Missing Superior National Forest artifact prompts law enforcement investigation

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Photo of missing historic saw blade shared by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. (Supplied)

DULUTH, Minn. (FOX 9) - An industrial sawblade that officials describe as a historical artifact tied to the logging and railroad era of northern Minnesota, was taken from the Henry Mills site in Superior National Forest in an alleged looting incident earlier this spring.

Historical significance

The blade is considered to be an item of archaeological interest under the Archeological Resources Protection Act (ARPA) of 1979, which means it is "capable of providing scientific or humanistic understandings of past human behavior, cultural adaptation, and related topics through the application of scientific or scholarly techniques such as controlled observation, contextual measurement, controlled collection, analysis, interpretation and explanation" as defined by the ARPA.

The sawblade is described as being 48 inches in diameter and was damaged and rusty before it was taken.

Officials say the blade is "in good shape considering the age of the artifact."

The Henry Mills site was first recorded in 1990 and shows the history of logging, lumber and milling industries in the area.