Statewide County, SD History - Books .....Archeology 1925
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Book Title: Doane Robinson's Encyclopedia Of South Dakota

  Archeology. Though the material remains of ancient peoples are not profuse,
South Dakota has an archeology that is interesting, instructive and important.
There are human remains, the ruins of habitations and fortifications, of flints,
implements and utensils. It is the common belief that these are the remains of
the ancestors of the Indians occupying the region when white exploration began;
but of this there is no certain proof. The human remains of ancients are clearly
of people strongly resembling modern Indians. The remains of habitations are of
earth-covered houses of the general form of those occupied in historic times by
Arickara, Mandan and other sedentary tribes. The flints are finely executed
arrows, spears, knives and tanning instruments, and are generally distributed.
The implements are usually of bone and consist of hoes, fishhooks, awls and
needles. The utensils are of clay, well shaped and substantial. Fortifications
are usually located upon points well calculated for defense and are laid out
with good engineering sense to make them easily protected. They consist of deep
ditches and there are indications that they were stockaded. While most of these
remains are near the Missouri River, they are also found at remote points. The
remains of a pottery and its necessary kilns were found near old Fort Sisseton
by Captain A, J. Comfort, U. S. Army and his account is published in the
"Smithsonian Report" for 1871. Mr. A. Barrandt describes very remarkable ancient
remains that he found in Lincoln County, Dakota Territory, in the "Smithsonian
Report" for 1872. At many places there are figures placed upon prominent points
as memorials. These are mosaics of boulders to represent serpents, birds,
animals and human beings. A very important fortification of unknown history, but
believed to have been built by the Arickara, is located eight miles east of
Pierre, on the north side of the Missouri River. It is upon a high terrace,
having an altitude three hundred fifty feet above the river level and embraces
within its enclosure one hundred thirty acres of nearly level land. The
admiration of military engineers of the present day is excited by the manner of
its construction. A fine spring of water is within the entrenchment. It must
have been invulnerable to any enemy not supplied with siege guns.

  Dakotan, I, 110.  "Boulder Mosaics" in Hist., VI. 207; VII. 541.

  "The Haystack Mound"

  "This mound, one of the finest specimens of archaelogical remains in the
northwest, is situated in Lincoln county, near the west fork of the Little Sioux
of Dakota . or Turkey creek, nearly eighty-five miles northwest of Sioux City.
It is situated on a fine bottom, and is 327 feet in length at the base on the
northwest side, and 290 feet on the southeast side, and 120 feet wide. Its sides
slope at an angle of about 50 degrees; and it is from 34 to 41 feet in. height,
the northeast end being the higher. To the summit, which is from 26 to 33 feet
wide, there is a well beaten path. It is composed of calcined clay, which by
burning has become hard and of a dark brick color. Toward its base, on the
northeast side, there is a large portion of the side built of soft sandstone and
limestone, which were probably extracted from the large hill lying about three
miles and a half in a northwesterly direction, as I have found a large hole in
the side hill partially filled up by the caving in of the bank. At first I
thought that it was a spur of the main ridge of hill that had been isolated by
the action of water which in former ages rushed down that valley, as the cut
banks on both sides of the creek clearly indicate; but on closer examination I
found that it was built of the above mentioned materials. What led to making a
part of the mound with stone. I am at a loss to conjecture. While examining the
mound, I discovered on its southeast side a hole which had all the appearance of
a badger hole; it was about 18 feet from the base of the mound. I determined to
ascertain whether it was a badger hole or some inlet which in the course of time
might have been filled up by the falling debris. I accordingly had a hole dug
and, after reaching a distance of 23 feet horizontally, discovered a cavity
which was found to contain a part of the vertebra of an elk, several bones,
belonging probably to the same animal, and thirty-six broken fragments of
pottery, together with a pile of ashes arid about half a bushel of charcoal, and
charred wood. This cavity was nearly circular, about 7 feet in diameter, and 3
1/2 or 4 feet high.

  "I conjectured that at one time this cavity must have reached the summit of
the mound, and consequently I ordered that a hole should be dug as nearly as
possible above it. After having dug to the depth of 9 feet, we came to within 2
feet of the cavity. Here we found several large sandstones and a stick of oak,
very well preserved, projecting over the top of the cavity. This stick was
probably used as a suport for pots hung over the fire, for that the culinary art
was practiced in this hole is clearly indicated by the ashes and bones strewn
around. But how this hole got filled up, I am at a loss to determine. I am
sanguine that if the mound was properly explored some valuable relics of this
industrious race of mound-builders would be found; owing to its being at a
distance from the banks of the Missouri, and the generally traveled road, it has
never been examined by any scientific explorer. From afar it resembles a
haystack, and hence this name was given to it by the emigrant."

  A. Barrandt in Report Smithsonian Institute 1872.

  Old Fortress near Pierre

  Seven miles east of Pierre upon a high terrace. 300 feet above the surface of
the river. lying in a triangular plateau between two deep gulches is a
prehistoric earthwork, indicating the remains of a very substantial and well
engineered work of defense. The remains were carefully surveyed by Dr. Delorme
W. Robinson, in 1888, who mapped and thus describes them:

  "The earth-works themselves are somewhat irregular, though almost circular in
form, and inclose about one hundred and thirty acres. They occupy the entire
base of the triangle and conform largely to its irregularities, but are always
extended when necessary so as to command the most accurate view of the slopes of
the steep bluffs and the valley below. Laterally they approach near enough to
the two gulches to defend their descents, and are pushed out here and there on
promontories and encroachments towards the gulches, thus gaining a complete
flanking position to any natural ascent to the works. Towards the acute angle of
the triangle which points towards the prairie lands and away from the river,
they extend along the gulches a sufficient distance to form a somewhat elongated
circle, where at well fortified angles they cut the plateau across from gulch to
gulch. The main parts of the fortifications are a double line of earthworks
consisting of an outer ditch, which is still plainly visible, and an embankment
which follows the course of the ditch and internal to it, and which was
evidently made by throwing the dirt inward to the center of the fortified
inclosure. The ditch when dug. was probably from three to six feet deep and four
to eight feet wide, the widest and deepest sections being at places where it
approaches near the edge of the bluffs. Some portions of the embankment are
scarcely visible, but at stragetic points where the ditch is wide it is still
three or four feet above the adjacent surface indicating a provision for a
double line of defenders, the front line in the trench and the rear line above
them and behind the embankment. To further strengthen the position, there are
twenty-four pear-shaped loops, which, extend outward from the outer line of the
works from twenty to forty feet. The distance between these loops along the main
line of works varies from one to one hundred and fifty feet Their location is
such that they not only overlook the slopes of the bluffs and gulches, but serve
as a means of a perfect flank position in either direction along the main line.
The earth-works of these loops are still three feet above the surface, inside of
them. About twenty feet from the slope of the bluffs upon which the earth-works
are built, on the side facing the Missouri springs burst from a strata of
gravel, from which flows an abundance of clear, cool water. Excavations have
been made into the hillside, and large earthern bowls made by throwing the earth
to the outer side. There are three of these excavations down the slope, which
would indicate that a succession of pools formerly existed there. To these
springs there is a deep way cut through the hillside from the main
fortification. Where the fortification approaches nearest the valley there is
still a further projection of a narrow neck of land, which widens and rises
higher as it lengthens toward the river, until its elevation exposes the high
earthworks and the surrounding hills. From its highest point the immediate
surroundings and the entire valley of the Missouri, for miles can be seen." A
somewhat similar fortress is located near the mouth of Crow Creek, thirty miles
north of Chamberlain. It is probable that each of these are the work of the
Arickara.


Additional Comments:
Extracted from:

DOANE ROBINSON'S
Encyclopedia of South Dakota
FIRST EDITION

Published by the Author
PIERRE
1925

COPYRIGHT BY DOANE ROBINSON. 1925

WILL A. BEACH PRINTING COMPANY
PRINTERS AND BINDERS
SIOUX FALLS


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