above the normal water level. The climate is continental with warm summers, about 21 degrees Celsius in July, and cold winters, about 13 degrees Celsius. It is predominantly prairie grassland. Around 95% of the valley was prairie before farming. In prehistoric times these large prairies supported large herds of buffalo that made life possible for the ancient peoples of the area. The other 5% of the land consisted of many gallery forests made up of elms, ash and oak that lined many waterways. Excavation The Mooney site was excavated in June and July, 1983. The excavation was conducted by a small crew of eleven people and was headed by Dr. Michael G. Michlovic of Moorhead State University. The original excavation of the area was to be conducted in what is now the middle of the Mooney site. However, when the engineers dug the centerline of the proposed dike they found a great array of cultural debris. Deep tests (41*1 m units) showed that there was a deep component at the site directly below the proposed dike. This deep component is around 1.5m below the ground. The soil in this region is thick, poorly draining soil making the upper levels very difficult to get through, and reaching ones desired depth is very strenuous. As a result, the archeologist chose to use a backhoe to reach the deep undisturbed cultural levels at the site. The excavated soil was screened using 1/4” hardware cloth mesh because 1/4” is the smallest mesh that can be used on Red River clay. Of the 102 square meters at the Mooney site, 29 square meters were excavated. The excavation depth was approximately 160 cm. However, some units were excavated to slightly varying depths, averaging between 50–70 cm depending on the nature of the find. When all was said and done, nearly 85 cubic meters had been excavated, excluding the work of the backhoe. References Michlovic, M.G. 1982 Report on the Red River Archaeological Survey in Norman County, Minnesota. The Minnesota Archaeologist 41(2): 53–69 Michlovic, M.G. 1987 The Archeology of the Mooney Site (21NR29). The Minnesota Archaiologist 46(2): 39–65 Michlovic, M.G. 1983 The Red River Valley in the Prehistory of the Northern Plains. Plains Anthropologist 29(99): 23–31 External links https://web.archive.org/web/20080430080641/http://www.mnsu.edu/emuseum/information/biography/klmno/michael_michlovic.html Archaic period in North America Archaeological sites in Minnesota Geography of Norman County, Minnesota