do such projects when possible. In 2012 he led a volunteer dig and investigation of the Brown house in Otsego. In May 2013 he will be leading a volunteer crew in excavations at the Johnson Boat Works in White Bear Lake,MN. Rothaus is a Research Associate at the Center for Heritage Renewal at North Dakota State University, and he maintains close ties with a variety of regional educational institutions. Before entering the private sector, he was Assistant Vice-President for Research and tenured full professor of History at St. Cloud State University. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION PLAN Public participation will be encouraged using the very successful methods proven in similar projects. Volunteers will be paired with professional staff, and encouraged to participate in all aspects of the field work. Teams will consist of three volunteers and one professional archaeologist. Volunteers will have the opportunity to excavate using trowels and shovels, screen soil, find and identify artifacts, and assist with recording data. Volunteers will sign up for '/Z day experiences (a morning crew and an afternoon crew). The proposed schedule will allow up to 132 individuals to participate. Daily tours will be given at 2pm for interested individuals. 5