Wayzata, MN Indian Burial Sites
MacMillan and Wyman-Harrington sites
We present here evidence of three correlated ejecta landform emplacements in the Wayzata, MN area. We have not yet related this ejecta to a causal impact crater. Application of the hypothesis yields a date of 1000 AD for these three emplacements.
In The Minnesota Archaeological Newsletter #7, 1965, Kent Day presented his field notes titled SALVAGE EXCAVATION AT THE MACMILLIAN [Sic] SITE (21 He 98).
“During excavation of footings for an addition to the residence of Duncan MacMillan at 151 Westwood Lane in Wayzata, workmen discovered a pit containing human skeletons.”
From the description given of the remains of five adults and two children we interpret that they may have been entombed alive by an ejecta emplacement. The accuracy of the street address allows us to easily view the area for correlation with a PZ ejecta landform. The Goggle map service presents this satellite photo.
While the landform shape is quite distinctive, we provide a hinted version here. The ejecta are visualized as arriving from an azimuth of 212º, out of the southwest.
Immediately to the south of the Macmillan site is another identified “mound” site. This has been referred to as the Wyman-Harrington Site. Goggle again provides satellite photographic evidence that this are is indicative of an ejecta landform. The azimuth is aligned with that of the MacMillan emplacement.
The hypothesis holds that these emplacements, elevated slightly from the surrounding landscape, are often used to erect monuments or significant buildings. In the case of the other mound structure noted in the Wayzata area, the Wayzata Mounds, that has led to the erection of the Wayzata City hall on the site. We are unable to positively discern an ejecta emplacement at that location using satellite photography, although there area strong suggestion of one. There is supportive evidence in the topographic reference for the site, as seen at TerraServer, which displays the area, and our composite, below, which offers an overlay using the same geometries as in the other two Wayzata area emplacements.
We encourage the reader to
investigate the sites using the Google earth system.
We provide a KMZ file for download here.