Dalan, Wallace Participate in ArcheoBlitz
Rinita Dalan (Anthropology & Earth Science) and Rebecca Wallace (Geoarchaeology major) participated in an “ArcheoBlitz” May 5-7 at the Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site (KNRI), North Dakota. This event, part of the National Park Service Centennial, built on a BioBlitz model that has been used to gather natural resources information and engage the public with science-based activities at National Parks across the country.
The ArcheoBlitz was coordinated by the Midwest Archeological Center and KNRI in partnership with the Nueta Hidatsa Sahnish College, North Dakota State Historical Society, Northern Plains Heritage Foundation and the North Dakota Geographic Alliance. The first two days gave approximately 300 7th & 8th grade students the opportunity to conduct supervised archeological field research. Middle school students were paired with archeologists and traditional knowledge holders. They were involved in artifact-based investigations, mapping, geophysical surveys, and soil testing.
Rinita and Rebecca worked with students to complete a detailed 3D geophysical map of a lodge at the Sakakawea Village. The final day, open to the public, featured Native performing arts groups, traditional ecological demonstrations, a mobile archaeological laboratory, and research presentations on the Hidatsa.