Archaeologist David Radford grew up in Duluth, Minnesota and received his bachelor of arts degree in biology from Hamline University in 1979. After reading Paleoethnobotany (1973) by Dr. Jane M. Renfrew, Radford was inspired to learn more about archaeology. He earned his master of science degree in Archaeological Science at the University of Southampton, Southampton, England in 1981
Radford has been administering the Minnesota State Park Cultural Resource Management Program for the Minnesota Historical Society (MHS) since 1984. The program conducts cultural resource management projects for Minnesota State Parks and is a division of the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR). The program assists the parks in managing specific sites and works to protect culturally significant areas from development projects. It also assesses the impact of state park visitors to these areas.
Radford has extensive archaeological experience in the Midwest and has written numerous technical reports. He also was the crew chief for Metcalf-Zier Archeologists, Inc., based in Eagle, Colorado, where he assisted with numerous cultural resource reconnaissance surveys, site evaluations and mitigation in Wyoming, Colorado, and North Dakota. In his position at MHS, Radford completed over 600 cultural resource reconnaissance survey projects and evaluated many archaeological and historical properties on DNR land.
A listing of his technical reports includes:
1984-1998 Authored and co-authored numerous cultural resource reconnaissance surveys, evaluation and mitigation of technical reports including annual reports as the Principal Investigator and Program Manager of the Minnesota State Park Cultural Resource Management Program of the Minnesota Historical Society, St. Paul, Minnesota.
1984 With Patricia M. Emerson, Harlan R. Finney and Frederick W. Lange. The Cultural Resources and Geomorphology of Coralville Lake, Johnson County, Iowa. Impact Services Inc. Mankato, Minnesota.
1983 Co-authored or contributed in the preparation of four archaeological reconnaissance survey technical reports for Archaeological Field Services, Inc., St. Croix, Minnesota.
1981-1983 Co-authored or contributed in the preparation of numerous archaeological reconnaissance survey and archaeological site evaluation technical reports for Metcalf-Zier Archeologists, Inc., Eagle, Colorado.
Archaeology Department, Minnesota Historical Society. www1.umn.edu/marp/dept/dept.htm
Written by: Sarah Butani
Edited by: Lisa Mayer, 2007
Edited by: Emily Hildebrant, 2007