Minneapolis, Minnesota (AP)

A sewer project at Lake Shetek in southwestern Minnesota is yielding archaeological treasures that could show how American Indians lived, hunted, cooked, traveled and traded as long as 2,000 years ago.

“I’ve never seen a site like this,” said archaeologist Andrea Vermeer, who has been working in the state for five years and supervised a preliminary examination there. “This opportunity is something that doesn’t come along very often.”

Even so, the site probably won’t be explored thoroughly because of a lack of funding. The find comes during a $16.5 million sewer construction project that will serve about 650 homes and several businesses north of Currie.

After digging down several feet, archeologists in May found two sites thought to be of significance, with ceramics from the Middle Woodland period of about 200 B.C. to 800 A.D. An arrow or spear point also found may be even older.

A more thorough exploration would cost about $125,000, and Murray County commissioners agreed the county of about 9,000 people couldn’t afford it. Perhaps a tribal group might want to help “preservation of their history and ancestry,” one commissioner stated.

Plans call for the sewer to be bored through the ground at 7 feet. Vermeer said she is worried that upholes, where pipes are connected, would disturb artifacts.

An engineer working on the project said he believes disruption can be minimized.

There is no state law requiring contractors to avoid the site since no human remains were found, said Dennis Gimmestad, compliance officer at the state’s Historic Preservation Office.

Information from: Star Tribune www.startribune.com