Fort Snelling, Minnesota: Intrasite variability at a nineteenth century military post

The construction of Fort Snelling, Minnesota (21HE99) began in 1820 at the junction of the Minnesota and Mississippi Rivers. Fort Snelling served as a military presence in securing the fur trade for American companies, preventing conflict between the Ojibwe and Dakota Indians, and keeping White settlement out of "Indian land" in the recently acquired Louisiana Territory. During its 125 years of active existence, the fort underwent a number of physical alterations due to changing army needs and repair and replacement of facilities. Historic maps, photographs and official records document buildings that served as living quarters, defensive structures, and support facilities. This thesis draws on this extraordinary record and examines the archaeological patterns by which the historically documented structure, events, and activities are expressed at Fort Snelling.The military complex is in many ways a highly structured and regimented microcosm of the larger society which created it, with a well delineated division of labor and social boundaries well defined. The Fort Snelling archaeological collections and historical records offer an opportunity to examine the social and economic dimensions of life in a nineteenth century military post.Produced over 27 seasons of extensive archaeological excavation, the artifact distribution patterns and the rich documentary record delineate patterns in the functional, social, and economic meaning assigned to different areas of the fort. The results help define functional distinctions within the military complex as elements of the social structure of the setting and enhance the anthropological understanding of economic and social status differentiation in nineteenth century military posts.U of I OnlyETDs are only available to UIUC Users without author permissio