Sioux Falls in Minnehaha County, South Dakota — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)

500 A.D. Copper Knife

April 22, 2022

1. 500 A.D. Copper Knife Marker

Inscription. For several thousand years ancient peoples quarried veins of pure copper in the Lake Superior area. First, they built fires next to exposed raw copper to loosen it from bedrock. Next, they used handheld stone mauls to dislodge chunks of copper that were then pounded and shaped into weapons, ceremonial goods, and tools.

In 1960 while digging a drainage ditch about 300 yards south of this spot, local contractor Louie Heidebrink discovered a shiny, seven-inch, crescent-shaped copper knife buried 12 feet below ground level. Tests estimated the knife's origin to be about 500 A.D. Once used to scrape the hides of buffalo and other animals, it is one of the oldest artifacts ever found in Minnehaha County.

Copper goods were highly prized in the transcontinental trade network among early peoples. During its 600-mile journey here, this knife was probably traded countless times. Heidebrink discovered the copper knife hundreds of years after it was lost or mislaid by its owner, who possibly lived in the nearby Mound Builders Village.

Erected 2001 by the Minnehaha County Historical Society and the City of Sioux Falls in memory of Louie Heidebrink.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Anthropology & Archaeology • Native Americans. A significant historical year for this entry is 500 CE.

Location.

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43° 32.125′ N, 96° 45.846′ W. Marker is in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, in Minnehaha County. Marker is on West Indian Mound Place, on the right when traveling west. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Sioux Falls SD 57105, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Earth-Hut Villages (within shouting distance of this marker); The Fifth Mound (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Ceremonial Dance Circle (about 500 feet away); Sherman Park (about 600 feet away); The Big Slide (about 600 feet away); Linear Mound (about 600 feet away); Sherman Park Indian Burial Mounds (about 600 feet away); Sherman Centennial Plaza (about 600 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Sioux Falls.

April 22, 2022

2. 500 A.D. Copper Knife Marker

500 A.D. Copper Knife Marker, from the north image. Click for full size.

April 22, 2022

3. 500 A.D. Copper Knife Marker, from the north

500 A.D. Copper Knife Marker, from the south image. Click for full size.

April 22, 2022

4. 500 A.D. Copper Knife Marker, from the south

500 A.D. Copper Knife <i>(bottom)</i> on exhibit at the Center for Western Studies in Sioux Falls image. Click for full size.

March 10, 2023

5. 500 A.D. Copper Knife (bottom) on exhibit at the Center for Western Studies in Sioux Falls

Credits. This page was last revised on March 10, 2023. It was originally submitted on May 5, 2022. This page has been viewed 400 times since then and 61 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on May 5, 2022. 5. submitted on March 10, 2023.