Archaeological Excavations in 1905

Archaeological Excavations in 1905. Double Ditch State Historic Site. The first scholarly archaeological study of a Mandan earthlodge village village site was made in 1905 by Harvard University students George Will and Herbert Spinden. They excavated portions of six midden mounds, two houses, six cache pits, and the two fortification systems visible on the surface.

The study of artifacts and material remains contained within these features permits archaeologists to date the span of village occupation and identify changes in diet, health, and lifeways of the Mandans.

In 1905 archaeologists excavated parts of several midden mounds at Double Ditch. Some of these midden mounds consisted mostly of earth. Others contained abundant broken animal bones, corn, and beans, and had many layers of charcoal, ash, pottery, stone tools, and other items, The oldest items are generally those found at the bottom of the midden mounds. By careful scientific excavation, archeologists can learn how artifacts and lifeways, such as tools and diet, changed among the Mandans over time.

Photo captions: , Top Right: Can you see the triangular-shaped space Will and Spinden excavated? , Lower left: Excavation of Midden Mound A at Double Ditch in 1905 , Upper middle: Map of house and cache pit excavations , Lower middle: Cross section of a bell-shaped cache pit used by the Mandans , Lower right: Will and Spinden map of Double Ditch , Can you locate Midden Mound A on the map?