Revealing Bemidji’s Past
1O6 GROUP
Archaeology at Paul Bunyan
and Library Park
Why do archaeology?
The goal of archaeology is to learn about people
who lived in the past. Archaeologists study the places
where people lived and worked to learn about what
their lives were like.
Here in Bemidji, we know
that people have lived along
the shore of Lake Bemidji
for a very long time.
Archaeological excavations
have provided evidence of
human occupation from
Diamond Point Park to
the new Events Center.
How do you do archaeology?
People leave clues about who they are—things they
have lost, thrown away, or left behind. Over time,
these things are buried and organic matter begins to
decompose. Archaeologists dig, or excavate, to find
information that will help answer questions about
people who lived here in the past.
Map from The Aborigines of
Minnesota by N.H. Winchell, 1911
Archaeologists at work
along the shore of
Lake Bemidji
“Discover how to visit the past and bring
yesterday’s stories into our lives today”
—Gillian Hovell, Visiting the Past
Why is it important to study and
help preserve archaeology sites?
Archaeological sites can tell quite a bit about people.
Archaeologists put all the bits of information together
and interpret (tell) the story of the site and the people
who once lived here. Sometimes there are gaps or
pieces that don’t seem to fit. It’s like a big, complex
puzzle. Each excavation helps to build a more
complete picture of the history of the people who
lived here.
What will archaeologists in the future learn
about us from what we discard or leave behind?
What do archaeologists find?
People sometimes think that we do archaeology only
to find artifacts. But artifacts—things that people
make and use—don’t tell the story by themselves.
Archaeologists also need the information they get
from each artifact’s position, its relationship to other
surrounding artifacts, and from the soil around it.
Examples of artifacts found
at Diamond Point Park