Indiana Jones and an 8,000-Year-Old Artifact, Helped MnDOT Archaeologist Danielle Kiesow Find Her Calling

Not many Minnesotans can say a typical workday might include helping manage the Blatnik Bridge project in Duluth, consulting with Tribal Historic Preservation Officers or discovering an 8,000-year-old artifact at a construction site.

For Local 801 member Danielle Kiesow, an archaeologist with the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT), that's just part of the job.

Kiesow's interest in archaeology began on her grandparents' dairy farm in Wisconsin. A family friend who worked as an archaeologist showed her arrowheads and chipped stone tools he had found on the property, sparking a fascination with the past.

She also credits an unlikely source for helping define her career path: actor Harrison Ford. "I watched Indiana Jones in high school and was so obsessed with him destroying all of these movie props designed to look like historic artifacts while fighting Nazis, and it made me so mad," Kiesow said with a laugh. "I wondered why it made me so angry."

That curiosity eventually led her to enroll in the archaeology program at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, where she earned a BA in archaeology. She later enrolled in the applied archaeology program at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, where she earned an MA.

After working for two private archaeology firms, Kiesow joined MnDOT two years ago. The opportunity offered something often difficult to find in the archaeology profession: stability and union representation. "In archaeology, it is very difficult to organize and unionize archaeologists," she said. "Even though we're a small group, it can be difficult to build unions at both small and large firms."

Today, Kiesow is part of a MnDOT team that includes eight archaeologists and six architectural historians. Their work centers on helping the agency comply with federal and state historic preservation requirements for transportation projects.

Much of that work falls under the National Historic Preservation Act, which requires federal agencies and projects receiving federal funding or involving federal land to consider impacts on cultural and historic resources.

One of the largest projects currently on her desk is the replacement of the Blatnik Bridge connecting Duluth and Superior, Wisconsin. The $1.8 billion project is a joint effort between MnDOT and the Wisconsin Department of Transportation. The existing bridge is scheduled to be demolished in March 2027, with the new tiered-arch crossing expected to open by Oct. 31, 2031.

"We had to do surveys to determine whether there were any archaeological sites that could be adversely affected by the project," Kiesow explained. "With a project this large, it's not just the footprint of the bridge. There is soil testing, retaining ponds, utility work and other infrastructure that can affect a much larger area."

The project has also required extensive coordination among multiple agencies and Tribal Nations. "For the architectural history side, we also have to make sure the bridge won't adversely affect significant historic buildings in Duluth," she said. "It's been fun to develop relationships across Minnesota and Wisconsin state agencies, the Coast Guard, and consulting tribes. There has been a huge effort, and it's been incredible to see it all come together."

Environmental and cultural resource reviews like those conducted by Kiesow's team could be affected by the proposed Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act of 2026. Critics of the legislation argue it would significantly narrow environmental and cultural reviews, potentially threatening archaeological sites and sacred tribal lands while reducing requirements for tribal consultation. "Tribal consultation is something Minnesota does really well," Kiesow said.

Opponents of the bill argue that bypassing consultation and public engagement could ultimately delay projects by increasing the likelihood of litigation.

For Kiesow, preserving archaeological resources is about ensuring the stories of all people are remembered. "We have many history books and written accounts, but for people who didn't leave written records, archaeology helps fill those gaps alongside oral history," she said. "Much of that history could be lost without federal review."

Minnesota's state review laws often provide opportunities to protect those resources before construction begins. "Sometimes we can modify projects," Kiesow said. "Other times we have to do additional research or excavation before a site is impacted."

One recent discovery underscored why that work matters. While conducting fieldwork for a proposed MnDOT rest area in the Twin Cities, Kiesow and colleague Jammi Ladwig uncovered artifacts dating back more than 8,000 years.

"It's pretty rare to find sites that old," Kiesow said. "We found a chipped stone tool called an end scraper, which was likely used to process animal hides. It was really exciting because we don't often find archaeological sites like that."

The discovery was especially meaningful because it came after a long stretch away from fieldwork. "I hadn't been in the field in a while, and it was amazing to find something that spectacular," she said.

Outside of her work as an archaeologist, Kiesow is deeply involved in her union. She serves as Local 801's membership secretary and steward and is active in the Solidarity Caucus. "I am a strong believer in being part of a union, and membership is not a spectator sport," she said. "The union is only as strong as we are."