Archaeological Data Recovery at 21PL72 and 21PL74, Polk County, Minnesota

Archaeological data recovery operations were conducted at sites 21PL72 and 21PL74 located in the City of East Grand Forks, Polk County, Minnesota in 2004. Both sites define pre-contact Native American bison kill and processing areas located at the confluence of the Red Lake River and Heartsville Coulee. Site 21PL72 represents an Middle Woodland early winter bison kill and processing locale that dates to circa A.D. 770 to 990. Site 21PL74 represents an Middle Woodland bison kill and processing locale that harbors two components: an earlier component dates to circa A.D. 340 to
650, and a later Laurel complex component that dates to circa A.D. 860 to 1030. Previous investigations at sites 21PL72 and 21PL74 recommended that both sites meet the criteria
for listing on the National Register of Historic Places; the United States Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District (Corps) and the Minnesota State Historic Preservation Office (MnSHPO) concurred with this recommendation.
Archaeological data recovery was implemented at 21PL72 and 21PL74 in order to mitigate the effect on the cultural deposits from the proposed levee and recreation trail construction associated with the Grand Forks/East Grand Forks Flood Protection Project. The data recovery operations were designed to partially fulfill the obligations of the Corps regarding cultural resources, as set forth in the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 (P.L. 89-665), as amended, the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (P.L. 91-190), the Archaeological and Historic Preservation Act of 1974 (P.L. 93-291), and the Regulation for the Protection of Historic Properties (36 CFR Part 800) published by the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation.