ARCHEODOME PROJECT

Mitchell Prehistoric Indian Village


GROUNDBREAKING
WAS HELD ON MAY 31, 1996 AT THE MITCHELL PREHISTORIC INDIAN VILLAGE, INDIAN VILLAGE ROAD, MITCHELL, SOUTH DAKOTA.

The Mitchell Site is a fully-protected archeological property which exhibits superb preservation, possessing dual status as both a National Register and National Landmark property. The site location is easily accessible for scholars, educators and the general public.

ARCHEOLOGICAL EXCAVATIONS

Units 1-4........Units 5-11........Units 12-14........Units 15-18




The data base contained in the Mitchell Site has far-reaching implications for the understanding of prehistoric human cultural dynamics during a crucial period of agricultural experimentation in the most northerly region of New World agriculture.


The development of the Center will focus on providing an innovative series of long range programs probing the many environmental issues surrounding prehistoric landscape use and misuse which would be the basis for elementary, junior high and high school teaching seminars, with workshops for both teachers and students.

The Center will provide a base for teacher training/education courses dealing with the issues of natural and human environmental impacts on the prehistoric landscape and the critical issue of how human decision-making affects modern human populations.

The research aspect of the Mitchell Site provides a unique arena for developing significant inter-disciplinary academic programs in paleobotany, paleozoology, geomorphology and soil chemistry in conjunction with archeology. These programs will provide research opportunities for both undergraduate and graduate college students.



The footprint for the building consists of a series of 18 circular footings approximately 4 feet in diameter. Archeological excavation of 1.5 meter square units oriented along the N-S site grid and centered on these proposed footings was completed in November 1996.




Layout of Archeological Excavations for Archeodome foundations


The Center will provide a focus for research that will attract scholars from multiple disciplines to Mitchell. The benefits beyond the strictly academic contribution will include having the scholars available to conduct workshops and lectures for both the professional community as well as the public.

Through construction of the Archeodome, year-round excavation and research-related activities will be possible at the Mitchell Site. The community will gain a facility in which interpretive and educational programs can be offered to school children, teachers, and tourists throughout the year.

It is difficult to overstate the potential for public education as well as pure academic research that the creation of the proposed Archeodome will establish. It is legitimate to suggest that this facility will have an important impact far beyond the local or even regional area. The Mitchell Site represents the northern extent of the agricultural revolution that forever altered the face of human cultural systems, not only in the New World but on a global scale. Perhaps the most crucial dietary contribution to human cultural systems worldwide is maize. While the origins of maize are clearly in MesoAmerica, even modern scientific techniques for hybridizing seed stock have failed to extend the growing range much beyond the reach of the prehistoric village pioneers at Mitchell.

 


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