Analysis of Yellow Brick Recovered At Manlick Farm Site

Authors

Olivia Schomer, St. Cloud State UniversityFollow

Faculty Mentor(s)

Dr. Rob Mann, Saint Cloud State University

Abstract

Bricks have served as the foundation for structures like homes and farmsteads for thousands of years. Discovering brick at a potential archaeological site can help indicate the past presence of a structure. There are several different types of brick, which can help archaeologists determine the context surrounding the buildings and structures from which they were built. Most brick that is found at archaeological sites is red brick, which is the type of brick most people think of when discussing brick buildings and foundations. Yellow brick, however, was discovered at the Manlick site in Belle Prairie, Minnesota, possibly indicating a past presence of a yellow brick structure. Although brick plays an important role in determining the location of a previous structure, there are other artifacts, including window glass and nails, that help archaeologists come to this conclusion. Both types of artifacts were also recovered at the Manlick site. The brick is probably the most interesting because of its color. The fact that the brick is yellow may indicate that it was made locally and could have a connection to a yellow brick manufacturer in Minnesota. An understanding and analysis of the yellow brick that was discovered at the Manlick site might help us identify the use of Chaska brick in Belle Prairie as well as understand the importance of a local brick manufacturer during the historic period of Minnesota.

Recommended Citation

Schomer, Olivia (2021) "Analysis of Yellow Brick Recovered At Manlick Farm Site," SCSU Journal of Student Scholarship: Vol. 1: Iss. 2, Article 4.
Available at: https://repository.stcloudstate.edu/joss/vol1/iss2/4