21SL55 facts for kids

21SL55 is an ancient site where Native American people lived long ago. It is located in the Boundary Waters area of northern Minnesota, United States. This site was home to people of the Blackduck culture. They lived there during the late Woodland period, which was between the years 700 and 1500 C.E..

The site is on a small island inside what is now Voyageurs National Park. It is known by a special code, its Smithsonian trinomial, which is like an ID number for archaeological sites. At 21SL55, scientists found well-preserved animal bones. They also found what might be a special tool for processing wild rice.

In 1988, the site was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This means it is an important place for understanding history. It was recognized for its prehistoric archaeology. Because it's on an island and shows only one period of history, 21SL55 helps us learn how people lived and found food during the late Woodland period.

What Is Archeological Site 21SL55?

This special site is found on a small island in Namakan Lake. The area where people lived and left things behind is about 400 square meters (about 4,300 square feet). The layer of soil where artifacts are found is sandy. It is between 5 and 15 centimeters (2 to 6 inches) thick. This layer is under 9 to 11 centimeters (3.5 to 4.3 inches) of rich soil called humus.

Scientists have found different kinds of objects at the site. These include pieces of pottery and stone tools. One stone tool found was a hammerstone. They also found small pieces of stone called debitage, which are left over from making tools. Many animal bones were also discovered.

What Unique Features Were Found?

One interesting feature at the site is a pit. It is about 92 centimeters (36 inches) across and 20 centimeters (8 inches) deep. This pit is lined with a special kind of clay. This clay is not found anywhere else at the site. Archaeologists think this pit might have been a jig. A jig is a tool used to process wild rice. Wild rice was a very important food for people in this area.

When the site was added to the National Register in 1988, only a small part of it had been dug up. No special tests like radiocarbon dating had been done yet. So, scientists guessed the site was from the late Woodland period. They based this on the pottery pieces, a type of arrow point, and the idea that people used a lot of wild rice there.

How Was the Site Used by Ancient People?

It is not clear if the Blackduck people lived at 21SL55 all year or only during certain seasons. However, the thick layer of cultural remains suggests they used the site for many years. Only a small group of people could have lived on the island at one time because of its size.

What Did They Leave Behind?

The people who lived here left behind many objects. These include stone tools, stone flakes from making tools, and pottery pieces. Scientists also found bones from animals like beaver, lynx or bobcat, and moose. The moose were probably hunted. The smaller animals were likely caught using traps.

Most of the animal bones found are from these mammals. But the people also left bones from double-crested cormorants. These birds fly away when it gets cold. This means the site could not have been used only as a winter camp.

Was It a Hunting Camp?

Site 21SL55 might have been a camp for hunting and trapping. More arrow points were found here than at most other ancient sites in Voyageurs National Park. But this is just a guess for now. More research is needed to be sure.

Why Is This Site Important?

Many ancient sites have remains from different time periods. This can make it hard for scientists to understand them. But 21SL55 is special because it only has remains from one time period. This gives us a clear picture of the past.

This is especially helpful because we do not know much about the late Woodland period in the Boundary Waters area. The location of 21SL55 shows that even very small islands were important places for people to live. Also, many ancient sites are damaged by new buildings. Sites like 21SL55, which are protected in national parks, are very important. They are like untouched windows into the past.