The village and mound portions of the site were purchased for preservation in the late 1980s. In the late 1800s, there were 64 mounds on the property. Although plowing had destroyed some of these, the village to the north of the mounds was much more intact than most of the other villages near Red Wing. Both federal and state law require that archaeologists have a license from the Office of the State Archaeologist before beginning to dig. Survey and Scientific Investigation Surface collecting at the Energy Park site.
Archaeologists surface surveyed and then excavated small portions of the site.
Clusters of artifacts, such as the debris left over from making stone tools and pieces of broken ceramic vessels, were in distinct groupings, suggesting specific activity areas. New scientific methods were used to examine the site. Storage pits and house depressions contained looser soil than did the undisturbed layers of dirt around them. The soil resistivity equipment read the depressions and disturbed soil as less resistant to the electrical current. Areas of disturbance, where cultural material is likely to be found, are represented by the lines and spots on the map.