Blueberry Lake Village Site facts for kids

The Blueberry Lake Village Site (also known as 21WD6) is an ancient Native American archaeological site. It is located in Blueberry Township, Minnesota, in the United States. This site was likely a place where people lived, possibly just for certain seasons. It is important because it helps us learn about the past. In 1973, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This means it is a very special historical place in Minnesota. It is one of the few old sites left in the Shell River area. This area was a great place for early humans to live.

Why This Place Was Special

The Blueberry Lake Village Site was in a good spot for early people. South of the site was a large, wet area called Glacial Lake Wadena. This area did not have many lakes or resources. So, most people lived near the Shell River. This river flows through Blueberry Lake.

The Shell River area was part of a big, flat plain. This plain had rolling hills and shallow lakes like Blueberry Lake. These lakes were perfect for growing lots of wild rice. Wild rice was a very important food source.

This region was also located between different types of forests. To the north was the temperate coniferous forest (pine trees). To the south were the temperate deciduous forest (trees that lose leaves) and open prairie lands. This meant people could find many different plants and animals.

The Shell River itself was like an old highway. It connected the Crow Wing River to other river systems. This made it easy for people to travel by water. They could move around and trade with other groups.

Discovering the Past

In 1899, a person named Jacob V. Brower explored Wadena County. He was doing an archaeological field survey. During his survey, he found some ancient mounds near Blueberry Lake. These mounds were likely built by Native Americans. They might have been used for burials or ceremonies.

Sadly, these mounds were later destroyed by farming. Farmers plowed the land, which flattened the mounds.

However, the village site next to the mounds was still there. In 1972, a new survey was done at the site. This survey showed that the site still had its important layers of soil. These layers are called stratigraphy. Each layer can tell archaeologists about different times in the past. It's like reading a history book written in the ground! These layers can help scientists understand how people lived long ago.