Tarragindi Archaeology Dig

Tarragindi Archaeology Dig In Spring 2025, the Tarragindi Archaeological Dig team and 45 students started excavating an old farm in Berrien Springs, Michigan.

Come and help excavate an old farm in Berrien Springs, Michigan, first established in 1836 by one of Berrien County's (and Michigan's) earliest settler families. The farm was first established in 1836 by one of Berrien County's earliest settler families. The dig uncovered a slew of items from the farm's almost 200-year history, including over 500 antique and vintage bottles... and we are nowhere n

ear done excavating this two-acre site. Our students had so much fun at the Spring 2025 Dig that we partnered with the Berrien County History Center and Berrien Township to add more fun programming and projects for Summer 2025 and Fall 2025. All programs are directed by archaeologist Dr Jan Sigvartsen PhD, who exceeds the Secretary of the Interior's Professional Qualifications Standards for Archaeology as stipulated in the Code of Federal Regulations, 36 CFR Part 61. The goal of the Tarragindi Archaeological Dig and its parent not-for-profit, the Tarragindi Initiative, is to provide unique and remarkable childhood programs for young people - right here in Berrien County. We want them to be proud of being from Southwest Michigan by knowing this region's important indigenous and settler histories. We believe this bond with Berrien County and its past, coupled with these unique childhood experiences, will result in: building friendships with other young people and teachers who want to see them thrive; becoming more engaged and invested in their communities; a desire to maintain and look after our region's homes, businesses, and public spaces, both historic and non-historic; improved mental health, self-respect, and a desire to succeed; and encourage economic growth in the future as these young people build businesses and raise families in this area.

Our Old Jailhouse dig is in full swing. We are continuing this dig during the summer too!
05/20/2026

Our Old Jailhouse dig is in full swing. We are continuing this dig during the summer too!

Did you know that the 1839 Berrien County 1839 Courthouse in Berrien Springs is officially the oldest courthouse in Mich...
04/19/2026

Did you know that the 1839 Berrien County 1839 Courthouse in Berrien Springs is officially the oldest courthouse in Michigan? Here is a copy of the Michigan Senate's and Michigan House of Representatives' Concurrent Resolution 367 that supports this claim. It is also the oldest courthouse in Michigan that still serves its original purpose as it is still an active courthouse as outlined in the Michigan Legislature - MCL Section - 600.1515. https://legislature.mi.gov/Laws/MCL?objectName=mcl-600-1515&highlight=office,of,the,governor,general
Both the 1839 Courthouse and the town square it sits on (the oldest Townsquare in the Midwest still serving its original purpose) are both on the United States Department of the Interior's Register of Historic Places.

Our Archaeology digs, the 1838 Old Jailhouse Dig at the Berrien County Historic Courthouse Square, and at the Tarragindi...
04/06/2026

Our Archaeology digs, the 1838 Old Jailhouse Dig at the Berrien County Historic Courthouse Square, and at the Tarragindi Archaeological Dig site, are starting in two weeks - the week beginning April 21. If you will want to join us, please contact me immediately through our website contacts. Free partnership placements have closed, but we are still accepting fee-paying students this semester. A donor has generously said they would cover half the fees of fee-paying students in the Spring and Fall semesters, so if your friends (who are not eligible for the partnership or missed the deadline) would like to join, it will be half the regular price. The syllabus and times are available on our website.

In Spring 2025, the Tarragindi Archaeological Dig team and our students started excavating an almost 200-year-old farm in Berrien Springs, Michigan. The farm was first established in 1836 by one of Berrien County's earliest settler families. The dig uncovered a slew of items, including over 500 anti...

On Sunday, March 1, at 1pm, we will be showing a collection of ancient artifacts from the History Center's collection. ...
03/01/2026

On Sunday, March 1, at 1pm, we will be showing a collection of ancient artifacts from the History Center's collection. Some of these artifacts are thousands of years old. It will be in the Old Courthouse, 313 North Cass Street, Berrien Springs. Hope you can make it. When we are done, you are welcome to stay for our Historic Court Trials class where we reenact court old trials to learn about justice and social justice in times gone by. Tomorrow we are doing two cases from the 1600s and 1700s. Hope you can join us.

A HUGE congratulations to our previous archaeology students at the Tarragindi Dig, the "Super Joes Amethyst" team for wi...
12/13/2025

A HUGE congratulations to our previous archaeology students at the Tarragindi Dig, the "Super Joes Amethyst" team for winning at their regional FIRST® LEGO® League competition and qualifying for the Michigan State finals next weekend!

Using their finds from the Tarragindi Archaeology Dig, they built an interactive display to exhibit these finds. Dr Jan and I were consultants for the team. We are SOOOO proud of all our students, but this win is wonderful affirmation that our youth archaeology and local history programming, located right here in Berrien Springs, really can take Berrien County students to the next level. It has made our year because we want to see our students thrive!

Our partners at the Berrien County History Center, John Moga and his team, and the Berrien County Historical Association Board members will also be cheering for the Super Joes too. We have a space reserved in the Courthouse museum at the Berrien County History Center, Berrien Springs, for their award-winning exhibit early next year.

Students at Berrien Springs schools and Niles schools, can still register for our archaeology and history programs through their Parent Partnerships. See tarragindi.org for more information about classes and links to register.

In light of recent events at Mars Elementary, Dr. Jan and I would like to take this opportunity to reassure parents that...
11/30/2025

In light of recent events at Mars Elementary, Dr. Jan and I would like to take this opportunity to reassure parents that we have both been rigorously background-checked and fingerprinted as a condition of our association with the Berrien Springs and Niles parent partnership programs. We also work together, so there is both a male and a female teacher with your children in all of our classes. All our classes take place in appropriate spaces outside of our home. Parents are more than welcome to accompany their children to our classes as well, which are all group classes. I was also a sexual abuse counselor earlier in my career, and Dr Jan and I remain very committed to ensuring your children are in a safe, abuse-free, and bullying-free environment

Photographs taken by the Historic Photography class at the Tarragindi Archaeological Dig
11/20/2025

Photographs taken by the Historic Photography class at the Tarragindi Archaeological Dig

11/20/2025

Potawatomi traditional dance.

Our trip to the Potawatomi program in Edwardsburg.
11/20/2025

Our trip to the Potawatomi program in Edwardsburg.

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Berrien Springs, MI
49103

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