King Coulee Site facts for kids

The King Coulee Site (also known as 21WB56) is a very old Native American archaeological site in Pepin Township, Minnesota. It's like a time capsule that helps us learn about people who lived there thousands of years ago. This special place was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1994 because it's so important for understanding history.

Archaeologists found many interesting things here. The site shows how people lived from about 3,500 years ago to 500 years ago. It even has the oldest proof of farmed plants in Minnesota! They found seeds from a type of squash that are 2,500 years old.

What is the King Coulee Site?

The King Coulee Site is located near a valley that opens up into Lake Pepin. A small stream carved this valley, which is called a "coulee" in this area. Over many years, the stream carried dirt and sand into a small flat area called a floodplain.

As time passed, the dirt got deeper. Also, the water level of Lake Pepin slowly rose. This created a deep layer of wet soil, about 15 feet (4.5 meters) deep. This wet soil helped to keep old things like wood, nut shells, and seeds safe for 3,500 years!

Life at King Coulee Long Ago

When people first lived here, the coulee valley was covered in trees. A stream flowed through it all year. This made it a great place to live because it offered shelter from the sun, wind, and even forest fires.

There was also plenty of food nearby. People could find fish and shellfish in the water. They could also hunt birds like ducks and geese, and other animals. Since Lake Pepin is a wide part of the Mississippi River, the site was on a major travel route. This made it easy for people to move around and trade.

Discovering the Past: A Timeline

Archaeologists have learned a lot about the different groups of people who lived at the King Coulee Site. They found different tools and pottery from various time periods.

Early People: The Archaic Period

The first people lived at the site around 3,500 years ago. This time is called the Archaic period. Archaeologists know this because they found projectile points (like spear tips), stone tools, animal bones, and plant remains. They didn't find any pottery from this time.

Later, around 2,300 years ago, more people lived here during the Late Archaic period. They found more projectile points and charcoal from fires.

Oldest Farmed Plants in Minnesota

One of the most exciting discoveries was two squash seeds. These seeds were from a type of squash called Cucurbita pepo. Scientists used radiocarbon dating to find out how old they were. The seeds are about 2,530 years old!

This is the oldest proof of cultigens (plants grown by people) found in the Upper Midwest. Before this discovery, the oldest squash in the region was thought to be much younger, around 160 CE. This shows that people were growing plants much earlier than we thought.

Woodland and Oneota Periods

Archaeologists believe the site was used for short visits in late summer or fall during the Early Woodland period, about 1,940 years ago. They found pottery mixed with sand, along with mussel shells, animal bones, nut shells, and stone tools.

Later, during the Middle Woodland period, they found a few pieces of pottery mixed with grit. Even more pottery was found from the Late Woodland period. These pieces were thin and had different designs.

The newest layers of the site contain pottery that was mixed with crushed shells. This type of pottery was made by the Oneota people.

How the Site Was Found and Protected

In 1876, railroad tracks were built across the valley mouth. But this didn't really harm the site. Later in the 1800s, a flood covered the site with several feet of dirt. This actually protected it from things like the building of U.S. Route 61 in the 1930s.

Modern people didn't know about the site until 1987. That's when archaeologists were checking the area for road work. When they realized how important the site was, the Minnesota Department of Transportation changed their plans to keep it safe.

Archaeologists dug seven test pits and eight trenches. They found 25,000 items! Most of these were animal remains like bones and shells. They also found stone tools, pottery pieces, and plant remains like wood, charcoal, and seeds.

Why King Coulee Site is Important

The King Coulee Site is very important for a few main reasons:

• A Deep Look into History: It has many layers of history, from the Archaic period all the way to the Oneota times. This is rare in Southeast Minnesota. Most other sites have thin layers, making it hard to know exactly when things happened. King Coulee helps us understand the timeline of people living in this area. It's especially good for learning about the time when people changed from the Archaic to the Woodland way of life.

• Lots of Natural Clues: The site has many "biofacts," which are natural things like seeds, shells, and bones. These are very helpful for studying what resources people used long ago. Finding domesticated squash seeds from the Archaic period is amazing! It shows that people were growing plants much earlier in this region than experts thought. This discovery helps us understand that later crops, like maize (corn), were added to farming systems that already existed.

• Well-Preserved: The site has been protected from damage since Europeans arrived. This makes it an even more valuable place for archaeologists to study and learn from.