new acquisition GUARANTEEING THE FUTURE OF THE LAKE KORONIS MOUNDS

Guaranteeing the Future of the Lake Koronis Mounds

The Conservancy acquires a Middle Woodland mound group in Minnesota.

Mary Hahn, a life-long resident of Paynesville, Minnesota, stood atop Behr Hill overlooking Lake Koronis and lamented, “People don’t realize yet what the future holds for this area.”

Hahn’s observation referred to the land between quiescent Paynesville and the booming megalopolis of Minneapolis-St. Paul. The area is coveted for the development of lakeview homes, and Lake Koronis, less than two hours west of the Twin Cities, is in the path of development. Having envisioned the future, Hahn, the owner of Behr Hill, acted to preserve the past. Because of her foresight, The Archaeological Conservancy has acquired its second Minnesota preserve, the Lake Koronis Mound Group.

The Lake Koronis Mound Group consists of four well-preserved burial mounds of the Middle Woodland period. The principal mound is about 15 feet tall and 80 feet in diameter. Three smaller mounds are about two feet high and 30 feet in diameter.

In 1911, N. H. Winchell noted the mounds in his landmark archaeological survey The Aborigines of Minnesota. He also described a conical mound on the neighboring property that, today, after generations of plowing, is merely a slight rise in the pasture. There are no traces of five mounds Winchell reported being downslope from the main group.

The Archaeological Conservancy is purchasing a 43-acre tract at the summit of Behr Hill for $30,000. This acquisition will preserve the remaining burial mounds and their immediate environs. The Middle Woodland period in this area of central Minnesota is not well studied, and the Lake Koronis area has seen no archaeological excavations, so the potential for future research is great. The burial mounds will remain sacrosanct as prehistoric cemeteries, and they may be incorporated as a focal point along a planned walking trail encircling Lake Koronis. The wooded summit will be maintained as a natural area.

As future development from the Twin Cities sweeps over the Lake Koronis locale, the preserve will be a fine testament to the vision of Mary Hahn and her fellow preservationists and an important resource for the study of Midwestern prehistory. —Paul Gardner

Tom Burr, a local preservationist, stands on the large mound of the Lake Koronis Mound Group.

Conservancy Plan of Action

SITE: Lake Koronis Mounds CULTURE AND TIME PERIOD: Middle Woodland (ca. 200 B.C.–A.D. 500) STATUS: The Conservancy has a purchase contract allowing us to acquire a 43-acre parcel containing the mound group. ACQUISITION: The Conservancy needs to raise $33,000 to purchase and fence the property. HOW YOU CAN HELP: Please send your contributions to The Archaeological Conservancy, Attn: Lake Koronis Mounds Project, 5301 Central Ave. NE, Suite 402, Albuquerque, NM 87108.