Minnesota Project Archaeology: Jeffers Petroglyphs

In July 2022 with funding from IHE, Minnesota Project Archaeology offered the first Project Archaeology: Investigating Rock Art workshop in the state. Ten educators from Minnesota and neighboring states (Iowa and Wisconsin) attended the workshop. The educators were evenly split with as many from outside Minnesota as locals. Matthew Piscitelli (SEARCH, Inc./The Field Museum) was joined by Courtney Agenten (Project Archaeology) and Bethany Henshaw (Hopkins High School) who provided support, mentorship, and, in the case of Bethany, co-taught the workshop.

As Matthew reports, “The educators who participated were an absolute pleasure. They were enthusiastic and already well-versed in archaeology. One educator was in graduate school pursuing a Master’s in Anthropology (with a focus on archaeology) while also pursuing a teaching certificate. The familiarity and enthusiasm made the workshop easier. Relatively frequent breaks and emphasis on group work (vs. reading to oneself and then coming back as a group) also helped break the ice and encourage interaction. Interaction through participation—having the educators think like their students—was particularly helpful. It allowed each educator to communicate their value and it allowed us teaching the workshop to anticipate potential hurdles to implementing and adopting the lesson plans more broadly.”

The instructors secured the services of Robert Larson, a Tribal Elder and archaeologist, to guide teachers’ understanding of the Jeffers Petroglyph site and the importance of this place to descendant community members. His powerful voice cemented the learning and gave participants a moving experience to relate to their students.  

The Minnesota Project Archaeology coordinators “…hope to leverage these experiences into a larger grant from the Minnesota Historical Society and develop a Project Archaeology curriculum customized for the Jeffers Petroglyphs.” Kudos to the Minnesota Team!