NCC students and faculty explore Slaughter Slough in southwestern Minnesota as part of their archeology field school historical research. Pictured from left are Nate Winkelmann, Mike Uhr, host Jeffrey (Jesse) James, Dawn Whitney, Jodi Peterson, G. Patrick Bonnie, Liesl Weber, instructor Susan Krook, and British archeologist Geoff Couling.

Students explore Slaughter Slough

Story and photo by Barb Teed

Rotund and in his 40s, a farmer dressed-up in tight performing clothes was belting out Welsh crooner Tom Jones’ song “Delilah.” To the strains of “Why, Why, Why, Delilah” a group from NCC clapped and cheered on the impersonator.

The occasion was Tracy Idol, a popular karaoke song-fest held for several weeks in Tracy Minn., a city in the southwest part of the state surrounded by corn fields and soybeans.

Despite the votes and applause of NCC’s crowd, the Tom Jones imitator did not win.

Retired teacher Jesse James, host of the NCC group, used to be a judge at the Tracy Idol until a rejected contestant swore in his face. “..so I don’t judge anymore,” he told everyone at the table.

A British archeologist with the group didn’t seem to care one way or another if “Jones” won or not. But he got a lot more excited the next day while digging up bones and describing GPS trench locater systems as the group reconvened at James’ property.

Archeologist Geoff Couling can barley contain his enthusiasm for discovering old bones. Couling, considered a specialist in archeological bone recognition, has also worked on archaeological sites of Roman towns and villages in Great Britian, according to NCC anthropology instructor Susan Krook.

“Geoff was a real asset to this course,” said Susan Krook, who asked Couling to join her summer session two archeology field school.
Couling identified many of the bones uncovered at the dig site and explained to students what to look for when bones are discovered, Krook said
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This summer session two field school offered students a more advanced level of archeology. In addition to bone classification, Krook and Couling taught surveying techniques, how to excavate a trench, and record keeping.

The field school began informally in 2006 when a group of NCC anthropology students and faculty investigated the area for artifacts. After that successful dig, Krook formed the Field School, which is offered periodically for credit.

NCC’s archeology field school is the only community college in the state with such a course, said state archeologist Scott Afinson.
Students did environmental and historical research on the area to select where to dig their trenches. They also had to sort and identify the artifacts, decide what items to preserve, and do all the physical digging.

“Archeology is a destructive science,” Couling said. “The point of surveying is you are preserving the record by paperwork. Surveying gives you an accurate record of finding out where you were if and when you return even years later.”

Student Dawn Whitney enjoyed Couling’s contributions to the class. “Geoff proved to be an excellent reference for surveying and bone analysis,” she said. “Now I will be able to identify any cloven hoofed animal, provided the bone comes from just above the hoof!”
The students uncovered pottery sherds, coal, early pioneer artifacts, bones, and broken stone tools.

“We analyze our finds and make sure everything is catalogued in our Past Perfect Software database,” Krook said. “We have many, many artifacts and they are both pre- (European) contact and historical in variety. Very exciting and more to come.”

Krook said over 400 stone tools have been found in the area.

All the field school classes are in the Lake Shetek area of Tracy and are hosted on the James property. An official registration for the NCC/Tracy site with the state archeology department is in progress, Afinson said.

“We all enjoyed the adventures to these sites and learned quite a bit in the process,” student Jodi Peterson said. “There is something contagious about this history and archaeology of the early settlement of Minnesota that definitely draws people together.”

The region of the dig has historic significance as the site of the U.S.-Dakota Uprising of 1862.

Slaughter Slough, a near-by location explored by the students, involved a skirmish between settlers and Native Americans that resulted in many deaths to both sides of the conflict.

“Well, I for one learned quite a bit on our two trips out to Tracy,” Peterson said. “I was able to sort out some misconceptions I had about the sequence of events leading up to the Dakota uprising of 1862.”

Students also traveled to Pipestone National Monument to learn about Native American culture of the vicinity.

“There are some exciting learning experiences going on out there beyond the classroom walls,” Krook said. “This summer’s work has only added to the enthusiasm for future investigation of this important prehistoric and historic site in southwestern Minnesota.”
Peterson agreed and said “Go Normandale Anthropology!”

To find out when the next NCC archeology field school will be offered, students can contact Krook at
susan.krook@normandale.edu.

To find out how to join the Tracy Idol competition, students can contact the Tracy chamber of commerce!