The St. Croix River Access Site (
Smithsonian trinomial
A Smithsonian trinomial (formally the Smithsonian Institution Trinomial System, abbreviated SITS) is a unique identifier assigned to archaeological sites in many states in the United States. They are composed of one or two digits coding for the sta ...
21WA49) is a prehistoric Native American archaeological site on the
St. Croix River in
Stillwater Township, Minnesota, United States. It consists of a habitation site with a large quantity of
stone tool artifacts, occupied from roughly 800 to 1700 CE. It was listed on the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...
in 1984 for having local significance in the theme of archaeology.
It was nominated for its scientific potential to illuminate
Late Woodland period
In the classification of archaeological cultures of North America, the Woodland period of North American pre-Columbian cultures spanned a period from roughly 1000 BCE to European contact in the eastern part of North America, with some archaeolog ...
cultural relationships, lithic technology, and resource use.
The St. Croix River Access Site was discovered during an
archaeological field survey for the
Minnesota Department of Transportation in 1983. 21 excavation units were dug, which showed that the center of the site had been destroyed by industrial activity in the 1930s but that archaeological deposits to either side remained intact. 100 ceramic
sherds were found. These were identified with four different cultural complexes—the Kathio–Clam River, St. Croix, Sandy Lake, and Madison—indicating that the site had been occupied by different cultures over the span of the Late Woodland Period. Fire-cracked rocks suggested a hearth. Most significant, though, were pieces of animal bone and 886 stone tool fragments and
lithic flakes. The lopsided ratio of lithic artifacts to ceramics suggests that groups utilized the site temporarily for a specific purpose, such as for bone or hide processing.
See also
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References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Saint Croix River Access Site
Archaeological sites on the National Register of Historic Places in Minnesota
Geography of Washington County, Minnesota
Native American history of Minnesota
Late Woodland period
National Register of Historic Places in Washington County, Minnesota