WJON — Archaeological materials documenting some of Minnesota’s earliest days will be curated, researched and preserved, thanks to a significant state grant.
The Douglas A. Birk Collection, housed within the Anthropology Department at St. Cloud State University, has been awarded a $71,392 Minnesota Historical and Cultural Heritage grant.
Douglas Birk, who died in 2017, spent decades researching Minnesota’s fur trade, logging industry, railroads and missions. A freshwater diver, Birk was one of the first archaeologists to excavate 18th-century canoe wreck sites, says Rob Mann, Associate Professor of Anthropology and collection manager.
Read more: Collection of Minnesota artifacts housed at SCSU receives grant
