The Huff Archeological Site is a prehistoric
Mandan
The Mandan are a Native American tribe of the Great Plains who have lived for centuries primarily in what is now North Dakota. They are enrolled in the Three Affiliated Tribes of the Fort Berthold Reservation. About half of the Mandan still res ...
village in
North Dakota
North Dakota () is a U.S. state in the Upper Midwest, named after the Native Americans in the United States, indigenous Dakota people, Dakota Sioux. North Dakota is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba to the north a ...
dated around 1450 AD.
State Historical Society of North Dakota
The State Historical Society of North Dakota is an agency that preserves and presents history through museums and historic sites in the state of North Dakota. The agency operates the North Dakota Heritage Center in Bismarck, which serves as a hist ...
It was discovered in the early 1900s.
[National Park Services] The site has been designated a
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the United States government for its outstanding historical significance. Only some 2,500 (~3%) of over 90,000 places listed ...
,
[National Register of Historic Places] and is one of the best preserved sites of the period.
[National Park Services]
Location
The site is located near the town of
Huff in
Morton County,
North Dakota
North Dakota () is a U.S. state in the Upper Midwest, named after the Native Americans in the United States, indigenous Dakota people, Dakota Sioux. North Dakota is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba to the north a ...
on the bank of the
Missouri River.
[National Park Services] In the 1960s, excavators enlisted the assistance of the
US Army Corps of Engineers
, colors =
, anniversaries = 16 June (Organization Day)
, battles =
, battles_label = Wars
, website =
, commander1 = ...
to stabilize the river bank and protect the site.
[National Park Services] Because of this, most of the site is undisturbed.
The rectangular layout of the village, which once included hundreds of lodges and outer fortifications, is easily seen on the surface at the site.
The ditch still surround the village on three sides.
[National Park Services] The village spans 12 acres of land next to the river bank.
History
The village was occupied about 200 years before European influence.
The people who lived here were agriculturalists and hunted
bison
Bison are large bovines in the genus ''Bison'' (Greek: "wild ox" (bison)) within the tribe Bovini. Two extant and numerous extinct species are recognised.
Of the two surviving species, the American bison, ''B. bison'', found only in North Ame ...
.
Conflict seemed to be an issue to these people, since the settlement was heavily fortified with ditches and bastions.
The buildings inside the fortifications were all rectangular, except one, and dug into pits one or two feet deep.
Their support posts were made of trees from the surrounding area. Entryways of all the buildings face southwest, away from the river. The one house that is different from the others is more square in shape with rounded corners. The village layout is similar to other Mandan villages in that it has a central plaza and a ceremonial structure that opens into the plaza.
Today
Today, the site has a walking tour that includes informative signs and is protected by the
State Historical Society of North Dakota
The State Historical Society of North Dakota is an agency that preserves and presents history through museums and historic sites in the state of North Dakota. The agency operates the North Dakota Heritage Center in Bismarck, which serves as a hist ...
as Huff Indian Village State Historic Site.
The Mandan people now reside on the
Fort Berthold Reservation
The Fort Berthold Indian Reservation is a U.S. Indian reservation in western North Dakota that is home for the federally recognized Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Nation, also known as the Three Affiliated Tribes. The reservation includes lands on ...
, North Dakota.
[Archeolink.com] This site is considered an important piece of North Dakota archaeology,
and of Native American heritage.
See also
*
List of National Historic Landmarks in North Dakota
The List of National Historic Landmarks in North Dakota contains the landmarks designated by the U.S. Federal Government for the U.S. state of North Dakota.
There are 7 National Historic Landmarks (NHLs) in North Dakota.
Current National Histor ...
*
National Register of Historic Places listings in Morton County, North Dakota
Notes
References
# "Huff Archeology Site
National Historic Landmark Nomination, Retrieved 2012-11-18
# "Huff Archeology Site
National Historic Landmarks Programs, National Park Services, Retrieved 2012-11-18
# "Huff Indian Village Historic Site
State Historical Society of North Dakota, Retrieved 2012-11-18
# "National Register Information System
National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service, 2012-11-18
# "North Dakota Archaeology
Archeolink.com, Retrieved 2012-11-18
External links
Huff Indian Village State Historic Site-
State Historical Society of North Dakota
The State Historical Society of North Dakota is an agency that preserves and presents history through museums and historic sites in the state of North Dakota. The agency operates the North Dakota Heritage Center in Bismarck, which serves as a hist ...
{{coord, 46, 37, 07, N, 100, 38, 33, W, format=dms, display=title, type:landmark_region:US-ND
National Historic Landmarks in North Dakota
Archaeological sites on the National Register of Historic Places in North Dakota
North Dakota State Historic Sites
National Register of Historic Places in Morton County, North Dakota
Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Nation
Native American history of North Dakota
Former Native American populated places in the United States