Predictive Model for Red Wing

LocalityGraduate Project Proposal

Leanne Knott RA536, Spring 2014

Research Question Background & Need for Study Value of Research Data Needed for Study Predictive Model Methodology Expected Deliverables Ethical Concerns

Presentation

Research Question

Where are the potential undiscovered ancient Native American archeological Sites within the Red Wing Locality?

Background & Need for Study Red Wing,

Minnesota, has long been known as a center for archeological resources.

Between 1050 and 1300 AD, the Red Wing Locality supported one of the largest populations in the Upper Midwest.

Background & Need for Study Key identifying

characteristics of Silvernale phase components include the presence of large, fortified villages usually surrounded by numerous conical earthen burial mounds .

Undocumented Red Wing Locality sites at are

risk for destruction if their land use is marked for development. Almost all of the mounds and a substantial part of the village site have been destroyed by the construction of the Red Wing Industrial Park and housing developments on the uplands overlooking the industrial park.

Background & Need for Study

Background & Need for Study

Value of Research

Availability of developable land is limited to bluff tops and flat non-agricultural land areas, often adjacent to the Mississippi River, Cannon River, Spring Creek stream, and Hay Creek stream.

These areas have been well-established as known locales for archeological mounds and villages, and it is reasonable to assume that some of these same areas are now prime locations for future land development.

Value of Research

Archeology students and staff from Minnesota State Mankato University conduct field studies every summer in the Red Wing Locality,

New sites for research could be identified with the predictive model.

Data Needed for Study: Historic

Maps During the mid-1880s,

T. H. Lewis recorded and mapped more than 2000 mounds clustered in this locality.

At the turn of the century, J. V. Brower and W. M. Sweeney also recorded mounds in the region, particularly on Prairie Island, and documented the presence of several village sites.

Data Needed for Study: LiDAR LiDAR is an active

remote sensing technique which provides sub-randomly distributed three-dimensional terrain point data.

High resolution ground elevation data, collected via LiDAR by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources in 2012, exists for the Red Wing Locality.

Data Needed for Study: Aerial

Imagery Recent research has

employed an integrated program of aerial photography and satellite remote sensing to identify and map barrow cemeteries and settlements.

Aerial imagery for the Red Wing area is available through the City of Red Wing and Goodhue County GIS departments.

Data Needed for Study: Known

Sites LiDAR is an active

remote sensing technique which provides sub-randomly distributed three-dimensional terrain point data.

High resolution ground elevation data, collected via LiDAR by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources in 2012, exists for the Red Wing Locality.

Data Needed for Study:

Geomorphology The results of the

predictive models are comparatively applied on the archaeological artifact distribution maps to test the hypothesis that the numbers of artifacts in the survey tracts are related to topographic factors and geomorphic processes.

The City of Red Wing maintains a GIS data layer of area geomorphology that will be used in the creation of the predictive model.

Predictive Model

Predictive Model

MN Model – Minnesota Department of Transportation

Model created by staff at UMD

Shapefile identifying potential

undiscovered cultural sites in Red Wing Locality area for use by local government unit land use planners

Python Add-in Tool for ArcGIS Desktop for use by other researchers and GIS professionals

Expected Deliverables

Ethical Concerns

Special care must be taken when publishing information on known archeological sites in a map format. Strict guidelines provided by Minnesota SHPO (State Historic Preservation Office) should be followed in order to protect the integrity of the sites and preserve the special nature of the burial locations.

Questions?