Using land records, city directories, historic maps and plans, researchers slowly built up an image of the types of people that used to live and work in this part of Minneapolis. Archaeologists decided to investigate the remains of five modest frame houses dating between the 1880s and 1903. Bird's Eye View of Minneapolis, published by A.M. Smith, ca. 1891. The five houses investigated are in the upper left hand corner of this image. Both federal and state law require that archaeologists have a license from the Office of the State Archaeologist before beginning to dig.
Features are under tent in lower right corner.
Before they began to dig, the archaeologists made a plan for the excavation and data recovery process. The Federal Courthouse Site under excavation. They decided to concentrate on five excavation areas relating to the five house lots under investigation. Plan of the project area showing feature locations. After the excavation was completed, the archaeologists returned to their laboratory to analyze what they had found.