Flat Rock Geographics, LLC was involved in a Science Museum of Minnesota archeology dig last summer. The archeological excavation is taking place in Dakota County’s Spring Lake Park Reserve as part of a six-month research project. When finished in September, scientists expect to have a better understanding of the Mississippi River’s importance to the people living along the river from about 700 A.D. and 1400 A.D.

The focus of the 2010 field work is on the Ranelius site, which is located on a terrace overlooking the south shore of Spring Lake. During the 1950s, the Science Museum of Minnesota excavated a series of archaeological sites along the shores of Spring Lake. To date, these are the only professional excavations conducted in the area, with the exception of a Minnesota Historical Society project on Grey Cloud Island in the 1970s. — Ed Fleming’s project blog

Flat Rock carried out a number of GIS mapping, analysis, and data management tasks for the project including setting up the master geographic information system for the project.

The St. Paul Pioneer Press did a story on the project. Read it at the Minnesota State U site.