Prehistoric Indian Village

The Mitchell Prehistoric Indian Village is the only archaeological site in South Dakota that is open to the public. 1,000 years ago, a group of people settled on a bluff overlooking a creek and fertile floodplain. They built over 70 houses and began...

The Mitchell Prehistoric Indian Village is the only archaeological site in South Dakota that is open to the public. 1,000 years ago, a group of people settled on a bluff overlooking a creek and fertile floodplain. They built over 70 houses and began to process bison for pemmican and other items on an industrial scale. The site was discovered in 1910 and has been excavated ever since. Current excavations take place each summer when students from the University of Exeter, England, arrive each year. They are led by Dr. Alan Outram, one of the world's leading experts on the domestication of the horse, and Dr. Adrien Hannus, head of the Archaeology Laboratory at Augustana College, Sioux Falls and an expert in early Plains people. There is a museum, laboratory, research library and gift shop on the site.