The Blue Earth County Highway Department proposed alternative corridors of the south route around the City of Mankato. Each of these proposed alternatives required an archaeological survey to determine the presence or absence of archaeological sites. As a result, four different surveys were conducted.

All of the surveys were conducted by Impact Services Incorporated between 1992 and 1994. The first was the Phase I of all of the routes. A total of 30 miles (300 foot wide corridor) were surveyed utilizing both visual reconnaissance and shovel testing. A total of 22 previously unrecorded archaeological sites were found, 8 of which required no further testing, 11 required more testing and 3 were burial mounds. The 11 sites which required further examination were the subject of the Phase II project.

The Phase II survey included visual examination, shovel testing, auger testing and limited excavation and scraping. Four sites were determined to be eligible to the National Register of Historic Places. A Phase III mitigation was recommended.

The Phase III Data Recovery of the four sites included the Alfalfa Site, the Commish Site, the Blowing Box Site and Laura's Knife Site. The goal for each site was assessment rather than complete data recovery.

Mike Clark and Kathleen Roetzel Surface Collecting During the Phase I Investigation of the Alternative Corridor Near Mankato, 1992

Mike Clark and Kathleen Roetzel Beginning a Shovel Test on the Phase I Investigation of the Alternative Corridor Near Mankato, 1992

Dan Zielski Looking at Possible Burial Mounds During the Phase I Investigation of the Alternative Corridor Near Mankato, 1992

Kathleen Roetzel Taking Notes About a Shovel Testing During the Phase I Investigation of the Alternative Corridor Near Mankato, 1992

Kathleen Roetzel (Sitting by Shovel Test), Tisha Strachan, Terry Strachan, Laura Kennedy and Richard Strachan Surface Collecting During the Phase I Investigation of the Alternative Corridor Near Mankato, 1992

Entire Crew Working the Excavation Units at the Alfalfa Site, Mankato Bypass, 1994

Outline of the 1X! meter Square Pit within the Excavation Trench at the Alfalfa Site, Mankato Bypass, 1994

Visitor to the Site During the Excavation of the Alfalfa Site, Mankato Bypass, 1994

Crew Members Working the Excavation Unit at the Alfalfa Site, Mankato Bypass, 1994

Crew Members Working the Excavation Unit at the Alfalfa Site, Mankato Bypass, 1994

Near Completion of the Excavation Units at the Alfalfa Site, Mankato Bypass, 1994

A Report of the Phase I Archaeological Investigation of the Alternative Corridors of the South Route Around the City of Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minnesota. Richard Strachan and Kathleen Roetzel, 1991 A Phase I Investigation of the Interchange at the Intersection of U.S. Highway 169 and the Proposed Southern Route, South of Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minnesota (Addendum) Richard Strachan and Kathleen Roetzel, 1992 A Phase II Archaeological Investigation of Thirteen Sites on the Alternative Corridors of the South route Around the City of Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minnesota. Richard Strachan and Kathleen Roetzel, 1993. The Phase III Data Recovery of 21BE109, 21BE111, 21BE118 and 21BE120; Four Archaeological Sites on the South Route Around Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minnesota. Richard Strachan, Kathleen Roetzel and Charles Broste, 1994.